Are you an overwhelmed working mom struggling to find hours in the day to get everything done? You’re not alone! Moms have a lot on their plate, and it can be tough to try to do everything by yourself.
The good news is that you don’t have to! Delegation may be the answer to clearing some of the clutter off of your plate in order to free up some time for yourself.
And this complete guide was created to teach you how to delegate effectively and efficiently, so you can reclaim your time and sanity.
Plus, I’m sharing 10 things you can start delegating today! So read on and get started. You’ll be glad you did!
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What is the importance of delegation?
If you’re like a lot of people today, you’ve got all kinds of things going on in your life: work, school, kids, household duties, and countless other things that can wear you out and bring you down.
Learning how to delegate is one of the best ways to overcome the sstressed out feeling that has become so common to so many of us and begin to create more balance in your life.
Delegation helps us to get over the idea that we have to be the ones to do it all! It gives us space to ensure that we are taking the time we need for ourselves and allows us to give others a sense of responsibility and ability to help us out.
Don’t get me wrong, as a recovering do-it-all, I know that there is satisfaction in working hard and trying to do as much as you can for your family, but I also know that they want to do the same for you! Delegation of tasks allows them to serve you in the same way that you are serving them!
Tired of feeling like you have to do it all??
Then the 4-Day Purposeful Productivity Challenge is the perfect resource to help you quickly streamline your days and create more time for the people that matter
This quick action 4-day Challenge helps you leverage the productivity skills you already possess, gain more control of your todo list, and create at least 1 hour of free time each day!
The additional benefits of delegation for working moms
Delegating tasks and chores at home and work may help you regain a sense of balance in your life. If you’re searching for a sense of calm, know that delegation can provide it right now. It’s well worth the effort.)
You’re worth it!
It’s important to maintaining a healthy level of balance in your life. You won’t be able to achieve equilibrium if you devote all of your time to working through a to-do list.
It’s OKAY to have some of the things you do in life done for you. It’s okay to relinquish some of the control over tasks and give responsibility to your spouse or children (and actually let it go)!
Delegating frees time for you to be able to take a walk, get some exercise, play a game, or simply sit quietly and read a book or watch a movie. Maybe you just want some extra sleep. No matter what rest looks like for you, delegation (along with outsourcing and automation) is one of the first steps towards taking back the time you need to take care of yourself!
You’ll feel better physically, and your emotional state and perspective on life will be brighter in no time because you have reclaimed more time for what matters.
Delegation as part of the Productive Three gives you the physical, emotional and life balance needed to stay on the right path toward overcoming problems and finding more fulfillment amid the busyness of everyday life.
How to Delegate Chores and Tasks
Learning how to delegate chores to other members of the family or team helps to spread out the daily workload more equally.
Asking others in the house to help isn’t something that we moms should be ashamed of. Our tendency to feel as if we need to do everything is one of the major reasons for burnout!
It is completely unsustainable! So how do we go about delegating the items on our to-do lists to our family?
Well, first you must be wholly on board with the idea that one person CAN NOT do everything. Even if you have a Go-Getter personality type, you need to embrace the idea that life is better when we work together!
The second thing you need to do is to get the family on board. This means sitting your spouse and children down and empowering them as a part of the family unit and team!
Be honest with them about what you need, and see them light up as they are given the power to do their best to help you!
You are as important to your people as they are to you!
This time should end with an agreement that lets everyone be a productive part of the family unit!
Once a mindset of community has been established you can follow these steps to delegating tasks and clearing clutter off of your plate!
STEP 1: List out all the tasks you need to do
Before you can delegate anything, you need to know what needs to be done! This includes both the big and small items on your to-do list.
You might be surprised at just how many things you can delegate when you take the time to sit down and write them all out!
STEP 2: Recognize what is only you can do
Next, you will want to determine what tasks on your list can only be completed by you. These are going to be tasks that are specific to your job or skill set.
For example, if you are a doctor, you can’t delegate writing prescriptions to your children (they might have fun with that one).
Or if you work in accounts receivable, you can’t delegate calling customers about overdue payments to your spouse (he might not be as nice as you are). Additionally, important tasks may be those things that you thoroughly enjoy.
This could be like cooking dinner, maybe making dinner is something that you enjoy doing for your family. Delegating this may not be relaxing. So you could delegate dinner dishes or plating food to your spouse while you cook.
STEP 3: Clearly define the tasks that is needed (along with the time frame)
The next step is going to be to create and set the standard. You will want to be clear about what the task is that needs to be completed and when it should be done by.
It can be helpful to write these out or even create a visual chart to post in a common area. This way everyone knows what is expected of them and when things need to be completed by.
STEP 4: Assign chores/tasks based on ability and skill
Now we are to the place where we are assigning tasks. You will want to take into account the ability and skill set of those you are delegating to.
It wouldn’t make sense to have your five-year-old dusting the furniture (he might end up with a mouth full of dust). But he could help by sweeping the floor or collecting trash.
You also don’t want to assign tasks that are going to be too much for someone. If you have a lot of laundry, don’t expect your spouse to do it all while also taking out the trash and walking the dog.
Part of delegation is knowing your team’s capabilities!
STEP 5: LET GO
Lastly, you have to learn to let go. Micromanaging is one of the quickest ways to deflate the energy of our family and their desire to want to help.
If you have assigned a task, trust that it will get done (to the best of their ability). If it’s not done perfectly, that is okay!
The goal is to take some things off of your plate so that you can focus on other, more important tasks.
More tips for minimizing what you manage
As you can see, delegation is one of the key ways to offload some of the tasks on your plate and get more done in less time. And it’s not as hard as it may seem!
By learning how to delegate effectively, you can find a better sense of balance amid the busyness of everyday life. If you want help getting started with delegation, we’ve got a free checklist for you! Get our Tame your Time Checklist for a quick-action guide to getting more done.