I got a little push back from my dear hubby last night over
dinner on my blog post on delegating.
As I mentioned, he is not a fan,
preferring to spend the time learning how to do whatever it is he needs to do.
So, in the interests of fair journalistic reporting, I
decided to interview him and get the other side of the story.
As it turns out, we are on the same page – mostly. That’s actually part of what makes our
marriage work so beautifully – huge areas of compatibility and shared values,
balanced with our own quirky variations on how we see and be in the world that
keeps that happy tension and spark alive.
But that’s another subject.
Back to doing it yourself vs. delegating.
What James loves about doing it yourself is the challenge - the thrill of satisfaction that comes from
mastering something you didn’t previously know how to do. Simply put, the love
of learning.
Well, that’s actually a value and a perspective I share
whole-heartedly. I love learning. You should see how many online courses I have
signed up for over the years. My bookshelves are filled with how-to books. I
can’t count the number of times I have Googled “How do I…” It’s amazing what you can learn on-line these
days!
I love learning new stuff. I too love the challenge, and the
reward of figuring something new out.
It’s a constant lifelong process, being a learner. And I
wouldn’t change that for the world – it’s part of what keeps me alive, engaged,
and interested in life. And the more I learn, the more I can share and be of
service to others, by passing along what I learn. There is nothing quite so satisfying as
learning something new, figuring it out, and then teaching it to someone else.
So, where does that leave me with the benefits of
delegating?
I’m still all for it. To me, it’s a question of honing in on
what I actually want to learn, what
excites me, what challenges me… And outsourcing the things that don’t float my
boat. There is, after all, a finite amount of time available to us – at least
in this go around – so for me, it’s a question of choosing wisely how I want to
use that time.
Bottom line – learn to do the things that inspire you, and
let go of those that don’t – and give someone who does love to do that thing
the opportunity to do so. It’s a Win-Win.
What about you dear reader? What can't you wait to learn? And what are you just itching to delegate?
