{"id":128794,"date":"2024-08-25T13:02:40","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T17:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=128794"},"modified":"2024-08-26T14:30:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T18:30:42","slug":"low-value-tasks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/low-value-tasks\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Offload Low-Value Tasks & Stop the Energy Drain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you feeling overwhelmed<\/a> by your daily tasks? Do you find yourself wasting time on low-value activities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his book Buy Back Your Time<\/em>, Dan Martell offers practical strategies for eliminating low-value tasks from your schedule. He provides four options for freeing yourself from energy-draining activities and suggests hiring a personal assistant to manage your time<\/a> more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to discover how you can reclaim your time<\/a> and focus on what truly matters in your work and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Offloading Low-Value Tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Martell recommends that you reflect on how each task on your list affects your energy. Note whether a task replenishes or drains your energy by highlighting each task in a different color. For example, handling technical difficulties at your work might drain your energy, while participating in a professional seminar might replenish it. Then, identify the low-value tasks. These are draining tasks that have low value financially\u2014for example, running small errands or dealing with unnecessary paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martell writes that, once you’ve identified all of the low-value tasks that occupy your time, you should start offloading them. <\/strong>They\u2019re usually the easiest to offload. Martell suggests four options for freeing yourself from these tasks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 1: Eliminate the task all together.<\/strong> Think about whether completing the task accomplishes anything of value. If not, there\u2019s no reason for the task to exist, and you can stop doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Eliminating a task can be hard because it requires you to say \u201cno\u201d to something. In Essentialism<\/em><\/a>, Greg McKeown says you may struggle to say \u201cno\u201d for many reasons<\/a>: You might be afraid to create conflict, disappoint someone, or miss out on an opportunity. However, McKeown urges you to remember that saying \u201cno\u201d to something means you\u2019re saying \u201cyes\u201d to something more important.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 2: Delegate the task.<\/strong> Sometimes other people are better equipped to do a task than you are. If so, assign the task to them\u2014they\u2019ll enjoy it and perform it better than you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: What\u2019s the best way to delegate a task? In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em><\/a>, Stephen R. Covey says that once you\u2019ve assigned someone else a task, you shouldn\u2019t regulate exactly how they do it. This wastes your time and makes them feel less invested in the results. Instead, delegate effectively by communicating six things<\/a>: what should be accomplished, the general standard operating procedures and rules for the task, ineffective methods, available resources, how results will be evaluated, and the consequences of success and\/or failure.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 3: Hire someone to do the task. <\/strong>Martell recommends you be willing to outsource any task for which you can pay one-fourth of your hourly rate to get someone else to do. For example, if you make $60 per hour, you should be willing to pay someone $15 to take over a low-value task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 4: Consider creative ways to outsource the task. <\/strong>For example, you could hire interns, outsource globally, or offer overtime to current employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If you don\u2019t make an hourly wage that allows you to hire someone and you can\u2019t find a way to creatively outsource a task, an alternative is to simply ask someone else to do it. In Girl, Stop Apologizing<\/em><\/a>, Rachel Hollis says you should learn to ask for help<\/a> from your friends, family members, or partner. She contends that women in particular may struggle to ask for help because they don\u2019t want to feel incapable or to inconvenience people. However, she points out that all successful people have lots of help and that many people are happy to help you if you show your appreciation and offer support in return.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiring a Personal Assistant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can prevent energy-draining, low-value tasks from ever coming across your table by hiring a personal assistant.<\/strong> Martell writes that a personal assistant is a critical hire for entrepreneurs\u2014they can handle a plethora of time-consuming tasks you would otherwise have to take time to delegate individually. More importantly, they can screen incoming requests for your time and attention, flagging anything that\u2019s necessary for you to handle and taking care of the rest themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martell recommends you hand over control of two things to your assistant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n