5 Things We Delegate Because We Just Can't Even
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I always think about a quote by David Allen:
"You can do anything, but you can't do everything."
We can only be experts at so many things before we are stretched too thin trying to learn a all these skills and platforms in order to run our businesses. It has taken me almost 15 years in the design business to recognize what I love about my work and what I hate. It also, frankly, took me just as long to start earning enough revenue to hire someone to do the things I no longer wanted on my plate.
The Blackhole of Social Media
Some people belong and thrive in digital social spaces.
I am not one of those people.
I can create the most amazing graphics and calendars and ideas for an Instagram feed but I myself cannot withstand the constant imposter syndrome, the jealousy of seeing people doing what I want to be doing and the FONL (Fear of No Likes). I am also not consistent with it. I do it for a couple weeks and then I totally forget about Tiktok, Instagram or communicating with other human beings.
If you love the daily communication and promotion of your business, (or, frankly, anxious about how your business is talked about by anyone other than YOU, quality control and brand consistency, etc.) then social media is something you should keep on your plate.
Taxes
I used to do my own taxes - mostly used TurboTax and solicited tax help from my Dad - when I lived in Philadelphia ... but then I moved abroad.
I absolutely needed someone to take over taxes so that everything stays above board and I don't get arrested for tax fraud. Luckily, I found a great, affordable company in New Jersey that I literally only talk to about 3 times a year and it has taken all my tax anxiety away.
This might sound weird...but...Graphic Design
Let me be clear, I in no way hate graphic design. But I have realized that illustration, both digital and traditional painting, is what I want to fill the bulk of my days.
I still really love some aspects of graphic design, like the concept design aspect where the creativity can flow because I am starting something from scratch but most of a graphic designer's life is consumed by the edits ... oh the edits.
After years of hustling and doing ALL the edits and working crazy hours, Rock & Roar decided to expand precisely to take a large portion of editing off MY hands, so that I can focus more on illustration, first drafts of design concepts and customer acquisition.
I mean, who establishes a graphic design firm to then give the majority of graphic design work off to an employee? Well... I did and it's working out beautifully. I am a happier person because of it.
Project Management
Speaking of employees ... gone are the days where I could just write my to do list on a desk calendar pad.
It seems other companies I work for are also in the same boat. Excel spreadsheets worked well to a certain extent but with the rise of remote working, platforms like Notion, Click Up and Monday.com have taken over the project management game.
Therefore, I find myself with about 36 tabs open at all times, at least 5 of them being project managements platforms between my clients, my employee and I.
Having to use ALL those platforms is definitely not as streamlined as I would like but it is worlds better than a shared Google sheet where nothing was connected and things were way too hard to find.
Big Picture Planning
I have known this about myself for a while now, that I can only really think about my business in quarters ... that is all my brain has capacity for. So I can plan for 3 months in the future, but anything beyond that, I can certainly dream about but I am still so in the weeds with current projects that there is no time left in the day to plan for 5 years down the road, let alone 10 or 15 to envision where I want my company to be.
Therefore, this year I have enlisted a group of really good friends/artists to sit with me 4 times throughout the year to imagine a bigger picture.
I call them my "Roaring Opinions Panel" because I wanted (and knew I needed) a non-sugar-coated, no-nonsense, objective view of what my company is accomplishing versus what it COULD accomplish if I stopped standing in my own way.
I stand in my own way when in comes to
risk assessment (I DO before asking whether it even NEEDS to be done in the first place)
not really knowing how to get from point A to point B in long-term shifts or ideas / breaking large tasks into teeny tiny manageable tasks
not being consistent with social media or marketing
getting slightly bored with things before they are finished, therefore I am constantly giving myself new things to do or searching for new projects that I don't even really have the time for
All of the above results in putting too much on my plate, causing burnout and disappointment.
The purpose of my Roaring Opinions Panel is to keep me focused, driven, accountable and aware and I'll say they are doing a good job so far :)