Working in higher education, I’ve been lucky enough most years to have an extended break between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. This time of year, the campus is quiet and most projects grind to a halt, freeing up a few hours here and there to bring some closure to the year. These are simple tasks, but in the course of everyday work they can fall by the wayside. On the first work-day of the New Year, I’ll be walking into a clean, clutter-free office on January 3: will you?
Clean out your email
Don’t just clear out your deleted items and tidy up your inbox. Take a chunk of time to think through how you organize your mail, and make sure the system you use is working for you. Early last year, I made a radical switch to how I filed away and sorted my email, and I found that it had an immediate effect on how much time it took me to retrieve files and stay on top of the tasks that filter in.
Clear off your desk
Find a dust rag, grab a garbage can and start in one corner of your office or cubicle to get rid of what you don’t need/haven’t used/don’t remember having. This includes what’s on your desk, under it, in it and on your walls.
File your piles
My file pile grows with every week. Tame yours into a favorite drawer, cabinet, box or round file. Bonus points to you if your file system matches your email file system. I’m not quite at that point, but one day I might be.
Make a resolution
I’ve read that less than one-quarter of people keep their new year’s resolutions. I’ve also read that it takes about 20 times of doing something to make it a habit. Why not combine the two and set one resolution for the month of January? Mine is to keep my desk clear of anything smaller than a shoe. (It’s an arbitrary measure, but I needed something). If I can do that for next month, I’ll move on to bigger things for February, like keeping my contacts updated in Outlook and making sure my voicemail message is up-to-date. And speaking of voicemail…
Before you leave for the holidays…
Infuse your email and voicemail out-of-office messages with some holiday cheer and useful information about how people can get their questions answered in your absence. Calls and emails will still arrive, so direct people to your web site at the very least, and make sure to say that their question will be responded to promptly after the first of the year.
