Do you ever feel like you are spread too thin? You might want to learn to delegate.
Delegate certain tasks on your to-do lists to someone else for a more balanced life.
Why are you not delegating already?
- You are afraid to ask for help
- You want to make sure things get done a certain way
- Maybe you want to keep all the credit for a project to yourself.
The truth is, most people are not successful if they try to do everything themselves. This is because people are not good at everything. They just aren’t.
Take me, for instance. I’m horrible at designing anything. But, I THOUGHT I could design this blog and this web site. And, I probably could do it after hours and hours of study and time that would be taking away from other important tasks.
I’m at the point in my web site’s life where I NEED a good quality, professionally designed web site.
But my web site and my blog is my baby, so I decided to try to design it myself. I worked for hours and hours trying to get colors and images to look a certain way. Hours of failure I can’t ever get back again. I got nowhere fast with the work I was trying to do with design.
Thus, wasting precious time I could have spent on writing content and social media. Those are my strengths, but they were put on the back burner.
Finally, one day after spending hours on just the header design of my blog, I had enough of design stuff. I finally decided to delegate the task to someone else.
(Note: The current designwork is in progress by Ninja Wolf Studios. You’re looking at my less than fabulous work and can hopefully understand why I am delegating the design task).
Here are the simple steps to delegating tasks for a more enjoyable life:
- Make a plan
Know what needs to be done. Find a sheet of paper and write down your goals and to do lists. Prioritize your task list so you know what needs to be completed first.
Also, know your budget. Delegating this task to someone else may cost some money so be sure you know how much you can spend.
Another option is to trade tasks with the person as compensation.
2. Decide what you don’t have time to do or can’t do
Of those tasks on your list, what are you not good at? What don’t you want to do that you could delegate to someone else?
First, make a list of tasks you want to do or have to do yourself. Then, make a list of the remaining tasks you could delegate to someone else.
This may be a hard step for someone like you to do with projects you care deeply about.
It’s ok. Completing the next step may help you find closure in your wise decision to delegate.
3 Assign and ask someone to do the task
Of course, this is a very important part of the process. The key here is to find someone in your community or on your team you can trust to complete the task.
It may be difficult for you to find someone you can trust to complete the tasks you delegate. Your main worry might be that they won’t do things the way you would do them.
Why would that matter so much as long as the task is completed well? Keep in mind that everyone does things a little bit differently. As long as the task is done well it shouldn’t matter how it got done.
The right person is there for you. You need a determined person who you know can get the job done. There’s always someone you can ask to complete a task. They may not do it the way you would.
And more times than not, that person could probably complete the task for a better result than you could.
How to find someone to delegate tasks
Find someone in your community or on your team that has the determination you can trust to complete the task.
I found my web designer in my own mastermind homestead bloggers group. I didn’t know he was a designer, but he had designed other successful blogs and web sites for group members.
While I was nervous to delegate the design work of my blog out to someone else, I know I’ve found someone great who can do the work better than I ever could.
This frees up my time so much for other things I need to be doing. Delegating is a huge de-stresser. It truly is the little things that aid in finding a balanced life.
Give some instruction and guidance
You might have someone new who has never completed the task before. That’s ok. It’s always good to learn new things.
This person will need some instruction and guidance to get started. My little girl is an example.
At only two years old, I delegated Mylee the task of feeding our pets and the bottle goats. These are tasks she loves to do and that she can do.
But, she had to have a little bit of instruction and guidance before she became skilled with the task.
With her helping to complete these tasks, I can complete some other morning tasks, such as food prep or cleaning.
It really is the little things.
Start Delegating and Enjoy the little things in life
Life is way to short to not delegate tasks. Delegating is extremely important for a balanced life because it cuts out tedious activities you may not want to do.
There is always someone you could find who can complete the task better than you could.
Open up your life to more little things you love by delegating certain tasks to others.
Enjoy more of what you want in your newly balanced life.
Working Too Much? These Quotes Will Give You PerspectiveProductivity Theory
Tuesday 16th of January 2018
[…] Learn how to delegate. Find time for the things you love other than your work. Give yourself time for your hobbies, and make time for your family and friends. This is how you create a balance. […]
Amanda Baldwin
Tuesday 15th of March 2016
Yes, yes, yes! I say this often and it is true. Delegating is key to your sanity and for effective time management. But delegating isn't just about freeing up your time. If you don't delegate tasks, how will anyone in your house learn how things are done and become responsible adults?
Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living
Wednesday 16th of March 2016
So true! I love my little girl helping out. I've found some age appropriate things she can do to teach her responsibility.
Amanda Schreiner
Monday 14th of March 2016
I need to learn this! I'm HORRIBLE ... I'm afraid to ask and I want it done a certain way. I have two little girls to teach to be women and I've got to learn to let perfection go and not be afraid to ask for help :-) Thank you!
Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living
Wednesday 16th of March 2016
It is so hard to ask for help! I completely agree. Try making the list of things you WANT to do and things you DON'T WANT to do. The things you want to do are tasks you can do yourself. Things you don't want to do, you can delegate. What tasks could be age appropriate for your girls? It takes practice, but you can do it!
Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living
Wednesday 16th of March 2016
It is so hard to ask for help! I completely agree. Try making the list of things you WANT to do and things you DON'T WANT to do. The things you want to do are tasks you can do yourself. Things you don't want to do, you can delegate. What tasks could be age appropriate for your girls? It takes practice, but you can do it!
Cara Owens-Kindly Unspoken
Monday 14th of March 2016
This is great! I'm so bad for trying to do everything myself and I just simply do not have the time to do it. Learning to delegate tasks is crucial in being able to accomplish your goals. Thanks so much for this reminder!
Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living
Monday 14th of March 2016
Thank you, Cara. I think most of us women do have a problem with trying to do everything because we want it all done right. But, we need to remember that we can't do everything. Unless we delegate. I hope you can delegate some tasks today and find some time to do something you want to do. :)
Wendie Schneider
Monday 14th of March 2016
I literally got halfway through this article and delegated a task to my VA that I have needed help with for a long time and it just sat. undone. Thank you!!
Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living
Monday 14th of March 2016
That's great, Wendie! This just makes my day! I'm so glad this was able to help you. Keep up the good work.