\nWhen you\u2019re trying to live a full, productive and effective life, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do it all yourself. Whether this means micro-managing at work, or dealing with every little thing at home, it can initially seem like a way to make sure things are done properly.<\/p>\n
Before long, of course, you end up feeling frazzled. You\u2019re spending a lot of time on low-level tasks, you\u2019re overworked, and you don\u2019t ever seem to get a chance to pursue activities that really excite you.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re someone whose mantra is \u201cif you want a job done well, do it yourself,\u201d there are two crucial ways to reduce the burden: you need to eliminate and delegate.<\/p>\n
Eliminate<\/strong><\/p>\n The first, easiest, way to get rid of stuff that\u2019s filling up your life is to eliminate it. If you start on your to-do list before breakfast and still have loads to do at bedtime, you\u2019re trying to pack too much in.<\/p>\n Here are some good questions to ask yourself when considering what to eliminate.\u00a0 Work through the questions in order for each big commitment you have in your life; if you hit a \u201cno\u201d answer, stop reading and start thinking about whether you can eliminate it.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do I want to do this? If not, why am I doing it? Is it because I feel obliged? Can I remove or at least reduce my commitment? Many of us have great trouble saying \u201cno\u201d to people. If you\u2019re asked to take on something that you don\u2019t want to do, or don\u2019t have time to do well, then learn to say \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t commit to that at the moment.\u201d If you\u2019re pushed, simply repeat yourself, and add that \u201cI won\u2019t take on something where I know I don\u2019t have the time to do a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n If you really can\u2019t think what you might eliminate, ask \u201cwhat\u2019s the worst that could happen if I gave this up?\u201d<\/p>\n Delegate<\/strong><\/p>\n Some jobs do need to be done, however boring or tiresome they are. Perhaps you hate doing the dishes, or doing your taxes. Whether it\u2019s a personal or work task, look for ways to delegate: If you manage a group of volunteers (eg. in a church or community setting), this is another good opportunity to delegate \u2013 especially as it\u2019s likely that the group will consist of people with a number of very different skills. Get people to list what their areas of expertise are, and play to those strengths: for example, you might find that someone who\u2019s worked in events management can organize the annual gala, whereas an English major might be just the person for writing the monthly newsletter.<\/p>\n Do you have any tips on how to effectively eliminate or delegate tasks? Are you someone who needs to \u201cdo it all\u201d, or are you realistic about how much you can take on?<\/p>\n Related Articles:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Know When To Cut Your Losses and Call It Quits <\/a><\/p>\n Do It First Thing, Every Day: How to Tackle Any Project <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When you\u2019re trying to live a full, productive and effective life, it\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do it all yourself. Whether this means micro-managing at work, or dealing with every little thing at home, it … Continue reading
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Does this need to be done? If not, why do I have it on my to-do list? Is it because someone has told me I should do it? (E.g. parent, society at large.)
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Am I learning anything from doing this? If I used to learn from this, and no longer do, is it time to move on?
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Would I feel at all sorry to give this up?<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pass on low-level work tasks to junior colleagues (invest some initial time in teaching them how to do the job well \u2013 don\u2019t just dump a task on them and expect them to figure it out).
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Teach your kids how to perform basic chores. You might consider offering a small amount of extra pocket money in exchange.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hire someone to clean your home once a week.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Let your spouse or older kids take a turn at cooking. It may not be up to your gourmet\/macrobiotic\/frugal standards, but praise the results and the effort that went in.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pay an accountant to do your taxes for you (a good accountant will save you more than his\/her fee).
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Outsource very simple and routine tasks, like data entry, to a virtual assistant firm or individual \u2013 R3R has a number of reviews of virtual assistant firms and sites.<\/p>\n