Top Tips to keep your work life in order.

Balancing two jobs, being a mummy and a wife (as well as trying to have some time to myself) has been such a challenge and it has really made me think about some of the ways that I organise my time and my workload.

I often refer to myself as an “organisational queen” which sounds a bit big-headed when you write it down like that, but I am more referring to the fact that I know that everything has to have its place and everything needs to be done in a set time frame in order for all the facets of my life to work in harmony together. It doesn’t always work like that mind you – let’s be real - but the majority of the time, my life is a series of spinning plates at work/ trips to Rainbows/swimming lessons/dance classes/masses of washing/lots of emails and meeting planning late at night in bed before I regrettably turn the alarm on for the morning. I say the alarm – I actually mean the multitude of alarms – I am an absolute nightmare for waking up in the morning.

I thought that as a change to the type of article that I usually write for the Aspen Waite magazine,

I would share some top tips and hints as to how I manage the office/work side of my life – hopefully there may be something that could help you plan your workday or organisational methods a bit better.

‘Hot’ Desk

My desk is my little slice of heaven and control when I am at work. I don’t like a lot of mess on my desk and I always utilise files, drawers and filing trays. Everything always has its own place so I can turn around blindfolded and still be able to put my hands on something. I am a massive fan of organisational labelling too – nothing makes me happier than standardised labelling in matching tubs/drawer dividers (there are so many addictive videos out there and my pantry reflects that)

Desk to Impress

Desk utilisation and flow is SO important. When I first started in my old job there was no structure or flow to the current desk set up – the printer was on the left hand side of the desk and the printer paper to go in it was on the right hand side in a bottom drawer.

There was no system for different paperwork stages either – so I implemented a filing tray system: o Scan and Hand Back o Scan and Post o Scan and Shred o In Progress/Waiting on Information o Ready for Filing

Stationery staples

Always have stationery on hand – most people laugh, but it is very rare that you will see me at work without a pen tucked into my hair! This might not possibly be the solution for everyone, but you get the gist!

It’s a date

I am also an absolute stickler for making sure my Outlook diary is up to date. This is particularly important because I run two work diaries side-by-side, whilst also running the home/ childcare diary as well. I need to know exactly where I am going to be and when – making sure I book in travelling time and also knowing who is doing the school run that day is very important!

Colour Co-ordinate

If my schedule is particularly heavy, I like to colour co-ordinate my diary entries so that I can easily spot what can and cannot be moved. For example – all school pick ups are coloured pink, my social media posting reminders are in blue and client meetings are in yellow. This way when I look at my diary if I am scrabbling for some time to free up, I know that I cannot move the yellow and pink boxes, but the blue ones are more flexible. This is a typical trick that EA’s use for running diaries – and it is SO handy and really simple to do.

Effective emailing

There is never anything in my inbox. Some people cannot believe me when I say this, but hand on heart, there is nothing in my inbox. An email comes in and it gets processed in one of the following ways: o Delete without replying (spam/sales etc) o Read and replied to straight away then filed o Read, flagged then filed – so that I can reply to them later

Red flag (The good kind)

The flagging function on Outlook is something that I just cannot live without. Everything that I need to review later/work on later/that I am waiting on more information from a client etc from – they all get flagged and filed. I can then order and prioritise my “to-do” list by setting time frames for each of those tasks to be completed by, and I can see at any given time what I have outstanding to deal with in Outlook.

Everything has it’s place

Outlook filing is just the best way to keep everything tidy and in its place. I have 3 main systems for filing emails – either by Client/Supplier Name; Accounts Manager or by Project/Location. There are always exceptions to the rule so I have a “Misc” folder which has all of the random stuff dumped into it (sometimes temporarily). As I’m responsible for 8 email inboxes, the way that I file all those emails can be really critical. Everything needs to be put in a set place or I would never find it again!

‘Unsubscribe’ to thrive

Whilst we are on the topic of emails – I cannot tell you how frustrating it is receiving a hundred sales/spam/circular ones every day. At the bottom of these emails there should be a little button which will become your friend – “unsubscribe”. It might seem annoying to have to do this each time, but in fact it will start to reduce the number of spam emails that you receive straight away as it will prevent others from that same company coming through again. Less emails = Less time wasted reading them = Less pollution (yes, emails still cause environmental impact)

Much ‘To Do’ about Trello

In tandem with flagging emails in Outlook, I am also a big lover of Trello. I can create different workspaces for my homelife and work life, for different projects etc. and with different collaborators too. My to do list of “non-email” actions are on here and I check in on it several times a day – adding, removing and archiving as needed. I could NOT work without a to do list, so this gives me the best of both worlds as I don’t lose a scrappy bit of paper, I can update it on my phone or laptop as it is based on the web AND I can invite others to contribute and edit too. When you are working in a close-knit team such as Aspen Waite People, we have to-do lists for each of the members of staff and anyone can add stuff to any of the lists. This is a great way of keeping track whether your colleague has asked you to do something or vice versa as you can add progress notes and attachments within each task.

