Outsource what you can’t do

Nov 8th 2009
Tags: random musings

Outsource what you can’t do

Writing. Presenting. Researching. Debating. Talking about myself.

All things I’m good at.

Reports. Proposals. Statements of work.

Things I suck at.

Yet week after week and month after month, I force myself to do what I’m not good at. I EASILY spend 3x as much time on the things I’m not good at than what I do well.

I get distracted. I find other things to do. I procrastinate.

Don’t tell me to suck it up. Don’t tell me to buckle down and get it done.

Find someone who is good at those things. Ask them for help. Offer them some sort of cash reward or favor.

Then get back to kicking ass. Anything else is a waste of time.

Posted via email from Tyler says…

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Frank

Have you looked into outsourcing your web design skills? You should.

Matthew

Well said, IMHO. I've read that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert at something, whether it's baseball, ballet or writing. That's just under 5 years of full-time work. Wasting your time on things you don't really care to be good at just wastes some of the 10,000 hours you could be spending becoming an expert at the things you're passionate about.

Chris conrey

I agree with the principle of outsourcing the things you are good at - but the balance between avoiding the things you're not good at, and avoiding the things that you just don't want to do is tricky. Sometimes you're the only person that can get it done right - even if you're bad at it.

Tyler Hurst

It's not that I'm not able to ever learn spreadsheets, but I hate them. I hate them so, so much.

Joe Manna

I agree with the general idea that we should work at growing our strengths. However, I don't like the idea of outsourcing things that I am learning/growing in to. I, too, suck as spreadsheets, but almost anything can be learned via Google.

~Joe

Tyler Hurst

I didn't read douchetard's book. All I know is I spend a lot of time on things I suck at that could be spent on what I'm good at.

Chris Conrey

Derek beat me to it but this is the whole 4 hour work week douchetard's philosophy.

Tyler Hurst

If you want to, that's fine. I'm 30 and I still suck at doing reports or working with spreadsheets. Will I ever be good at it? No. Is it easier to find something that is? yes.

Tyler Hurst

Working LESS isn't the point. Working more efficiently, is. I suck at doing reports and they aren't that useful to me.

Tyler Hurst

Get better at the things you're good at.

Jose

What about if I want to be good at doing something I suck at.

Shouldn't I practice? Reading and theory can only get you so far.

Derek Neighbors

Easy there Tim Ferris..

tdhurst

(you can call me tyler)

Outsource what you can’t do

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