The Power of Delegating And Outsourcing Your Tasks

The Minute Mastery Episode 3The Minute Mastery is a conversational productivity and time management podcast. You can watch this on Youtube too!

Why is delegating and outsourcing your tasks essential? First things first—why are we so resistant to delegating and outsourcing? For many of us, it is that old belief: "No one can do it as well as I can."

Or worse, "If I do not do it, it won’t get done right." But here is the truth: You can never do it all. And when you try, you spread yourself too thin, leaving little time for your priorities. 

I will never forget this reminder from a friend: 

“If you drop dead, the task will get done, whether poorly done or not. So, stay alive and watch others do a poor job. It is not the worst thing in the world".

That was the first time it occurred to me that there are only a few things we cannot allow others to do.

Delegation and outsourcing your tasks allow you to focus on the tasks only you can do—growing your business, spending quality time with your family, or investing in self-care. The rest? Someone else can do it!

Delegating vs. Outsourcing—What’s the Difference?

Delegating means assigning tasks to people within your team or household. This could be asking your kids to help with chores, your partner to handle grocery shopping, or your assistant to manage emails.

Outsourcing means hiring someone outside your immediate circle to take care of specialized tasks. Think of hiring a cleaner, a virtual assistant, or even someone to meal prep for your week.

Both strategies are powerful, and they can work together to give you more time and peace of mind.

How Does Delegating And Outsourcing Your Tasks Help You Manage Time?

Let’s talk about delegation first. Here are three steps to make it work:

In the last episode we talked about clarity. When you identity your goal you can manage priorities breaking things into manageable tasks on your to-do list. You can now going to next phase, doing the following three:

  1. Identify What You Can Delegate:   Look at your to-do list. What tasks don’t require your unique skills? Laundry, scheduling appointments, or proofreading are great examples.
  2. Match the Task to the Right Person:  Delegate based on skills and strengths. For example, your teen might love organizing, so they can help sort the family calendar.
  3. Give Clear Instructions and Trust: When delegating, be specific about what you need done. Then—here’s the hard part—step back and trust the person to do it. They might not do it your way, but that’s okay.

For instance, if you have kids ask them to pack their lunches for school. It won’t be perfect the first time! But over time, they learned, and that will be one less thing on your plate.

So, delegating frees up space on your calendar to do the important things that only YOU should do!

The Power of Delegating And Outsourcing Your Tasks

This can feel like a leap, especially if you’re on a budget. But outsourcing isn’t about being extravagant—it’s about being strategic.

You may outsource for one or two reasons 

One, because you need the time to do something else. Or two, because you lack the capabilities and it will save time to find someone who has the capability do the job.

And the good part is, outsourcing helps with time management:

1. Saves You Hours:

Outsourcing tasks like bookkeeping, graphic design, or cleaning frees up your time for things you are passionate about.

2. Increases Efficiency:

Experts can often complete tasks faster and better than you. For example, hiring a virtual assistant to manage social media can save you hours of trial and error.

3. Reduces Mental Load:

When you outsource, you clear space in your brain to focus on what matters most.”

Tip: if you struggle to outsource or delegate start small. If hiring a full-time cleaner feels overwhelming, consider outsourcing just one deep clean per month. Or, use platforms like Fiverr or Upwork to hire someone for one-off projects.

How to Delegate and Outsource?

The journey of a thousand steps begins with one step. So, how do you actually start delegating and outsourcing? Here’s a simple 3-step process:

1. Make a Time Audit:

Track your activities for a week or two (see episode 1). What tasks drain your time and energy the most?

2. Categorize Tasks:

Separate tasks into three categories:

• Tasks only you can do.

• Tasks you can delegate.

• Tasks you can outsource.

3. Take Action:

Start with just one task to delegate or outsource this week. As you get comfortable, add more.

Remember, you don’t have to do this all at once. Delegating and outsourcing are skills—you will get better with practice.

 Try Delegating and Outsourcing Your Tasks This Week 

Do you want to try delagating and outsourcing your tasks this week?

So, during Covid, I tried online grocery shopping and it was amazing with Instacart and I still do it to free up time. Before my next shopping, I use my Instacart app as my shopping list. Adding things that I am running out of to the cart.

On grocery shoping day, I take about twenty minutes to check my pantry, fridge, and check out my recipes for the week if I am missing anything. I add these to the cart and checkout and in about two hours my grocery will be at my door. I can spend the time working on things that others can’t do for me.

So, something to try out this week, Order your grocery online. You can either try out instacart or try Hello Fresh if you want to take it further, to include meal prepping.

I want to leave you with this thought: Delegating and outsourcing are acts of self-care. When you let go of tasks that don’t serve you, you are creating space for those that do!

Before I Leave

Whether it’s hiring help for your business or asking your kids to load the dishwasher, every little bit helps you reclaim your time.

So, here’s my challenge for you: Choose one thing to delegate or outsource this week. Maybe it’s asking a family member to handle dinner or hiring someone to design your website. You’ll be amazed at the freedom it brings.

Thanks for tuning in to The Minute Mastery podcast . If you found this episode helpful, share it with someone who could use more time in their day. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review. Until next time, remember—you’re in control of your time, and you’ve got this! Also, Click the link below to get started. Do a time audit.

I Want a Time Audit

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