As much as we like to think we’ve got a handle on everything…we’re rockin it…right?
Somewhere at some point, one or more of those magical balls that you have flying through the air are gonna come down with a resounding thud!
I confess I’m a class “A” control freak (if there is such a thing), so I know how it is to want to keep a tight rein on things, how it’s easier to do things yourself than to explain to others the nuances of how things should be done in your own little perfect world.
Yada yada yada…whatever bullshit excuses you feed yourself, I’ve probably used them all too.
It’s A Farce!
It keeps you locked into a particular kind of behaviour that will stifle your success. We can’t possibly be the best person for everything in our business, we need to know our specific work strengths.
Dave Allen said “We can do anything…but we can’t do everything” – tweet that!
So why do we continually ignore our instincts and plod on with doing work that does not do a damn thing to inspire creativity or continue to do things that belong in that “I really must do that…but don’t really want to” pile?
Have you ever thought to question what impact looping through that behavior or self talk has on your ability to reach your goals?
We often don’t see the forest for the trees, nor do we like to reconcile where our time is allocated. But that’s exactly what you need to do to know your work strengths.
You can’t change or improve what you don’t know or acknowledge – tweet that!
Dig In & Take Action
Its time to get down and dirty on your workload and see exactly where you’re spending your time and how you feel about those tasks on your to do list.
You can grab a notebook and keep a journal of your daily events, but this can be hard to filter and analyze once you get a fair amount of data in it.
So to make it easier for you I’ve created a worklog spreadsheet to track your daily routine.
Once you’ve been using it for a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to filter the information to get at the heart of what rocks your world..and what doesn’t.
You’ll be able to see where you’re spending the most time and assess if that’s translating to the bottom line of your business. See what tasks make you feel super focused, (yep…you probably should be doing more of those), and most importantly how you feel while you’re doing all those things that you do.
We all have those days when we’re just not feelin it, don’t we?….. Well maybe that behavior is more common that you think. The worklog will help to uncover patterns that you hadn’t recognized….uh huh, that’ll be that forrest for the trees thing 
So no more excuses right?
Your Three Buckets
In the end, everything will fit into one of three buckets.
- Stop Doing Altogether
- Hand Off To Someone Else
- Start Doing More Of
Only you can decide on what fits where.
We each have our own special work strengths, you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice if you’re not spending the majority of your time in that space of your own special genius.
So if you’d like your own copy of this handy dandy worklog spreadsheet and rock your work world a little harder, it will be going out to all subscribers in next Monday’s (July 16th 2012) edition of TRAction (my weekly newsletter).
Sign up below before midnight Sunday to get your copy, and make sure to share this with your social world too!
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Hey Jackie, thank you and agreed. As a self employed peep this was massive to me. When I started though I couldn’t afford to people to do the stuff I was terrible at, and I think that’s where many people (including myself at one point) ‘waste time’. There will ALWAYS be people to trade skills with…always. On the to do list daily should be: building connections, rich, powerful networks based on relationship and giving first. Everyone always has something to trade. Dawn
Dawn Barclay recently posted..Monday Morning Pep Talk: Dare to Be You
Dawn you bring up a really crucial point…Connections. This is something that I really was pretty backward about in the early stages, I’m not what you would call a great networker, its a skill that isn’t a natural fit and its something that I continually have to work on and remind myself about….after all no (wo)man is an island eh?
Jackie,
I’m so on board with this. I’ve been a DIYer for a while now and it’s starting to take it’s tole on my website.
If you’re not a web designer don’t try to be one. If you’re not a video expert don’t try to be one… etc, etc.
Do what you do great… Do a lot of it… And leave the rest to experts that aren’t you.
Also, is that Optin-Skin you’re using at the bottom of your posts for the email subscriptions?
Thanks,
Ryan H.
Ryan Hanley recently posted..Why Social Media ROI is the Easiest Metric to Measure
Ha…Ryan at first I thought your opening sentence read “I’m so bored with this” ooops had to do a double take
I agree and like Dawn said I think we find ourselves in this position in the early stages of business through necessity and learning the ropes. I think its important not to remain in that place for too long though, once we make that shift, that’s when we really build a business.
and yes..it is OptinSkin
thanks for dropping by Ryan, always appreciate your comments
Love it Jackie! This is so true and it was one of the big aha’s I got when reading The 4 Hour Workweek. It’s amazing what you can outsource these days. I do a ton of that and life has been just grand ever since.
Ryan, save time and your hair…outsource that web stuff!
