Be honest, when was the last time you took a step back from your hectic workspace and set aside a few moments to reorganize? Probably around six months ago when you caught the spring cleaning bug, right? For your sanity – and those around you during the holidays – here are five things you probably shouldn't put off until next spring.

1. Organize your email

Ah, remember those project folders you created in your last moment of hectic frenzy when you couldn't find anything? Yeah, let's get back to using those. The method behind your folder madness will reflect how your clients – and your brain – organize things. For me, a folder for each client, followed by no more than two layers of subfolders for projects and subprojects is the best way to go. Now the real fun begins, going through the past few months of emails and rerouting them to their appropriate folder. While you're at it, you might want to clean out that "trash" folder too.

2. Create Twitter lists

The list tool on Twitter is handy and useful for keeping track of what thought leaders on similar topics are talking about, and for separating your food truck-stalking pastime from your professional life – but only if you keep on top of your lists. Now's the time to scan through those you're following and make sure everyone is in the list they're supposed to be. If you're feeling ambitious, you can even look ahead to upcoming client campaigns and start new lists. Just don't forget to add that list to your Hootsuite stream or you might forget you made it in the first place.

3. Clean off that desktop

If you don't remember if your desktop background is a fish in the ocean or your nephew in the pool, It might be time to open up all those files crowding your desktop and save them properly into the folder where they belong.

4. Color-code your Outlook calendar

That "Categorize" option for your Outlook events actually does more than make your calendar colorful. I know; I was surprised too. If you root out the standard labels and create custom categories for each type of calendar event you might have, you could not only beautify your calendar, but also increase its functionality. Maybe if you had already done this, you would have known that "Wendy's Birthday" was actually your Aunt Wendy's special birth commemoration and not a campaign event for your square burger-slinging client.

5. Clean out those drawers, or "that drawer"

We all have one... that drawer full of random papers, sticky notes and memos that were "too important to throw away." For me, this is probably the most daunting task of them all, but eventually those papers all need to be combed through and sorted into the recycle bin or properly scanned into the computer and filed in their appropriate folder. Otherwise, you may be inviting a fire hazard or a family of mice to share your workspace over the holiday season.

Now, I'll get to cleaning out my own cluttered desk drawers just as soon as I complete numbers 1 through 4...and write this blog post... but the point is...

As intimidating as it seems to get started, staying (somewhat) organized can be your key to remaining sane while balancing the hectic world of work, life and food truck schedules. If you find yourself with some downtime this holiday season, dedicate a few hours to organization. It might just be the best gift you can give yourself.