If you’re not outsourcing the things in your life that strike you as tedious, or the tasks on your to-do list that drive you to all manner of procrastination, you’re just not doing it right. Sure, you can fold a lot of laundry while you’re putting off writing thank-you notes or balancing your books, but have you ever considered that you could be using that time for something you’re actually passionate about instead?
Think about what you could do with a few extra hours a week. Take your children to a museum. Go camping. Read a novel. Take surfing lessons. Design a presentation. Start a blog. Write an ebook. Start a business out of your garage. Or just relax in your home.
So where do you start? Here’s a short list of some of the most common things you can outsource:
Hire a Housekeeper
Put the toilet brush down and get on the internet. Find a highly-rated local cleaning company or maid service to start making regular visits to your home, and find out how much of your own time is freed up. This step alone could save you hours a week. As a bonus, you get to find out how heavenly it is to slip into a bathtub or shower you didn’t have to clean yourself. Once you’ve outsourced house cleaning, it might be time to go a step further: Find a trustworthy company to handle your laundry for you, and you might just cut down on a few more hours a week of tedious chores. And we’re going to already assume that, if you have a lawn, you’re paying someone else to mow it. If not, start outsourcing that immediately to free up more of your time.
Stop Going to the Grocery Store
How much of your life do you spend shopping for groceries? You’re not going to get that time back, but many grocery stores now offer curb-side pickup services for a nominal fee. Hop on their app or website, send in your grocery order, and then let someone else spend the time winding through the grocery shelves. You might even cut back on a lot of impulse purchases, too! Take this a step further with grocery delivery, meal prep delivery services, or even a personal chef.
Rent a Furnished Home
How much time – and money – do you spend on purchases to fill your home with stuff – like beds and couches and tables and chairs and kitchen tools and accent rugs and things to go on the wall? You could leave this all behind if you rented furnished homes for the long-term, with a minimum of commitment on your part, from companies like www.ZeusLiving.com.
Let Someone Else Do the Driving
If your daily commute sends you through gridlocked freeways and never-ending traffic lights, it might be worthwhile to think about how much work – or relaxation – you could accomplish if you were in the back seat. Try it out once or twice a week with a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft – whatever your budget allows. If you ask yourself why you weren’t doing this all along, research car services in your city, and find out if you can make this a regular thing.
Although this is a fairly short list, think of how much of your time could be redirected to more impactful efforts. You don’t have to outsource everything at once, either. Start with whatever makes the most sense. What can you get off of your plate that will leave you with the most usable energy and time for worthy pursuits? And then you can go from there.
