A very good friend of mine, someone I worked with in a past life, moved into a new job. I was thrilled for her, naturally. We like to go out for lunch once a month or every two months and catch up.
Obviously, I want to know how work was treating her and how she felt about it. I was shocked when she told me that her employer was the kind of person who couldn’t give up control. Her boss just couldn’t seem to let go and let someone else help, despite not being able to be in all places at once themselves.
This is a common problem, unfortunately.
An entrepreneur builds their business, realizes they need help, and when they have help, they just can’t hand over the reins. The business is your baby. You don’t want anyone to hurt it or abuse it. It’s perfectly natural!
But you can’t do it alone, and if you’re reading this, you know this already. Some reasons for not being able to let someone else in are fear (you’re afraid of getting hurt or bad things happening), lack of trust (you may feel afraid to count on someone else) and unworthiness (you may feel you don’t deserve the extra help).
But if you look at the cost of not being able to let go, here’s what you’re missing out on:
- Peace of mind
- Support
- Freedom
- Creativity
- Ease
- Energy
How can you release a bit of control, let someone help you and reap the benefits?
These tips may help:
Ask if you’re really ready to give up some control. This may require a few days of deep thought, and it requires you to be completely honest with yourself. In some situations, the answer will be “no”. But when it comes to your business, there is always something you could use some help with.
Be honest with yourself. What is the cost of keeping the control yourself? Are you missing out on a social life? Family time? Time with your spouse? Could staying in control affect your mental health?
Consider who can help you. VAs are everywhere, these days. It merely takes a quick search on LinkedIn and you’ll be greeted with a whole slew of them.
Figure out what you need help with. This often requires making a list of all the tasks that make your business tick. Once you have that list, figure out what you love to do, and highlight it in pink. Whatever is non-negotiable, highlight in orange as something that is a necessary evil but you HAVE to be in control of it (say, finances, contacting leads, etc.), and anything else, highlight it in yellow. This is your delegate list! Find a VA who can do those tasks.
Finally, let go. As a perfectionist myself, I know how hard it is to let someone else do something you’ve always done. Just ask my kids after they vacuum the house! Sometimes, ‘good enough’ is just that.
It could very well be just a matter of perception. It might be easier to let go if you change your mindset to not letting go, but building a team, instead.
Download my free VA Delegation Worksheet, which will help you to see what doesn’t have to be completed by YOU.
If any of this resonates with you, book a free consultation call with me and let’s decide if delegating is a good option for you.
