Argument 1,297 why you need to let go of control and delegate, outsource, and do the things you should…

Don’t dream about how you yourself are going to change the world–that’s naive and way too difficult. You may very well leave your mark, but if you want it to be a large or lasting one it’s going to have to involve others. And the first step to involving others is the hardest one–recognizing that you are not special.

Thomas Friedmann captured the essence of this in The World is Flat when he quipped that “in China, when you are one in a million, there are 1,300 other people just like you.” While you may not feel it reading the headlines in the Post, there are a lot of brilliant folks who know how to get things done just as well you. Accept that.

Step 2: Figure out what 90% of the stuff you’re doing could be better performed by one of those smart (or really focused) people.

Step 3: Let go of control.

This may sound trivial. This may sound like yet another plea for applying the 80-20 rule, but it’s not just that. Recognizing that you’re not special, or at least not as special as you think, will lead to several things:

1. Stepping down from the pedestal
2. Figuring out in what ways, if any, you really do kick ass
3. And in the long run: Spending your days kicking ass, making a bigger impact, and better appreciating what others have to offer

I love Tim Ferriss’ ideas but I’ve come to this conclusion about outsourcing in a circuitous way. I began outsourcing because I was too busy, and to make more money. For the most part, I have succeeded in neither. Instead, what I’ve found was more meaning.

More than ever my time is being spent on what were before just dreams. I’ve arrived at the prototype stage of a web product, pooled together some of the most talented people in the field for a Windows product, taken on continually larger projects and clients, and still managed to go out most evenings. Why? While I still work too much, I have others, most of whom are better at it, doing what I at one time did. Or, what I never could do.

Perhaps reading this is not going to send you to elance or interns, but I hope it helps you to think of the things you need not be doing, and those you could be doing. You may not be special, but if you recognize that, there’s a much better chance you’ll fool everyone else.

Filed under: 4-Hour Workweek, Business, Productivity

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