How to Work Less and Do More by Megan Murphy
Scrolling through older blogs this Labor Day weekend, I stumbled on a dynamite quote that I wanted to bring back to life.
“How much time do you spend on tasks outside your area of expertise? You know, the ones you ‘know enough to be dangerous?’” Laura Licursi asked in a blog about delegation as a competitive advantage.
Living Dangerously
“Dangerous” is probably a relative term to you, dear reader. But for myself and many other like-minded professionals, I think Laura was getting into a much broader topic of “Where is your time and effort really going?” There’s nothing wrong with learning new skills or developing ones you already have, but how much of your time should you spend on those skills? Worse yet, how much of your time and energy are you spending on tasks at which you are unskilled or that you’re poorly equipped to handle?
We’ve previously spoken about Michael Hyatt and his book Free to Focus, which thoroughly explains this concept. With his work in mind, let’s consider how much time you spend in each of Hyatt’s four productivity zones.
Four Zones
If you need a refresher, the four productivity zones are Drudgery, Disinterest, Distraction, and Desire.
Expectedly, you should spend most of your work week in Desire, with the rest of the time spent in either Development (bonus zone!). However, for most business owners, a lot of their time gets stuck in Disinterest, Distraction, and Drudgery! This is where your creativity and drive begin to die, eventually fading into burnout.
Now, let’s go back to the blog I found.
How do you stay away from the dreaded Drudgery zone?
Delegation
You delegate. Yes, even the tasks you know well enough but don’t enjoy doing. That’s what makes them “dangerous.”
And, delegating those “dangerous” tasks (that eventually cause burnout and slow progress) can be the competitive edge your business needs to get ahead.
Imagine how much more you could put into your business if you could focus on what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about. Your competitive edge becomes your light, drive, and ability to work deeper.
Now you’re working less and getting more done!
You’re a much better asset to your business when you’re rested, happy, and focused. It’s nearly impossible to be those things when you’re caught in the drudgery zone with tasks you hate. Delegating to a VA can be the relief you need!
We wrote last week about rediscovering your passion for the law with a Legal Virtual Assistant, and we would hate to see you lose even a second of that precious passion-fueled time. Lawyers and small business owners, it’s time to take your profession to the next level.
