What to keep, what to coach, and what to let go

If you're new here, you should know that a few months ago I hit a hard wall that ultimately led me to quitting my job. Too many meetings. Too many deliverables. Not enough space to think.

My to-do list was overflowing, and somehow I still felt like I wasn't doing enough. You know those days where you start your day with positive intentions and somehow end your day with even more items on your to-do list? That was my every day.

So I opened a doc and wrote down everything on my plate. Then I asked myself three questions:

• What do I have to own?
• What could I hand off with a little coaching?
• What am I holding on to that I don't need to?

And just like that, the Delegation Triangle was born.

Here's how it works:

Keep

This is the stuff that lives with you. Think: performance reviews, tough calls, strategy work. If it's high-context or high-impact, it probably belongs here.

Coach

This is your training ground. Work someone else can do with a little help. Give them the context. Let them try. Review it together. Yes, it'll take more time upfront. But it pays off.

Let Go

This is where you make space. The meetings you don't need to attend. The tasks you've outgrown. Someone else can do it. Let them.

It's not magic. In fact, it's extremely simple. But it does help you stop doing things just because you've always done them.

If you've been feeling stretched too thin lately, it's worth giving this a shot. My recommendation is to take a look your last two weeks at work. Write down everything you did. Meetings attended, decisions made, projects worked on, tasks completed. It may take a while, but it's good practice (and I recommend 2 weeks because sometimes just one isn't representative enough). Then look at this list categorize each item as Keep, Coach, and Let Go.

From there you can begin to make adjustments to your task list. Perhaps not all at once, but delegating little bits at a time still helps free up time. (Assuming you're not just going to fill it with something else. You have enough to do. Resist.)

It's like spring cleaning for your to-do list. (Yes, it's nearly summertime, but some of us are a little behind schedule.)