Do you ever have the experience that you work all week and then most of the weekend you’re still working, but for a different boss? Do you shift from working for your boss or your company to working for the family or household?
Even though I’m 52 and the term “adulting” came along long after I became an official adult, I love the term because it points to a distinct set of tasks or projects that we all deal with. We don’t call it “work”, because it’s not something we get paid for. And yet it is work. Why? Well because it certainly doesn’t seem like play or rejuvenation.
Adulting includes thrilling activities such as:
• Scheduling your car to get to the dealership for an oil change or maintenance at a time that fits in your schedule.
• Scheduling any appointments, you and your family may have.
• Remembering all the family and friends’ birthdays and anniversaries, and getting cards or presents to the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
• Shopping for airline tickets or an Airbnb for you and the family.
• Researching things to help you support aging or ailing family members.
• Planning the upcoming family birthday party or reunion and getting the slideshow done for it as well.
Researching and finding answers to things such as:
1. What would it take for my 87-year-old uncle to go from being on Social Security to Social Security disability?
2. If I pay off my car loan early, will I be penalized?
3. What are some possible nice (and free or cheap) places where we could host a small event?
4. I saw something that mentioned that Amtrak would haul your car. Does that exist on the West Coast? (The answer is No, BTW.)
5. When and where are there pickleball tournaments near where I’ll be in California in the fourth quarter this year?
The list goes on and on!
What is your adulting? What is not work, not play, and yet not all that enjoyable? Take a second and think of a few things from the last week that fall into that category.
This is the stuff that is stealing time away from you being with your family, doing the hobby you enjoy so much, tending to your fitness and wellness (mental or physical), or just sitting still and doing nothing for 5 minutes (try that! I dare you!)
Our team at Athena Executive Services is committed that all of your life is great and that your most important priorities get honored. This means providing you with someone who helps you be your best self while doing your highest priority activities like being with your family, meeting with your leadership team, or visiting your mother.
We are committed that you are a joyous light for all of those around you, and frankly, I think you want that too. You want to have energy and vitality and be inspiring; on your best days, you do that. You are that.
But all this “adulting” can often get in the way and wear you down.
The answer? DELEGATE it.
It was many years into running this company before I started practicing this myself and it was a game changer. At first, it felt fancy to delegate what seemed like personal matters, yet I was tired of my evenings and weekends being taken up with those necessary evils. I didn’t feel comfortable saying to my partner or best friends, “I’ll have my assistant look into that for us.”
My partner would say, “Can you look into this for us, G?” And I would say, “Yep. Sure.” Then to myself, I would say “I do not want to be the EA of this household!” I started delegating it. Now, a couple of years later, my partner John will say, “Could you have Corene look into this for us?” Why yes, I can, babe. Love that idea!
One of my best friends and I had a spa day to celebrate our birthdays a few months ago. My assistant planned it for us. My friend said, “Would Corene do that for us every year?” Why yes, she can!
Personal things that my EA does regularly for me, which frees me up to spend time being with people I love the most, doing things I love the most, or napping and doing things that rejuvenate me:
• Books all my travel. I fly to see my mom once a month for 4 days
• Order our Nespresso coffee when we run out
• Researches my latest ideas, thoughts, and whims
• Gets all of our holiday cards out at the end of the year
• Sends all birthday cards (along with Mother’s and Father’s Day cards, sympathy, graduation, etc.) and she finds, orders, and ships gifts for all kinds of people in our lives
You get the idea. You can utilize and lean on your assistant for almost anything. And a high-caliber assistant loves that. Why? Because they want your WHOLE life to work. They want to free you up to be the best you. The best YOU at home, at the office, and in your community!
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