At what point is ‘buying back your time’ the answer to feeling less busy and more productive or perhaps more relaxed?
It does depend on your values and priorities, but it is an important question to ask ourselves as days become busier and tasks pile up or go left undone.
What is ‘worth money’ and what is a ‘waste of money’?
Many people will claim they value time over money – but a quick look at their calendars will quickly prove the opposite.
Where to start!
We can start by ‘buying’ back one hour a week and seeing what difference that makes.
Perhaps you hire a cleaner for one hour. Or source a lifestyle manager to schedule and keep your appointments up to date. Business entrepreneurs practice productivity techniques every day – it is time to apply them to your own routine and see how the results transform your life.
Start by making a list of the tasks in your life that create the most pressure or worry for you – the ones you simply despise.
It might be cleaning, mowing the lawns, replying to emails, remembering your dry-cleaning or even getting to the supermarket for a big shop. Think about how much time you spend on that task – and that includes how much time you spend thinking about how you haven’t done it or need to book it in!
Which tasks on your list could be outsourced to gain back some extra hours in your week? Is there room in your budget?
Where to look!
Next up – find and book someone to take care of the task!
If the budget is a little tight but you desperately need the relief, consider the timing. A deep clean once a month instead of a weekly booking, quarterly garden maintenance with the change of season, a meal service for those times during the year when you are extra busy. A once-off wardrobe declutter to clear space. Every little bit helps!
Outsourcing, done right, is one of the most powerful ways to lift pressure from your shoulders and hand it over to someone with the training and expertise to do it for you. But done wrong, it can further weigh you down. If you are wanting to outsource a number of household tasks, consider someone who can manage several of your jobs at once – like a lifestyle manager or virtual assistant, and really streamline the process. Leaving you time to enjoy life more and worry about your ‘list’ less.
The bad news is that time flies, the good news is that you are the pilot – Michael Altshuler
