Protect Your Energy: Share The Work

I shared a foundational philosophy of Principal Ops in an earlier post this week: you can do anything, but you can't do everything. This philosophy guides the work we do with our clients every day. No matter how well you prioritize, how ruthless you get about what you give your energy to, how well you manage your time or how well you take care of yourself, you will never be able to do it all and do it well, alone. And you certainly won't have any energy to spare.

One of the most impactful ways you can protect your energy is by asking for help. There are things only you can do each day, in work and in life, and you should do those. The things that others can do are perfect opportunities to share the work. Here are some things to think about:

• Be self aware. As a leader in your business and your home it may be hard for you to let go of the reins of some of the day-to-day. Trust the process and let your team help.

• Examine your current team structure, roles and responsibilities. Are you doing things that are actually somebody else's responsibility? If so it's possible that dynamic is draining both of your energy stores.

• Inventory how many hats you wear. As the leader of your team, you should be spending your time and energy on strategy and growth, not internal, operational or administrative tasks (most of the time). If you are wearing too many hats, it's time to share the internal work of your business with someone who has the bandwidth and the energy to take the wheel so you can get back to strategizing and growing.

Teamwork makes the dream work! Protect your precious energy and share the work with others who can bring their time and talent to support you in work and life.