Why outsource anything personal?
That was the point of Success In the City's morning panel yesterday. We've undertaken lives that have placed heavy demands on us - for work, family, volunteering, social relationships - leaving little or no time to deal with the minutiae of day-to-day living.
One of the interesting questions posed to the panel was from a young mother asking how to get past the guilt of outsourcing things she thought she should be doing. I suggested two things that apply regardless of gender, age or parental status:
- Can doesn't mean should. The fact that you're capable (or should be capable) of doing something doesn't mean that you should be doing it. You need to weigh things against each other to know where your time and energy are best rewarded. If grocery shopping means you don't spend time with your kids, and you worry about not being present enough, have the groceries delivered. In the FreyerMartin world, you might be paying your bills, but do you really need to personally do all the things it takes to maintain solid financial standing and a high credit score? That's a lot of work - especially when there's an alternative like our Personal and Executive BillPaySM services.
- Tweak your perspective: If you feel outsourcing means you've failed, think again. Look at it as a choice, not a corner you've been backed into. What you're really doing is taking care of something you feel is important. If you didn't, you'd keep doing that you're doing, which is probably juggling too many things, none of them particularly well.
Remember that outsourcing doesn't mean abdicating. The responsibility is still ultimately yours - you're just freeing up your time and energy to focus on that particular thing at a higher level. You can always dive into the weeds if you have to, but there's nothing wrong with choosing not to live there.
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