For months I’d been promising myself to hiring a cleaning service, because frankly, with so many things going on, I just didn’t have the time or energy to deal with the house.
Let me tell you!!! Who knew that outsourcing a chore and having someone else show up and do all the work would feel so amazing? I mean… dishes, cabinets, baseboards, fixtures, organizing books and toys, getting all those hard-to-reach places, and scrubbing the bathroom to the gods! Totally worth the money… I feel silly I didn’t do this sooner (shout out to Shay & The Domestic Divas, by the way)!
Sistas, why do we tend to feel some kind of way about delegating or asking for help? When I first mentioned using a professional cleaning service to my mom, she looked at me like I cursed and said, “You’re gonna pay HOW MUCH? Shoot, I can do that!”.
But I really had to take inventory of my priorities. What do I value more – my sanity, or a few bucks? So here are a few questions to ask if you’re wondering whether or not to delegate a task.
Do I enjoy it?
Of course my mother thought I was crazy for hiring a cleaning service…she’s always been the kind of person that found joy in cleaning. So much so, she made a living doing so for more than 20 years. Me? Not so much. Time is valuable – why not spend it doing what makes you happy?
Am I good at it?
This is a tough one because it requires an honest dialogue about your strong suits and learning curve. Furthermore, do you feel ill-equipped? If you can’t catch onto the project quickly, that’s a huge red flag.
Does take up a lot of time?
If the task time-consuming, or preventing you from being productive, you’ll never achieve your goal. If it’s not something you can knock out in a reasonable amount of time, it may be worth taking off your list.
I know you’re used to doing everything, but it really is okay to delegate and outsource. Aren’t your mental and physical health are worth it?
What are three lingering things on your list that seem to keep you from getting closer to your big-picture goals, or from making your days run more smoothly? Apply each of these questions to each project to help you figure out if it’s time to delegate. This is the first step to ditching “Superwoman Syndrome”.
Let me know what you come up with.