When you take an only child combined with a Type A personality you have a control freak that thinks they can do it all. I can say that because I am that control freak, and I will fully admit it. All of my life I’ve tended to be a tad bit over controlling when it comes to just about every area of my life. I like paperwork done a certain way. Everything is organized and decorated in my home in a particular manner. My meals are meticulously planned out. And if there is a group project you can guarantee I’ll be doing it all. 
In many ways this attitude has served me throughout my life, especially when it comes to my work. There have been times throughout my career where if I didn’t step up and do it, no one else would. I’m not a procrastinator. I buckle down, work hard, and put in the time until its done. I’ve done this so many times that it is ingrained in me. Now whenever I am starting a new project I look at all the components and automatically assume that I will have to figure out how to do it all. But here’s the problem, I’m not good at everything.
Yes, I’ll admit it, there are just certain things I suck at. Yet I have a hard time giving up control over those things and delegating them to someone else. I’ve become so use to doing it all that I don’t know how to let go and let someone else do the work for the change. This has recently become an issue for me as I expanded my business. For the past few months I have been trying to do it all. While there were people available to help I automatically took charge and ownership over everything. Only when it became physically and logistically impossible for me to do it all did I start to delegate work out. And it was then that I realized how very uncomfortable I am with the art of delegating.
Mind you that when all the work is piled on my shoulders I will bitch and complain like nobodies business! But even though I get overwhelmed and stressed out, there is a part of me that likes that role. That part of me would be the ego. My ego loves to play martyr and victim. It loves the attention it gets when everyone feels sorry for me because of all the work I have to do. Admitting that I can’t handle something hurts my ego. Admitting that I suck at something kills my ego!
Learning to give up control and let others help has been a real struggle for me the past few weeks. However, I am seeing that the more things I am able to delegate out to others the more time I have to focus on the things that I am really good at. It’s helped me to clarify what my strengths and weaknesses are. Plus I’m actually getting more rest!
The ego is a tricky thing. It can keep us trapped in perpetual overwhelm just because we don’t want to admit that we can’t do it all. I was just listening to an interview with Richard Branson and he said that the key to his success was that he learned to focus on what he was good at, and delegate out everything else. Now if Sir Richard Branson who runs 400 companies, can admit that he isn’t good at everything, so can I.
Are you trying to do it all in your life? Are there times where others offer to help but you turn them down? Take a look at different areas of your life where you tend to be more controlling and check in with yourself. Don’t let your ego drive you into an over controlling, overwhelmed state. It’s ok to suck at things, and it’s ok to admit it.