Holiday Q&A with NYC Professional Office Organizer
Staying organized during the holiday season is no easy feat! Juggling your workload, holiday preparations, and many holiday parties can be a lot. This month, your NYC Professional Office Organizer is answering your most pressing organizing questions so you can be organized and productive this holiday season!
Q: I am very excited to have family coming to town for the holidays. I’m worried that I won’t be able to spend as much time with them as I’d like. I have a lot of projects to wrap up and will be bringing the work home that I don’t finish during the day. Do you have any tips to help me better manage my tasks at work?
A: Knowing in advance that family will be visiting over the holidays can make it easier to plan for their stay. This includes planning to complete both your work and personal tasks in advance so that you free up as much time as possible to spend with your house guests. Look at your calendar now and start blocking out time for all the essential tasks that will need to be done. Putting in the extra hours during these days before the holidays will be well worth it when you think of those extra hours you’ll have with your family.
Q: I love the holidays! I’m hosting my large family this year, and all the planning has me scattered and struggling to stay focused at work. What’s your #1 tip to stay focused during this busy season?
A: This can be an especially challenging time to stay focused as there are many distractions. I personally try to stay in the present and focus on one task at a time. I will also set a timer for 30 minutes which also helps keep me focused. Once the timer goes off, I take a short break and assess whether another 30 minutes is needed or if I am ready to move on to the next task on my list. Keeping an updated to-do list with priorities clearly noted will help you quickly move from task to task.
Q: As the end of the year creeps closer, I’m starting to think about transitioning into the new year – specifically my client files. How do I know which files I can box up and store away from the prior year, and which files I need to keep available?
A: My general rule of thumb concerning files is to keep all recent project files (like client files) that I may want to refer to in my reference file drawer. Once a year I review the contents of this drawer and discard files that are no longer needed and archive those that need to be kept. As the name indicates, the files kept in the reference drawer include vendor price lists, my holiday card mailing info, and completed project folders.
Do you have a question for this NYC Professional Office Organizer? You can ask your questions right here and I’ll respond promptly!