Yeah, hiring help costs money but what are the costs of NOT delegating?

When you truly realized the costs of not delegating you may find it’s a price you’re not willing to pay.

There’s no way around it, delegating your workload inevitably incurs costs. Those costs are typically in the form of money. There’s a fee to delegate cleaning your house, ordering takeout so you’re not the one cooking, and having the Pursuit team run your errands so you don’t have to. But have you considered the costs of NOT delegating? When you boil it down, the greatest costs are missed opportunities.

Missed opportunities to get an extra hour of sleep, to spend time with your family, to say yes to more fulfilling and lucrative projects at work. Our time is a finite resource (money is not). Each day we’re given 24 hours to split among the many aspects of our lives. Every day you have the choice of how you use those hours. When you DON’T delegate energy-sucking tasks, you’re removing the opportunity to focus on something you really want to be doing.

The more you try to do, the less you can do well. So let me ask you this: if it were up to you, how would you use your days?

Take a few moments to write a list of all the things you want to be doing. It may include spending time with friends, enjoying a walk with your dog, getting great sleep, playing your ukulele, traveling, gardening, developing leadership skills, or attending interesting workshops. Mindfully recognize the “should dos” and “have to dos” popping up in your mind and intentionally leave them off this list if they aren’t something that you truly want to be doing.

Now look at your list and consider how many of these things are honored in your daily life. Hopefully, many of them are. For the ones that don’t get enough attention, consider those your real costs of not delegating.

If consistently restful nights are a ludicrous thought to you, then you’re paying the price of vital sleep. If your instrument is gathering dust, then you’re giving up the experience of finding your flow. There are only so many hours in the day and something’s got to give. Sadly, it’s often our deepest pleasures that get dropped first in the name of productivity.

Yes, there are financial costs to delegate but perhaps the costs are greater if you don’t. Consider the cost of constant stress from a burdensome to-do list to your health, your relationships, and your emotional well-being.

As you work hard in your career you may be stunting your own growth by taking on too much and not narrowing your focus on what requires your direct attention. Look for ways to leverage those on your team more carefully or automate recurring tasks with the help of robots.

How you design your day is up to you. There will always be responsibilities that require your direct attention but much of our day is filled with tasks that someone else can do. When you mindfully delegate tasks that distract you, you create more room for what fulfills you. Keep searching for ways to lighten your load through delegation, as the alternative may be a cost you’re not willing to pay.