If You’re Doing These Things, STOP! You Need to Delegate.

For many people, asking for help is a challenge.  It can be difficult to swallow your pride and finally realize that you simply cannot handle every single task that comes your way.

Moreover, by trying to juggle everything at once, you could be missing out on major growth opportunities.  Can you relate to these pitfalls below?  If so, read on to discover helpful tips that can help you learn how to successfully delegate tasks – and start living your best life!

1. You’re working on the weekends to try to keep up.

You keep telling yourself it’ll be the last weekend you spend trying to get caught up. Before you know it, it’s Sunday night and you’re still not where you wanted to be.

Now you feel frustrated at your perceived lack of progress – and because you know you’re missing out on the meaningful things in life – family, friends, hobbies.

2. You’re grateful when plans fall through because it means you can get more work done.

You might feel guilty sharing this with anyone, but sometimes you’re secretly relieved when those important plans fall through.  It’s not that you weren’t looking forward to that night out or that weekend getaway with your spouse, but…

To you, it means you have more time to get work done. You want to give everyone your best, but in the end, you feel like you’re being stretched too thin.

3. Everything is getting done last minute, up against a deadline.

You don’t see days on the calendar.  You see deadlines – lots of them. Just when you think you’ve tackled one project, you realize another is due – right now.  No matter what you do, there always seems to be another due date looming close by, and most days you don’t know how you’ll ever get it all done.

4. You dream of finally getting to that project that has been calling to you for months or years.

If only you had the time to work on that book or create the new garden you’ve been dreaming about in the backyard!  Whatever it is that calls to you, there just doesn’t seem to be any time for it. Without a major change, you know that months or even years might pass by without the opportunity to finally answer your calling.

What can you do? Share the load! Start by asking yourself these simple questions, and then use your answers to create an action plan that will help you finally live the full, rewarding life you deserve.

• What task(s) do I like doing the least?  The most?
• Who can I ask to help me?
• What would I get back by giving up some of these tasks to the right person or team?
• What are my expectations and goals?
• Have I explored all my options? If not, who can I reach out to for advice?

As you work to start delegating tasks, try these helpful tips:

• Remain open to new possibilities – resist the urge to demand a task is done your way.
• Be involved in selecting the individual(s) who will help you.
• Communicate your needs clearly and encourage team members to ask questions.
• Don’t be afraid to assign and re-assign team members as necessary.
• Set milestones so you can check progress and get feedback on how things are going.

Don’t expect an overnight change, but rather, see successful delegation as a growth process.  As you move ahead, you’ll learn new things about yourself – you might even discover hidden talents in you or your team members that you were previously unaware of. Shove your pride out of the way and open the door to positive expansion!