There are only a couple things that I’m really good at. That list does not include sending invoices, copy editing, fixing cars, scheduling doctor’s appointments, making small WordPress edits, designing flyers, going grocery shopping, going through paper mail, processing paper receipts, bookkeeping, filing taxes, or 100s of other tasks.

I can do all of those things, but they aren’t things that only I can do well.

As much as possible, it’s important clear the decks and make sure you are concentrating on those items and eliminating any items that don’t fit within your unique sweet-spot.

Think of delegation and outsourcing in terms of systems, not just people. Here are some examples:

• “Outsource” shopping to Amazon. Going to the store to get something is really costly. Driving, parking, finding the right item in the store, checking out, driving back home, etc. For someone who doesn’t shop often – or well – it’s time consuming. Here’s three ways to use Amazon to outsource your life:
  1. Subscribe & Save. Set non-perishable consumables up as a recurring purchase. You’ll never have to run out to grab them again.
  2. Buy Top Rated Items. Not which type or version of something to get? Search for the keyword and get the top rated item; stop looking at reviews online or tinkering around with the item at the store.
  3. Be ok with spending more on Amazon. Sometimes, Amazon is more expensive than another online or retail store. That’s ok. Don’t worry about a $5-10 price difference: it’s worth the savings in time.
• Stop monitoring. I pay more for unlimited plans so I don’t have to spend time thinking about how much I’m using. For instance, I have a everything unlimited phone data plan.
• Never Pay Bills.
  1. Put everything on credit cards and pay the full credit card balance monthly.
  2. Set all monthly bills that can’t be paid via credit card on auto-pay.
  3. Use Mint.com to tie all of your various accounts together and give you a high-level view of your cashflow.
• Stop remembering. We aren’t good at remembering random information. I delegate the task of reminding me about specific actions to a premium todo list application subscription.
• Transcription services. I delegate transcribing business cards to a paid service.