Reduce Stress: Five Boundaries You Must Set To De-Stress Part 3
The holiday season is certainly here in all its glittering, twinkling, oh so shiny glory! Everything is full of holiday cheer, but are you feeling a bit like Scrooge in the midst of it all?
Do you feel overwhelmed, like you’re driving around in circles with an outdated GPS that keeps telling you, “Go to highlighted route” and you can’t even see the darn road? (Maybe this is how Santa felt before beloved Rudolph rolled into town…)
Many people feel overwhelmed these days, which is why we’re talking about setting boundaries. You need to set them in order to keep your sanity. If you feel like you’re in a three-ring circus of work, home, and self-imposed stress, you need to learn to balance your life. Read on to find out how.
And now, drumroll please! Here is the third boundary you must set to de-stress: You must delegate, hire, barter, or refer out what you can’t or won’t do.
I often have clients request further services such as web design or technological assistance that are not my areas of expertise. This gives me the opportunity to refer them to a qualified professional, someone who will take care of their needs skillfully. Trying to do the job myself would be a disaster for both them and me.
The moral of the story? If you’re not the right person for the job or it truly doesn’t interest you, don’t do it. Your time is too precious to waste doing something you don’t know how to do, don’t do well, or hate doing. You’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again: Keep your attention focused on your revenue-generating activities, on the high-priority and high-payoff activities that keep you in business. Otherwise, you may have to close your doors, head North, and apply to be Santa’s Helper. And if you’re like me, you despise cold weather.
For those of you who are wondering, yes, you can practice this third boundary at work or at home. If you hate cleaning your house, hire someone to do it. You’re not only supporting someone else in their business endeavors, but you are also getting your house clean and creating time for what you want to do, be it work or play.
Happy delegating, hiring out, bartering, and referring! Make your holiday season, and your new year, happier and more productive.
Onwards,