Chris Nadeau recently posted..Here’s A Quick Way To Change Your Life
Yes indeed outsoucing can put you back in the drivers seat of your business. I tend to out task rather than outsource…but that’s probably the control freak in me wanting to keep her hand on the controls
I love the bucket idea. I actually just started REALLY seriously thinking about what I could delegate, not only because I know there are people who could do things faster and cheaper but also because a lot of times I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE IT! lol
Ha!
I have a feeling my ‘Hand Off To Someone Else’ list will get bigger and bigger. But then again, it will only allow me to do more of what I enjoy!
Good one Jackie!
Kesha Brown recently posted..What’s On Your Vision Board? It’s a Virtual Party!
Hey Kesha, long time no see!
Yep them buckets will have you whipped into shape in no time…oh and I’m feelin ya on the not feeling like it, been on that train a few times.
Even if you only hand off something worth 30 mins a day..thats 2.5 hours in the work week to give on things that you love doing in your biz.
And things that you love = mo money honey. Go for it!
Let me know how it works out for ya
WHAT? We can’t be good at everything? We can actually. Good is a spectrum. BUT we can’t be GREAT at everything.
We have a mantra at Falchetto HQ which is “Sell your strengths and buy your weaknesses!”
I know I am ok at building websites, some would say I was good but it takes me forever and I hate it – I could learn to use photoshop for example and be “good” at it but I always strive for greatness – and right now I don’t have the time/desire to get there so I outsource it.
And you, a control freak? Never. I am sure we were sisters in a past life!
Ameena Falchetto recently posted..How to be an expert in your industry
Well hey there Sis
you’ve just given me another nugget for my wall “Sell your strengths and buy your weaknesses”
People are never better than when they’re flying in their own special zone, and its a joy to watch.
“Sell your strengths and buy your weaknesses!”
This is my new mantra and should be spread far and wide 
Me too!
Craig McBreen recently posted..Announcing – The Art of Breaking Out: My NOW Manifesto
Hey Jackie,
Now I’m including this …
Stop Doing Altogether
Hand Off To Someone Else
Start Doing More Of … and Ameena’s mantra on a large sheet of paper, now pinned to my wall!
I’ve been doing this for years with my business, but not with blogging, and all that comes with it. I’m already getting to the point where I’ll have to start delegating … and this post is a great reminder that you won’t get anywhere if you don’t follow the three bucket rule above.
Thanks!
Craig McBreen recently posted..Announcing – The Art of Breaking Out: My NOW Manifesto
Hey Craig, isn’t it funny how we know these strategies but fail to apply them to new operations. Have fun filling them buckets…especially the do more of one…that one’s the best of all
Hahah… I was talking about this with someone on Skype.
I said “When people’s first instinct is ‘I wonder how I can do XX myself.” I cringe.
My first instinct is “What are fun ways to connect with someone gifted in area XX.”
Seems to be workin’ for me, and I’ve tried the do-everything-myself way
It’s great that you feel so natural with that J. I don’t think it comes easily to alot of people.
It’s almost habitual, ingrained…blame traditional wisdom and conditioning eh?
Glad its workin for ya…ROCK ON!
You said it!
Well, majority of people are born into an epically tough environment of subtle negativity, crushed dreams, and quiet desperation…
…so it’s not that weird to feel alone, having to do all yourself.
Hopefully they find your article here or the wisdom at RYZE
Jason “J-Ryze” Fonceca recently posted..Flying High On Travel & Collaboration
Too true Jason
Jackie,
This is a great reminder for me to act on hiring a VA to help me with my social media. I would never outsource commenting and replying but I know tweeting is not the best use of my time. Yet, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Your advice “Hand Off To Someone Else” really resonates with me.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..The 2012 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Marketing Strategy Blog
Hey Sherryl, no excuses not to do something about it now that its fresh on your mind again…I bet you’ll be amazed at how much time you can free up just by handing a few things to someone else. Will this be your first VA hire? You’ll have to let me know how you get on with the experience.
This will be my first VA hire Jackie. I’m looking for recommendations if you or anyone else here personally knows someone.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Do You Use Google Webmaster Tools Bing or Both?
Unfortunately Sherryl, I’ve only got so far as out-tasking…never hired a VA at this stage…one day though
Nice post Jackie and so true. I am a firm believer in “hiring people who are smarter than you, and then getting out of their way”. We definitely need to look at everything on our plate and ask “should / could someone else be doing this”. If we focused all of our energy on the things we were the best at, we would be surprised at the results!
Couldn’t have said it better myself Steve, and think of how different our lives would become living in that space too
I trust if more of us would view success in terms of how much we give instead of acquire, we would live in a different world! View a video about how this guy’s one day with a Buddhist monk changed his life, helped him become a CEO and redefined his idea of success and happiness:
http://www.nextgreatestspeaker.com/profile.cfm?aid=72