Today's guest post is from Poornima Apte, Managing Editor of GIFT SHOP magazine.

It was the day before Thanksgiving break when I read this interesting article in the New York Times: "Every Workday Needs a Game Plan." While the article assumes work at an office desk, the lessons could just as easily be applied to your work as a retailer.

Here are some valuable tips you can learn from the article as you work away during what I hope will be a busy and profitable holiday season:

Ever feel you have flitted from one task to the other all day and not accomplished a thing? Multitasking is vastly overrated: Often when people say someone can multitask, they really mean that person is good at time management.

Time management is often common sense. Do the most difficult things when the store is quiet (before it opens) or when you are most productive. If you have 10 minutes to spare, do something that will take 10 minutes of your time. If a vendor won't return your call, move on to the next item on your to-do list. In short, don’t waste time. Move down your list one item at a time.

Make a list of things to do. Nothing makes you feel more in control than a list. Check it often and check off things that get done.

Slow and steady does win the race. Don't try to do five things at once. Do one or two projects, do them systematically and do them well.

Plan for interruptions. Your phone is going to keep ringing. Customers might want something you didn't plan for. Be realistic in your daily work expectations and plan for interruptions.

Set five minutes aside at the end of the day to plan your next day's schedule. I find this works like magic for me. Instead of working till you drop dead one day, only to confront the same mess the next, spend the last five minutes of your day taking stock of what you did today and make a note of what must get done tomorrow.

Plan for the future. Do you have a special sale coming up soon? Start work on a project that's due two weeks from now so you don’t get blindsided when crunch time actually hits.

Hope you have a stress-free and productive holiday season!