More Elves Please!
It’s the holidays that remind us of how much we need to have more help! Just like Santa’s elves, and Mrs. Claus, there’s more to do than we have time to accomplish. Look at what needs to be done and perhaps it’s time to build a team for the holidays. Here’s some ideas on where to find elves not just at this time of year. It’s a prelude to building a bigger team all year long.
There’s some resistance to building a bigger team. If you are not sure what to start with, start with something super small. You can delegate with supervision this way. Or you can start with something you know you are not getting to. If progress is made, that’s the bonus.
Retail elves
Services such as Shipt, Click, Target cartwheel and Amazon subscription are a start. You can connect online to order and your goods come directly to your home. Subscription automates this process for goods that you rely on regularly. Not only does this save time, it saves money!
Tech elves
Every day new technology is being created to help us. Amazon Alexa and Google Home have tons of tech tricks to help you day in and day out. Not only can Alexa play holiday music, she can also read “The Night Before Christmas”. She can organize your holiday lists and remind you before your holiday cookies get too crispy. Holiday cards are a special connection during the holiday season. Send out beautiful invitations and holiday cards using PaperlessPost. Holiday tech can help you delegate and automate.
Community elves
Around us are people who have retired and want to do more, teens looking to earn money and freelancers. A colleague posted an advertisement on Next Door and got 50 potential elves. A retired tech guy talked to a friend of a friend and became a driver for a special needs family. Mention to the universe the help you need and it’s going to show up.
Professional elves
That’s people like me! As your certifed professional organizer, I help people in many different ways depending on your needs, skills and goals. Professional elves, like coaches, therapists, trainers and more help you achieve goals throughout the year.
Once you have your team in place, it’s important to keep communicating frequently. A weekly meeting, a text stream and a google doc can keep everyone up to date and on the same page. Build a team for the holidays and going into the new year to help you accomplish more, feel more in control and keep all your plates spinning.
More ideas for team building and managing your team here!
Wow, I’m really struck by the idea of posting for extra help on Nextdoor and getting 50 responses. That is awesome! I’m all about garnering resources at this time of year. I have one client who hires me to decorate her tree… is that a great gig, or what? I love doing it, and she is freed to handle some extra business that comes her way during the holiday season.
What a fun post! Finding the helping “elves” for the season is such a great idea! By the way, it was fun being featured with you and Hazel Thornton on Smead’s Blogger Roundup last week. I loved hearing Leiann and John describe this post. One of the “tech elves” I recently discovered was on my iPhone. The digital assistant is Siri. When I’m driving and think of something I need to do or an idea that I have, I can say to Siri, “Email me.” She then asks me the subject line and content records what I’m saying and transcribes it into an email that I can later read when I’m at my computer. It’s fantastic and a lot safer than trying to write myself a note while I’m driving.
I wish you a happy and elf-filled holiday season! And enjoy being other peoples’ elves too. 🙂
I love all the small ways we are succcessfully finding the already existing Elves! Happy Chanukah to you!
My favorite things at this time of year have to do with helping families get stuff done for the holidays, like organizing decorations, getting presents ordered or finding resources to make their holidays merry. Yes, all the little ways we help make a big difference!