Have you ever met someone that was chronically busy? Actually, that probably sounds like almost everyone you know. The person in the mirror perhaps? In addition, do you know anyone that just loves being so busy that they can scarcely breathe? No?
Of course not. So why do we do this to ourselves?
Our society tends to idolize independence. In and of itself, independence is not altogether bad. I love my personal freedom + independence! In the working world however, over emphasis on independence means that we feel the need to pressure ourselves to do everything without help. “I’m a self-made man” seems be the kind of rhetoric that defines American work ethic and motives. We think that we need to be all, do all, and accomplish all – alone. As a result, we work and work ourselves day in and day out. That is, until we burn out from all the work.
In all the confusion, we mistake busyness for productivity. As long as we’re doing something, we must be moving forward, right? The truth is that you can be busy as heck but still be terribly unproductive. How many times have you gotten to the end of your day and felt that you were no more than a hamster in a wheel?
Did you know it’s possible to narrow down your work day to just a few hours and be more productive than ever? As the old adage goes, you need to work smarter instead of harder.
And here is the key: You cannot do it alone.
You must learn to delegate.
Nobody reaches any level of success and says, “I did all that hard work all by myself – look how amazing I am!” On the contrary, successful people tend to be the most humble and grateful because they recognize how many people helped them get where they are.
When you find your business starting to grow, find help so you can stay focused on the growth of your sales or business. Nobody is good at everything it takes to run a business – especially a big one. You know what you’re great at – do that! Let others help you by doing what they are great at. A collaborative effort from individuals pulling toward a common goal increases productivity exponentially. When trying to pull the entire business or company yourself, you’re going to wear out real quick, especially as it gets bigger with more demands. Furthermore, if you insist on doing everything alone, you’ll stifle your growth and begin to stagnate.
Steve Jobs is a great example of the power of delegation. He was profoundly dyslexic. Reading, writing, and bookkeeping were tremendously difficult for him. But he had a talent for vision, foresight, management, and of course, technology. Did his shortcomings ever stop him? Of course not – he just very matter of factly found people to do those things for him, and he built a world changing technological empire! Had he relied on only his two hands and the skills he was born with, he obviously wouldn’t have gotten far.
Where does your business need you? Where do your sales goals need the most of your attention? Focus on those things, and find others to help you with everything else. Hire an office assistant, take on a bookkeeper, talk to a financial planner, or contract with a web designer. You can take on an intern looking to branch into your field. Network with others in your area. Move your work space if need be to accommodate the staff you need. Whatever is taking up the time you need to focus on growth, delegate that task out.
The more you grow, the more you delegate. Therefore, the more you grow, and the more you delegate. And so on.
Surround yourself in your work with people whom you trust to shine in their strengths. That’s a powerful part of growth in your sales and in your business. Success doesn’t come accidentally, and it doesn’t happen when you’re flying solo. Learn to delegate out and your load will lighten significantly, and you’ll find yourself being more productive, with more time on your hands. And who wouldn’t want that?
