Don't Just Delegate, Eliminate!

Don’t Just Delegate Eliminate
If you’re going to create more time for what matters you’re going to have to eliminate those tasks, requests, people and other time-stealers that suck your precious time.

You have to structure your work so that you’re focusing your time, efforts and energy only on projects, opportunities and people that give you rewards for your efforts and involvement. You’re going to have to create strong boundaries about what you will and won’t do.

Spend a few minutes reviewing how you’ve spent your time over the past 3 months. Then ask yourself what have I enjoyed doing and what didn’t you enjoy? The take a sheet of paper and divide it in half. On one side write, Things I like and want to spend more time doing. On the other half write, Things I don’t like and want to spend less time doing.

Then Make a Stop Doing List. Start by making a “stop doing” list. Most of us are busy, but undisciplined. We’re active but not productive. We’re moving, but not always in the right direction. By creating a “stop doing” list or “I won’t do” list. When you do this you will bring more discipline and focus into your life.

Make the things on your stop doing list policies. People respond to policies. They will respect you more for being clear about what you won’t do. Next Make a Policy List. For example, make a policy that you will only serve on one volunteer committee at a time. Or you can make it a policy that you will take on only a certain number of projects or customers at one time. Make it a policy that you won’t take calls during dinner or while on vacation or at the gym. Set a regular time to call your mother so you don’t feel guilty the rest of the time and so that she can depend on getting your call. Develop a system for dealing with demands on your time that come up regularly so you don’t have to decide on the spot each time.

Accept the fact that you can’t do everything for everyone or even do as much for others as you might like to do.

People and organizations add activities, but they rarely subtract. Get in the habit of canceling what doesn’t really matter. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel and how much more energy you have. Think of at least one activity, meeting or event you can cancel right now. Pare down your life to its best. Before you take on a new commitment either at work or at home, eliminate something that you don’t need or want to do anymore.