Busy season is fast approaching and if you are letting out a long sigh in anticipation, I totally get it. If this is your first busy season, brace yourself — it is exactly like the stories you’ve probably heard from other accountants. Not to worry though, if you plan accordingly you will have a prosperous season. Every accounting professional has a few things that help them focus during busy season. Here is a list I put together of my “busy season” must-haves.
- Caffeine
Whether you drink coffee, soda, tea or energy drinks make sure you stock up because you will need your caffeine. If you can thrive without caffeine, that is awesome. As for those of us who are not unicorns, caffeine is a must. Last busy season I told myself I was quitting caffeine– pure foolishness. Reload the Starbucks gift cards, buy a fun new mug and get to work.
2. Stationery
If you are anything like me and have a love for stationery, you will want to go into this busy season with a fresh start. Make sure you have pens, note pads, and highlighters. My personal favorites are the Pilot Frixion erasable gel pens.
3. Headphones
Unless you have your own office, playing music or podcasts aloud is not proper office etiquette. You will want a nice pair of noise canceling headphones to help get you through those long hours. I would suggest you keep one ear exposed during office hours in case someone needs to get your attention. If your playlist is somewhat on the ratchet side, you want to make sure no one else in the office can hear it so invest in a great pair of headphones. If you need a little direction deciding on the right brand, this review is really helpful.
4. Planner
Once busy season really gets going, the days may start to run together. Keeping every thing on track and staying organized is key. I use “The Happy Planner” to stay organized but there is no shortage of planners available to choose from. If you need ideas on how to use a planner for organization, there is an entire community on YouTube that can teach you.
5. Diet
It can be easy to lose track of time when you are working and forget to eat (I wouldn’t know but I’ve heard this can happen). Binge eating junk food can quickly catch up and have you feeling sluggish so it is important to eat a diet of mostly whole foods. This can be especially hard when you keep getting those “donuts in the kitchen” emails, but stay strong. To avoid over eating, try keeping a few healthy snacks at your desk. You will be tempted to snack anyway so you may as well arm yourself with foods that will give you energy.
What are some of your busy season must-haves?
Another great tip, is to stock up on absolutely everything that you can at home. All the necessities like toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc. It is a little bit more costly up front buying everything in bulk for a couple months. However its so nice not to have to worry about running to the store, or even remembering to have to place an online order, for any of these things.
So true Shelby, getting to the store or running errands in general can be next to impossible. Thanks for that