Big Apple Window Cleaning’s Post

🎄 Don’t Let The Holidays Knock You Off Your Grind! 🎅 Christmas is nearly here! It’s a time for joy, celebration, and, if you’re like me… balancing work with all the festivities. 🎁💻 If juggling deadlines and holiday plans feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. We’ve put together a blog post to help you navigate the season: 🎅 How to Manage Your Energy: Stay sharp and focused without sacrificing the fun. 🎄 Simpler Holiday Plans: Say no to overwhelm and yes to meaningful moments. 🕒 Blocking Distractions: Get more done in less time so you can truly enjoy the season. I’ve recently started implementing Tip #6: Embrace The Quiet Time To Tune The World Out, and it’s been a game-changer! 🚀 I’ll share my personal experience with this tomorrow. How are you staying productive during the holidays—or are you taking a well-earned break? Let me know in the comments below! #FocusMe #HolidayTips #StayProductive #WorkLifeBalance #ChristmasHoliday

I recently came across this image and it really resonated with me. Those who know me know how much I love meeting people and socializing. But with all the planning, expectations, and constant activity, it’s easy to feel stressed and exhausted. This image serves as a reminder that the holidays look different for everyone, and a little extra thoughtfulness can go a long way in making them more inclusive. Small changes to the way we celebrate can ensure everyone feels comfortable and welcome, like: - Avoiding flickering lights, which can be overwhelming for some. - Offering non-alcoholic drink options so everyone can join the toast. - Considering dietary needs when planning meals. - Providing a quiet space in your home for those who need a breather. - Picking games and activities that everyone can enjoy. - Being mindful of sensory sensitivities—loud music or crowded spaces aren’t for everyone. - And most importantly, letting people celebrate in their own way—no pressure to participate. Inclusivity doesn’t mean rethinking the holidays completely; it’s about making thoughtful choices to create an environment where everyone can feel at ease. How do you make your celebrations more inclusive? I’d love to hear your tips. Let’s make the holidays a little brighter for everyone. #InclusiveHolidays #Accessibility [Image: A string of candy cane stockings at the top followed by the words - Tips To Make The Holidays More Inclusive. On a purple background there are nine boxes, each with an graphic that's captured in the description of the message above]

It’s that time of year again when I bring up a topic that seems to strike a nerve for many: holiday parties. I'm just going to ask you an honest question. What’s the real purpose of a holiday party? Is it truly a reward for your team, or is it an expectation masked as "fun"? Because for many, it feels more like punishment. • Not everyone is comfortable in environments centered around alcohol. • These events can feel forced and exhausting for introverts or those who prefer a hard boundary between work and personal life. • Using people’s limited, precious free time for a work-related event doesn’t always come across as the gift it’s meant to be. Sure, some folks love a good party (including me), but let’s not ignore the people who quietly dread them. If the goal is team bonding, morale-building, or celebrating achievements, are there other ways to accomplish that? Ways that are more inclusive, less stressful, and don’t leave people feeling obligated to participate? The holidays are stressful enough without adding mandatory fun to the mix. Let’s do better, people. Ask your team what they value and how they’d like to celebrate. You might be surprised by the answer and the gratitude that comes with it. What are your thoughts? Are holiday parties a yay or a nay in your world? #DoBetterPeople  

It's the beginning of June and we are approaching the end of the first half of the year. How many days holiday have you taken so far? How many days holiday have you already booked for the rest of the year? How many days yet to be booked does that leave? One of the Five Cs of Neon's Deeply Human Leadership is Care and that includes self-care. You can't lead well if you are not well fuelled, resourced, rested and on your game. Holiday is one way of achieving that - stepping away from the work and engaging in whatever it is that floats your boat to recharge, calm your nervous system and clear your head. And yes, you do need it. Everyone does. It's part of being a human and not a robot. When I worked for a consulting firm, I was always amazed (and baffled) by the number of people who didn't take all of their holiday entitlement. I always opted to buy more holiday days!! And now, I get to choose how many days off I take. This year I have already taken three holidays and it's been fantastic - not that I am advocating that for everyone! The picture below of me grinning is taken during a recent trip to Morocco. But really. Taking time off and time out is vital for our health and wellbeing, as well as our ability to do the best job possible. Self-care is a pre-requisite for leadership. Holiday is only one part of that - we also need to have healthy habits that can sustain us during the weeks and months when we are working. But it is an important part. So tell me: what are your holiday plans? And if you haven't got one booked, tell me when you have. And what do you know about the holiday taking habits of your team? Are they taking theirs? #holiday #selfcare #wellbeing #fivecs #deeplyhuman #employeewellbeing

𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬! It is also the perfect time to pause and reflect! It is the time to celebrate successes, acknowledge challenges, and, most importantly, get geared up for the year ahead. For me, the next few weeks are also a reminder of the power of gratitude for the incredible people we have around us. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞? 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧. We take them for granted and don't thank our friends and families enough. Remember, they deserve the love, attention, gratitude, and most importantly, your time. While we constantly focus on what's next, we forget to pay attention to the "now"! As we take a break from the daily hustle, let us think about: - 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? - 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? - 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 2025 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞? This holiday season, instead of just Netflix and chill, let’s take time to reconnect with our loved ones, indulge in the joy of giving, and recharge our minds and spirits. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡, 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. How do you plan to celebrate your holidays? What are you doing to turn the work button off and focus on the now? Don't forget to share in the comments section below. #accountingandaccountants #holidayseason #celebrations #festivities

✨The holiday season can be magical… but not for everyone. While some dive head-first into festivities, others might feel the weight of family stress, loneliness, or memories of lost loved ones. And let’s be honest: after hearing “Last Christmas” on repeat for the fifth time in one day, even the biggest holiday fan might start to sympathize with the Grinches out there - yes I count myself in 😅 At work, it’s important to celebrate together and be mindful. Creating a holiday atmosphere that respects everyone’s feelings is key to a culture of inclusion and respect. Let’s strike a balance that everyone can enjoy – whether it’s swapping Christmas hits with a diverse playlist, or keeping decorations and celebrations inclusive.🎄 When we embrace this spirit, we make space for everyone to feel comfortable, included, and understood. Because that’s what true holiday spirit is all about: empathy, kindness, and maybe even letting someone off the hook if they’re not feeling the holiday cheer.🫠 How does your team find that holiday balance? I’d love to hear your thoughts! #InclusiveCulture #MindfulCelebration #RespectAtWork

It’s hard work having a holiday. I could do a post about the importance of taking time out. Of pausing. Of self caring When you are self employed it’s even harder sometimes to ‘justify’ in your own mind, to yourself, that a holiday is what you need. It’s hard to detach that time is money feeling, we know it isn’t and yet still… So I’m on holiday. And this is the first time I’ve picked up my phone and vaguely ‘worked’ for a few days. But there is also another thing. We see people posting happy holiday pictures of self care. But there is another thing, the bloody hard work it takes to get to that holiday. The organising child care, who is picking up, dropping off, stay overs, advance pack lunch prep, advance school uniform prep, after school club arrangements, strategically placed supermarket deliveries, for some reason the need to deep clean the house before departure, the extra work to make sure things can run while you are away (most completely unnecessary), the ‘who needs to know’ comms that you are away, the dog care, cat care, hamster wheel maintenance (made that up but sounds like it should be a thing). It’s exhausting work having a holiday. So it’s extra important when you get there to switch off. Trust those around you, covering, can actually cover. I mean really, are we overestimating our importance in the world to think things can’t run without us. Who do we think we are? (Until you get that text ‘Where’s the PE kit?’) Take the holiday. You’ve Really worked hard for it. And on that note. Switching off. Pool time (even though grey skies loom) I’ve worked hard to be doing nothing all day today. #holidays #timeout

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 🎄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴! 🎁 Between planning family gatherings, shopping for gifts, decorating the house, and preparing meals, it can feel like time has been pushed back. For many of us, the holidays bring joy and overwhelm. 💡 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: ✅Make a Holiday Priorities List: Write down everything you need to do. Then, highlight the top three that bring the most joy or impact. Focus on those, and don’t be afraid to say “NO” to the rest. ✅Delegate, Delegate, Delegate: Share the responsibilities with family members. Involve your loved ones in cooking, decorating, or even wrapping presents—it makes the season more collaborative and less stressful. ✅Block Time for YOU: Schedule downtime amidst the hustle. Even 15 minutes to sip tea, meditate, or take a walk can recharge you and help you stay centered. ✨ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲, 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁. 🎄 The holidays are meant to be a season of joy—not overwhelm. Focus on what matters most and let go of the rest. Remember: It’s okay not to do it all. What’s your go-to holiday tradition that sparks the most joy? What’s one you can let go of as it is no longer meaningful? #HolidayTimeManagement #StressFreeHolidays #MidLifeWomen #HolidayBalance #SimplifyTheSeason #IntentionalLiving #WomenSupportingWomen #HolidayJoy #MindfulHolidays #PrioritizeYou

Why are holidays important to everyone? Taking a break from our daily routines is essential for our well-being. Holidays provide us with an opportunity to rest, recharge, and relax. Spending quality time with our loved ones during holidays can strengthen our bonds and create cherished memories. Additionally, holidays provide a break from work or school obligations, allowing us to pursue leisure activities, hobbies, or travel experiences. Reflecting on the past year, expressing gratitude for what we have, and looking forward to the future are important aspects of many holidays. This can help foster a positive mindset and emotional growth. Overall, holidays play a vital role in promoting physical, emotional, and social well-being, as well as fostering a sense of community and belonging. So, take some time to celebrate, reflect, and recharge during the upcoming holiday season! #holidays #wellbeing #reflection #gratitude #community #belonging #wellness #recharge