Get HELP!
Do you believe that you, and ONLY YOU, can (fill in the blank)?
Maybe only you can answer that pressing question at work or get that project done right. Or maybe only you can make your child’s lunch just the way they like it. Maybe you haven’t learned the power of “NO” yet.
If you are HAPPY about being a perfectionist and doing it ALL yourself, then read no further. However, if you are UNHAPPY about it, then read on.
Many people believe that they have to do it all. After all, no one else can do it the way you do. True. But when push comes to shove, maybe everything doesn’t have to be done exactly the way you do it. Maybe, just possibly, others might be able to help you so you can free up some time to do those other things you wish you had time to do.
Consider the following possibilities and I challenge you to come up with some of your own:
Get Help At Work
If you are working on a pressing project and need some uninterrupted quiet time, ask a colleague to cover the phones/email for you while you move to an empty conference room or office of a traveling colleague where no one can find you. You will reciprocate when they need you.
Say you want to get better with the software you use, then get a group of co-workers together to talk about how each uses the software. It’s amazing what you can learn in a short time and it is certainly more fun than reading the manual!
If you are overwhelmed with projects and don’t know how to prioritize them, ask the people that gave them to you for their help so you don’t have to keep guessing which to do first.
Get Help At Home
If you have kids, get them involved with household chores. Why should you do it all? After all, they are the ones creating the laundry and making the mess! And the skills they learn will enable them to be self-sufficient as they get older.
If you resent cleaning your house on the weekends (and you don’t have kids) get a cleaning person. They appreciate the work and you appreciate your clean home, even though they won’t do it exactly like you would.
Help Yourself and Say “NO” More Often
- “I’m sorry, I can’t take on that project right now. My schedule is too full.”
- “No, I’m NOT going to check my email every 5 seconds.”
- “Thank you for thinking of me but I’m really not interested in joining the committee at this time.”
So next time you are feeling like a perfectionist who feels the pressure to do it all, remember you are human and get help!
TERMS OF PERMISSION TO REPRINT
This tip may be reprinted when the following byline is included:
Abby Marks Beale is founder of The Corporate Educator, a professional speaking and training company specializing in helping with busy people work smarter, faster and just plain better. Go to www.TheCorporateEducator.com.
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