Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Thanksgiving. Bring it on.

This is going to be a monumental Thanksgiving at our home. I don't usually like to brag, but this year, we are READY!

First, I should give you some background info: we moved into a new house about 6 weeks ago. Are all the boxes unpacked? No. But I am completely ready for the arrival of 7 family members who will stay with us for the 4-day weekend. And, if you are doing the math, that means, 5 boys, 6 adults total.

So here's how I did it

1. Delegate Delegate Delegate.

The kids really look forward to a traditional thanksgiving meal (and actually - so do I). I had the good fortune of realizing and admitting to myself (and now the whole world) that I really would not know what to do with a Turkey. Look, I grew up in India. There was no Thanksgiving, let alone Turkey. So - to ensure the safety of all involved - I placed an order with Whole Foods for the whole nine-yards. Turkey, sides, dessert, bread. Dinner. Done.

2. Recruit some helpers.
So moving into a new house, I realized I had a new pile of mis-matched linens. I thought about throwing the whole lot out and starting over. But then realized that would be a costly affair. So, I looked around and realized that an 8 year old and a 10-year old were sitting around doing nothing. So, I asked the kids to help me figure out which sheets fitted which bed. That kept us busy for half a day - but by the end of it - we had beds for every body, sheets that fit the beds, and even towels for everyone!

3. Break up large projects into bite sized chunks.
As I mentioned above - we moved into a new house about 6 weeks ago - and yes, there are still unpacked boxes in some corners. Staring at these unpacked has been torturing me. I have a pile in my office, another stack next to the TV. So... I decided to empty one box per evening.... progress! By this time next week - I will be done!

So, whether you are getting a website ready for your business, or hosting Thanksgiving Dinner, don't get overwhelmed! Delegate tasks you don't have the expertise to handle, ask for help when possible, divide a large project into small chunks.

Now, back to work...

- Aparna Mulchandani
Creative Director at Two by Two Design
(An award winning Graphic Design and Website Development firm based in Ramsey, NJ 07446
Check out our website: www.TwobyTwoDesign.com