Are You Suffering from Do-Everything-Myself Syndrome?

Posted October 16, 2018

In Life Management, Managing Priorities, Time Management

Do you feel burdened with too many things you’re juggling at work and at home? Are you overwhelmed because your to-do list is out of control? If so, you may be suffering from Do-Everything-Myself syndrome. It’s time to re-evaluate your life to determine what to say no to and what to delegate to others.

I can do it myself!

Most of the time I’m good at delegating tasks to others, but last year I got stuck in what I call Do-Everything-Myself syndrome when my emotions got the best of me. Here’s the story.

My washing machine broke down. I called the manufacturer to schedule a repair, as it was still under warranty for another month. Three months after the repair, I was still experiencing intermittent problems with the same issue that had supposedly been repaired. I called to ask that the repair person return to fix the problem that had not been adequately resolved during the previous service call.

That’s when I learned that the repair warranty was only good for 90 days. I was calling 91 days after the last repair – just ONE DAY past the repair warranty expiration! I was exasperated that the repair company wanted to charge me to fix the same problem. I was also upset with myself for not calling sooner, since the problem intermittently recurred soon after the previous work had been done. Rather than paying someone else for the same repair to be done again, I decided to go online and troubleshoot the problem myself.

I watched several videos that people had posted about the problem my washing machine was having. I learned what part to order, did more research to find where to order the part from, and I placed the order. When the part arrived in the mail, I went back online to watch another video about how to replace the part and do the repair myself. Then I attempted to follow the instructions.

That’s when I realized that the task was far beyond my understanding and ability. After wasting several hours on this, I decided to ask for help. I delegated the job to another appliance repair company. Taking on a task that was not suited for me created busy work that vastly reduced my ability to be productive, while also frustrating me beyond belief!

Had I simply decided to follow the advice I always give to my clients — to delegate things one does not enjoy and is not skilled at doing — I could have instead enjoyed spending the three wasted hours of “busy” time focused on my priorities and doing something more productive and enjoyable.

Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Not every task required along the road to success will be enjoyable. New challenges often involve things that are outside of our own expertise. Attempting to do everything ourselves – succumbing to the Do-Everything-Myself syndrome — is not feasible, since it takes too much time for each of us to learn and do everything ourselves.

Whatever BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals) you may have, they typically require a lot more of your time than you anticipate. And yet you’re just one person who gets 168 hours a week, just like everyone else.

While a big goal is important to you, not all of the milestones needed to get you there may be meaningful. When you have a big goal in mind, keeping your focus on limited activities will be important to your progress. It’s important to focus on the things that are most meaningful to you and to either say no to or delegate the rest.

What is Delegation?

Delegation is a way for you to leverage time from a source outside of yourself in order to create more quality time. That outside source may include automated systems or other people.

There are 3 types of tasks that are best to delegate:

Tasks you don’t enjoy doing. You know how to do them and may even be good at doing them, but you don’t enjoy the work.
Tasks that you shouldn’t do because it’s not the best use of your time. This may be a task you are capable of doing and may even enjoy, but someone else could do an adequate job, thus freeing you up to do the highest priority activities that you do best and most enjoy.
Tasks you cannot do. These are things that need to be done, but you don’t have the skills or expertise to do them yourself.

Take a look at your current tasks that you’ve planned this week. Which tasks could be delegated? If you struggle to answer this question, check out my blog, The NOT-To-Do List.

If you are on a tight budget, consider ways that you can trade time and expertise rather than hiring the help. For example, let’s say that you don’t like to cook but you are gifted at yard landscaping. Your neighbor loves to cook but has no idea how to landscape her back yard. You offer to help with her landscaping project and she offers to double the size of some meals she prepares and share them with you. You can also barter business services. For more about delegation, visit my blog, Science Proves that Money CAN Buy Happiness!

If you’d like help gaining clarity about your priorities, let’s schedule a no-cost discovery call. I’ll help you get clear, get perspective, and get support.

In my next blog, you’ll learn tips to help you say no to less important tasks and delegate more to others.

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