Remember the saying you can’t buy time? Well that’s only partially true.
While you can’t add to your 24-hour day, you CAN outsource the things that don’t bring you joy in favor of things that DO.
For years, before the school year began, I helped my kiddos declutter their room and bring a sense of order to their personal space. It starts out well enough, but often devolves into arguments and tears before we call it “good” as the sun sets on the Labor Day weekend.
But this year? I hired a professional to tackle this joyless task and she did a far superior job than I ever did, AND it freed us to enjoy the weekend as a family knowing we were truly ready for the new school year.
So what does this have to do with work? Everything. If you’re trying to balance work on one side, and life on the other – then this is life.
–> Grocery shopping, lawn care, cleaning, decluttering – it’s all part of life – and can eat up a ton of time.
But so are bike rides, impromptu volleyball games, travel, and BBQs with neighbors. That’s why I prefer to create a work-life rhythm so there’s room to move and groove between priorities for me, my family, my friends, my chores, and my professional endeavors.
The real question is how do you want to spend your “life” time?
What can you delegate or outsource to free your time for what matters most to you?
As much as I love sharing tips and strategies for wrangling your inbox, or bringing calm to your calendar – a better work week often starts at home.
Ready to give it a try? Here are some quick ideas for delegating and outsourcing:
- Save an hour a week through grocery delivery or pickup – Here’s a quick video on how
- Save 4 hours every other week by hiring a house cleaner
- Ask another parent to share driving duties for after-school activities
- Rotate meal planning/cooking/clean up with people in your household (including the kids!)
- Use a mobile car detail service that will come to your home or work
Here’s to a September that’s filled with renewed focus at work, and more time for the things you love after the laptop is closed
