Three Important Things to Help You Do Your Business Paperwork

Learn to focus - A few years ago Tiger Woods was asked by a reporter why he was such a good golfer. He gave what I thought was an excellent answer. He said "I focus better than anyone else". You see when he is facing wind or rainy conditions with television camera and crowds following him on the course, he has to be able to focus on the tiny ball in front of him or he won't hit it. As a child his father would walk behind Tiger just when he was swinging and drop a handful of golf clubs on the ground. Tiger learned to golf despite what might be distractions to other people. When you are writing, you need to do the same thing. Your writing project is the only thing on which you should be focused.

Consider your limitations - Years ago, as a Child Welfare Investigator, I was told that my documentation must always be done within 24 hours of client contact. It was explained to me that if I was called as a witness into Court, my credibility would be in question and the opposing lawyer would argue that memory fails dramatically after this period of time. I know my limitations when it comes to remembering details and find it so much easier to write my reports as close to the information-gathering as possible. Also, I frankly do not want to store the lives of all my clients in long-term memory! I resolve this by gathering information and writing my report in the same day as it is collected. You see, you might have to force yourself into the chair in order to begin when you would prefer to procrastinate but, you will never finish something until you have begun. Thinking about it does not move you forward. I know lots of people who have been thinking about writing a book for many years but haven't written the first page!

Set deadlines for yourself - I never leave the office unless my paperwork is done. I figure that if a person can't pay their mortgage one month it will be much more difficult to try to make two mortgage payments the following month! It is the same thing with paperwork. Many professionals try to convince themselves and others that working with the clients is more important than doing paperwork. Try having a client die unexpectedly and you will soon be embarrassed if the file is seized without you having a chance to catch up on the documentation that you have been neglecting. Reports for my Substance Abuse Assessments must be done within 24 hours of the clinical interview. I never miss a deadline. You don't need to have an external source set goals for you. Set some for yourself and you will be surprised at how often you meet them.