Put The Proper Value on Your Time

“It’s easier just to do it myself than to explain it to someone.” If you have said this before, you are not alone. Many people believe this to be true, and in the very short term, they might possibly be right. But this is faulty thinking that will keep you trapped.

Even if you’re faster or better getting some routine task done, it doesn’t mean that it’s a good use of your time. It’s far too easy to forget about opportunity costs – and the value of your time. Every hour spent doing a routine task is the loss (or cost) of an hour that could be spent actually earning more money, doing something that helps your career generally, or generating new opportunities for yourself. Most salaried people really underestimate the value of their time. It’s much easier for professionals and freelancers who bill their time hourly to see that paying someone to run errands two hours a week is actually a net-positive. But the same rationale applies to everyone. Your time is more valuable than you think.

By assuming it’s faster to deal with some nagging routine task yourself rather than explain how you want it done, all you are doing is temporarily relieving your anxiety and stress. You’ve checked it off the To Do list for the moment, but you’re not creating the infrastructure and support you need to have a functional, smooth-running system, whether at home or at the office, so that you’re not in a chronic state of recurring overwhelm and stress.

The majority of our clients call us because they have gotten to a point where they are so overwhelmed that they really can’t move forward without figuring out how to integrate some support or help. Getting clients over difficulty in delegating starts with finding them the right Betty for their needs at that particular point in time. With the right Betty, a client can establish trust and communication which make all the difference in encouraging the client to let go and let us help. Yes, it takes some time to introduce a new system or support person – whether an new employee, administrative or personal assistant, or mother’s helper - into your world and to get them integrated effectively, but just sighing and doing it yourself yet again is just putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg.

About the Author

Michelle McCloskey is the founder, president, and co-owner of Run Around Betties, a company that provides convenient and affordable personal assistance to residents of the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas. For more information about Run Around Betties, visit http://www.runaroundbetties.com