I’ve been writing online for a few years, and I am now in the transition phase from just writer/blogger to speaker, podcaster, to web show host. I’m in the early stages of what David Garland would call a Mediapreneur. I am basically a small digital media company all by myself. It sounds great, but you can probably imagine wearing so many hats is a lot of work for one person. So, I have recently been looking into hiring a virtual assistant (VA) or two. I’ve been doing a lot of reading and studying on how to hire a VA, what you should delegate to a VA, and overall best practices.
Keeping your most important tasks
One thing which has stood out to me are ways to determine what tasks you should keep, and what tasks you should delegate. One rule of thumb is to keep the tasks that only you can do. For instance my wife and I will be launching our web show, The 7 Rings of Marriage, next month. Each episode we will be interviewing other couples to learn their story, and find how they’ve grown through the ups and downs of their marriage.
Sitting next to my wife and chatting with each couple is something only I can do. I can’t delegate this task to someone and have them sit in for me next to my wife. First that would be weird, and second I am 100% sure my wife wouldn’t go for it. On the other hand, editing and post production of the web show is something that anybody can do, therefore that is something I can delegate.
Delegate to spend time on what’s most important
Delegation boils down to how we spend our time. We spend them on the most important things, the things that will bring the most results, while we delegate the other things. This made me think about our relationships, and how our time is split among them. If we put our relationships in a similar context you’d have to think, “of all my relationships, which are the ones that only I can fulfill, or are the vital and most important relationships?” The first relationships that come to mind are relationships at home.
Being a husband and a father are relationships that only I can do. I can’t delegate the task of leading and loving my family to another person. I shouldn’t ask someone to love my wife like Christ loved the church. I should not ask someone else to bring my kids up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Your most important relationships
Those are the most important relationships, yet it has become very common that workplace relationships have become more of a priority than home relationships, especially with men. It’s been a reoccurring battle for me as I have tried to provide for my family through the years. So, I completely understand the pull and the struggle.
This struggle led me to write my manifesto, The Family Leader Manifesto. There are a lot of great leaders, who excel in ministry, in the workplace, and in the community. But some of these leaders find it more challenging to be a great leader and build great relationships at home. My manifesto is a call to encourage leaders like this, including myself, to make relationships at home their top priority, while giving them a 3-step plan to get them going.
If you are a husband and a father, you are the only one who can, and should lead and love your family in those roles. If you are a wife and a mother, the same applies. God called you to those roles, and nobody can fulfill them as you can.
How do you make your relationships at home your top priority? Please share in the comment section below.
Personally, I have to make sure that my phone isn’t an issue at home. That can become a bigger priority if I let it. I have learned that giving people your undivided attention is what they want and need, and it is our job to give it to them. Great post, Jackie.
Jackie, thank you. This fits into our general weakness to chase after the urgent and flashy, vs. the important stuff (and often harder stuff). I need this kind of reminder, oh, every day :-).