Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

The Value of Letting Go

As someone who loves to feel in control, this one is hard for me.

In 2016, I left my secure corporate job with health insurance to launch Happy Spaces. It was the largest risk I had ever taken and I was committed to making it work.

For the first few years, I did EVERYTHING myself. This gave me the opportunity to understand how every part of my business works and shape each piece exactly how I wanted it.

However, this also delayed a lot of new ideas from being implemented quickly and caused me to spend a lot of time on tasks that someone else could do both faster and better.

The light bulb moment for me was in 2018. I decided I wanted to redo my website, but was dreading how long and painful the process would be. In 2016, I built the Happy Spaces website myself on Squarespace. Overall, Squarespace does a great job of providing templates, which is the only reason I was able to figure it out. But every variation I made to the template would take me hours to implement.

As luck would have it, I was having lunch with some fellow Professional Organizers, and the conversation turned to websites and if anyone had a website designer they would recommend. A shout out to Paizhe, who said she highly recommends Lindsey, with LM Design, and would be happy to make an introduction.

This was the first time I decided to delegate as the owner of Happy Spaces and it was life-changing. Lindsey was able to implement my ideas quickly and better than I ever could have. And when I think of a change that I want to make, it is completed almost as fast as I can send the email. I also learned that delegation isn't all or nothing. I still write and choose all the content. I still log in to Squarespace and make small changes. But, I always know Lindsey is available to help, no matter how big or small the request.

Then came 2020. Covid put many of our lives on hold, but it also helped many of us think outside the box. I have never been that interested in Social Media and this showed in Happy Spaces’ social presence.

In May 2020, Margaret Canty had just graduated from college with a Marketing Degree and a love for Social Media. Why not see if Margaret wants to join the Happy Spaces team and manage our social presence? Today, Margaret and I decide on the content together as a team, but she executes all the posts. Another big win!

You may be wondering about this Weekly Blog? I started thinking about putting out a weekly blog in 2019. I even created an email template and wrote the first post. But I soon became overwhelmed with how much time I would need to invest. Then I met Nicole, who has a passion for email marketing and enjoys a new productivity hack as much as I do. While I continue to write these weekly blogs, Nicole makes the rest of the process happen. Without Nicole, these blogs would still be a great idea that never saw the light of day.

What is the value of delegating?

It allows you to focus on your strengths
Feel more motivated and energized
More efficient
Improve overall performance
Allows others to grow and develop

Getting Started

Delegation does take time to implement, but it's worth it.

I am a believer that everyone should have some understanding of all core processes that they are ultimately responsible for. This can be as simple as having the person you delegate the task to walk you through their process and write out the processes and procedures for their responsibilities.

You also want to make sure you have access to all the systems they are using. For example, if you hire someone to build and manage your website, make sure you can also log in and access everything.

Anything can happen and you want to make sure you can transition the responsibility as smoothly as possible, if necessary.

For your business, some common responsibilities that can be delegated are:

Marketing
Social Media
Website Management
Bookkeeping
Finances

For life, some common responsibilities that can be delegated are:

Cleaning
Laundry
Grocery Delivery
Meal Kits
Transportation for your children

Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks

Take the time to find the right person and work with them to meet your expectations. Make sure to schedule the time to make this happen.

If you delegate responsibility and it's just not working, you may need to find a new person. Don't give up!

Make sure all processes and procedures are documented. Roles and responsibilities change all the time - if someone you delegate to decides to move on, it’s better to have their process documented than reinvent the wheel. Plus, if you have to, you can handle the responsibility for awhile with proper documentation.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!

Get Started

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

The Value of Letting Go