Finding Your 'Genius'
"I'll just do it myself"
As a business owner or leader you have said the phrase above. You know you have, you "humble servant" you. Have you considered though how much this actually hurts your company or organization?
You're motivated, I get it, and that's what makes you a great entrepreneur, self starter, and dreamer. It's that go-out-and-get-it mentality that drives you to start things, but now you're a bit more burnt out, a bit more desperate, and maybe a little bitter? Maybe you wonder why things aren't taking off they way you thought they would? Maybe you've had 25 of those projects where you say, "If I just kill it on this one project, invest a more of my time, my money, and give the client more, boy am I going to take off!" Why do these 'catalytic' projects never really pan out exactly like that? Projects like this leave you burnt out, feeling taken advantage of and with a lighter wallet.
It's so typical to be overwhelmed with the wrong tasks, wrong clients, and wrong projects by having a "I'll just do it" attitude. For today, let's look at the wrong tasks you are doing.
Try the exercise below, and if you 'don't have time', then you definitely need to.
DO THIS:
STEP 1. Make a list of everything that you do. I mean, literally everything.
STEP 2. Go back through that list and put a '1' next to everything you can do, but aren't amazing at or 'called' to do. Put a '2' next to everything you are pretty good at. Put a '3' next to everything that you are great at.
STEP 3. Of the things you put a 2 or 3 next to, circle the tasks that leave you feeling rejuvenated and alive. The things people praise you for and ask how you do it, to which you think, "uh, this is easy...".
On step 3 you've likely found what we call 'your genius'. This is what you should be focused on. And you should then focus on finding other people to do everything you marked as a '1'.
"But how can I?" you ask. Maybe start with an intern. Maybe start with a temp worker or part timer. Maybe start with an outside vendor through a site like UPWork (I am not an affiliate of upwork). Maybe you have a team, but it's time to shift around some of the responsibilities. Maybe you need to actually remove some services your business offers, streamline, and specialize.
Can I be raw? If you say, "I'm just going to do it myself" and you're scared of someone else messing it up... get over yourself. You have become the choke point in your own system and you then wonder why work isn't flowing smoothly or coming in regularly.
