Trading a Good Act for a Better One

Many times managing our busy schedule is not a matter of getting rid of the "bad acts" from our circus – it is having too many good acts going on and piling up. One key strategy is to figure out what it would cost to delegate certain acts to someone else (outsourcing) and compare that with what we could gain by doing something other than that act.

For example, paying a neighborhood youth to mow the lawn. What would that cost and what could I gain by doing something else (time to work on that novel or more time in my relationship ring?)? A good friend of mine figured out that he could make more money by working and hiring someone to do a remodeling project than by taking time off and doing the project himself. He actually made money by hiring someone. Now, the key here is to make sure that by outsourcing you are taking advantage of that saved time and doing something more productive.

I also realize that doing activities like mowing the lawn and remodeling can be therapeutic as well – an intermission. Just remember that being able to let go of some acts will help you to schedule in the most important acts and reduce your stress level.