Let’s get physical

Something that I’ve learnt at my current job – when dealing with physical paperwork, clip it together with a mini bulldog clip – NOT a paperclip. Paperclips run the risk of paperwork being picked up by the stack above/ below and therefore pages being lost or sent to the wrong client! #GDPR. My bulldog clips have smiley faces on them… just because.

Desk Duty

Do you find yourself writing the same thing over and over and over and over again for different clients? A top tip that I use EVERY single day are multiple email signatures. Have 75% of the work already written for repetitive emails and you can just drop in the client information, double check the details – then off you go. So much time saved, no copy and pasting needed. I have one for VAT chasers, one for account chasers, one for missing information for contracts, one for invoicing… the list goes on. Time saved. Boom.

Declutter and digitise

Repeat after me… “declutter and digitise”. An amazing mantra that I will love till the day I die. There is nothing more therapeutic than going through paperwork and files etc, removing anything that doesn’t need to be kept (GDPR safely!) and then digitising the rest of it –which then means you can ditch the physical copy too at the end! Winner Winner.

File as You Go

The same applies when you are using physical paperwork – FILE AS YOU GO. However tempting it seems, do not leave your filing till the end of the day. You wont want to do it, something will come up or you will just bury it and pretend it isn’t there. I clear down my desk of paperwork between every single job that I do.

Rise Up

Office work used to be fully sedentary work where you would be stuck at your desk all day, wandering only to visit the kitchen or bathroom. But, although you might still be stuck at your desk all day, you can now stand, walk or cycle whilst you are there! I love my riser desk at home (best thing I ever bought) – it means that I can work standing up or sitting down for varying periods of time. In a previous job as an Office Manager for an Environmental Consultancy firm I even implemented a cycling desk for my staff so that they could exercise whilst they worked.

Lumbo Jumbo

Even if you cannot afford or you don’t have access to a standing desk, there are important accessories which can help with your physical health whilst working – these include a lumbar support back rest, a foot rest and even items such as monitor risers. Though a lot of people hate the Health & Safety side of office-based work; actually getting your workstation set up properly can be so beneficial for your health and wellbeing.

Here we go again

My final tip would probably be - at the end of the day do a 3 minute cleardown so when you come back into the office next you will be ready to go: o Make sure all paperwork has been filed away o Make sure all your stationery is back in the correct place o Make sure your screens and printers are turned off o Anti-bac wipe your desk down o Wipe down your computer screens o Tuck in your chair

So; there are some of my tips and strategies to make your everyday work just that little bit more manageable! I have additional tips for managing a 6 year old and a husband –but not sure that most of those are suitable for printing :)

My inbox is always open to anyone who wishes to discuss anything brought up in my articles, so please do drop me an email on sami.tucker@aspen-waite.co.uk

To finish – a great motto that I always try and live by is:

#WorkSmarterNotHarder

EMILY SHORT - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Integrating Mindful Moments into your Everyday life

In our day-to-day lives, it can be easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of busy schedules and endless to-do lists. With that said, mindfulness can be an incredibly beneficial and accessible tool for even the busiest of people who want a break from their constant gogo-go lifestyles. Taking a moment each day to focus on self-care, gratitude, or just being present in the moment can make all the difference to mental and emotional well-being. Here are some ways you can integrate mindfulness into your life right now!

Meditation & Deep Breathing

Meditation is an incredibly effective way to become aware of your thoughts and feelings while calming yourself down. Taking even five minutes out of your day to sit quietly and observe your breath can make a huge difference. You don’t need any special tools or equipment; just find a comfortable spot, close your eyes, take long deep breaths, and focus on nothing but the sensation of breathing in and out. If you do feel like you could use some direction with this, apps such as Headspace are great or YouTube also has a selection of guided meditations!

Get Outdoors

Nature has an amazing ability to help us slow down and appreciate the beauty around us. Even if you don’t have time for a full hike or other outdoor activity, simply taking a walk outside during lunchtime or in between jobs can help you clear your head and reset for the next task at hand. Notice what’s around you - listen to birds chirping, observe plants growing, feel the sun on your skin - these simple moments are powerful reminders that there is more to life than just our daily routines. Living and appreciating each season has a profound impact on our well-being.

Journalling

Writing down our thoughts is another great way to process emotions and memories without judgment or censorship. This practice doesn’t need to take up too much time; even 10 minutes of free writing (writing whatever comes into your head without editing) can be helpful when trying to work through something stressful or complicated. Just grab a pen & paper (or laptop!) and let it flow!

Take an attitude of Gratitude

Much like journalling, spending a few minutes each day; writing down three things you are grateful for is an amazing way to shift perspective and help you to realise all the simple little joys of life you might otherwise take for granted. Even something as simple as a hot cup of tea in peace can contribute to the gratitude list. Make a habit of it and you might notice yourself taking stock of these little things more and more! I like to make my gratitude writing practice a special daily ritual and treat myself to a beautiful new journal to write in at the beginning of the year!

Make things with your hands

The simple act of creating something stills the mind and when there’s something to show for it at the end it gives a huge boost of serotonin. This doesn’t have to be a huge canvas or an intricately sewn piece of embroidery. You could plan