When The Universe Throws A Curve Ball

Rule of Life #8 (pg 39) says:

“Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew.  When you take on too much, you suffer, and your work suffers because you’re spread too thin.  Instead, ask for help and look for other like-minded (I’ll also add enthusiastic) individuals to share the workload.  Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses and find others that can fill in the gap.  Your health, your sanity and your client will thank you for it.”

How many of us do this?

We think we have superhuman powers to take it ALL on without any help.

A fellow mom entrepreneur was planning a big event in October.  I asked her how things were going and she said, “It’s going,” which led me to believe that things could have been going much better if she just had a helping hand.  And so, I offered mine.  She seemed surprised that I had stepped forward.

Being an event planner myself, I know that creating an event, especially its first year, can be a logistical nightmare.  Last year while planning the Mom Entrepreneur of the Year event, I literally would sleep an hour on our sofa next to my laptop, get up and work, go back to bed for another hour and get up again to check proofs my designer Erin was sending me.  My health was affected, I was running on caffeine, and I was irritable to my husband for six months.  But why?

Because I thought I was superwoman.

I bit off way more than I could chew.  I was juggling more balls than I needed to.  Here I had some wonderful volunteers willing to take things, even little things off my plate, but I just couldn’t let it go.  True, the event was successful, but it would have run more smoothly had I delegated tasks I didn’t really need to do.

Fast forward to now.

I’m planning the event again this year (set for May 7), and already have a group of seven very capable women to hand tasks off to while I take care of what I need to do for it – connecting with potential sponsors and marketing the heck out of it.  This is my strength.  Figuring out what hors d’ oeuvres to serve at the cocktail hour?  Not so much my priority.

As you think of projects you’re working on, figure out what tasks you’re passionate and good at, and what you can afford to pass off.

Your weakness will always be someone else’s strength.

To read more rule of life lessons, view blog posts and download chapter 1, please visit When the Universe Throws a Curve Ball – How a mom entrepreneur went from disappointment to living her passion.