Why You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself

The Life-Changing Magic of Delegation: How Letting Go Can Bring You More Joy

Several years ago I came to a realization. I used to think I had to do everything myself—cleaning, errands, all the little tasks that filled my day. But at some point, I realized something: just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should. Cleaning my house, for example, doesn’t bring me joy or move me closer to my goals. It’s just something that needs to get done.
For $25 an hour, I could let someone else handle it, and in that same hour, I could be doing the work that actually mattered to me. Not only the work worth the most value, but also work that plays to my strengths, the work that excites me. It’s not about avoiding hard work; it’s about choosing the right work. And the more I lean into that mindset, the more productive, energized, and fulfilled I feel. Not only am I more fulfilled and happier in the long run, but my house will be cleaner than it has been.

Our lives at work and home are not distinct and separate entities. We may lean on aspects of our personalities differently when working for money, but we have the same core strengths in all aspects of life. I talked about delegating at work and using the power of who not how in this post, but today I’m going to focus on delegating at home, which has become one of my favorite things. Here are some everyday examples:

• Utilize a dry cleaning delivery service in your area.
• Drop off that mountain of laundry at a wash-and-fold service.
• Get groceries or meal kits delivered.
• Hire landscapers to take care of the lawn and garden.
• Bring in someone for those odd jobs and routine home maintenance.
• Have someone come to your house every couple of weeks to dust, vacuum, clean the bathrooms, and mop.

While the above-listed examples may not be financially feasible for many people, the art of delegating at home doesn’t have to be financially straining. Trade or share tasks with a spouse. They may enjoy what you hate and vice-versa, or you may have skills they lack. My spouse does the grocery shopping and walks the dog; I deal with all thing technological and clean the cat litter. In the long run, by communicating what tasks play to one’s strengths and preferences, we both end up happier.

You don’t have to do everything yourself. Repeat after me: “I do not have to do everything myself.” One of the tricks of delegation is to allow the person doing the work to do it their own way. If you are a perfectionist about how vacuuming is done and your spouse leaves an inch of dust around the edges of the carpet, you have to let it go a little bit. Following afterward to “fix” their work (or, worse, being hyper-critical) will make your volunteer delegates reluctant to help in the future.