Have you ever had the experience that some tasks have been placed on the "To-do list" for a long time, and every time you see it, you try to skip it and choose other tasks instead? So the "To-do list" becomes the "Never-do list"!
You've been advised to give the job to someone else, and you think, "If I give it to someone else, I'll have to explain it to them once, and that's enough time to get it done! So, you keep thinking that you can always finish it faster than others, but your time is limited, and the "To-do-list" never gets done!
Illustrator: Wang Ho | Copyright ©2022
Delegation is not easy, especially for a person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or people with these features.
Why is it hard for you to let go of authorization?
Delegation requires executive functioning of your brain, such as detailed planning, clear communication, and realistic goal setting, and these executive functions can be challenging for adults with ADHD. It doesn't mean that all people who cannot delegate have ADHD, but research studies have shown that adults with ADHD have difficulty performing this function.
People who have difficulty delegating may encounter the following psychological barriers.
"It's hard for me to say no to people and even harder to ask for help."
"I'm afraid they'll say no!
"I'm too busy!" I don't even have time to delegate.
"It's faster and more efficient to do it by me.
"I don't know how to delegate, especially for complex tasks or projects!
"It's hard to know what to delegate, or who to delegate to, and how to do it."
If you've heard yourself say these things, you're in good shape to continue reading this article ~
How to delegate?
Step 1: Be Mindful
The basic theory of emotional-focused therapy believes that there is always a certain emotion behind every action.
Whenever we are worried about a difficult task, we must first pay attention to our emotions and thoughts. These may be doubts about our ability to delegate or doubts about the ability of others. There may also be emotions that make us fearful of delegation. At this point, we need to take the first step and find some simple tasks to delegate, which can reduce psychological pressure.
Step 2: Take some time to think about the detailed steps of the job
How much time does the task usually take? How many people will be needed to do the job? Do you need extra help to complete the task? Does the task require specialized knowledge? Answering these kinds of questions may allow us to see different perspectives. As time-consuming as assignments can be, the clearer your instructions are, the smoother the work will be.
Sometimes creative people also have a more challenging time delegating because people who are used to creating with their right brain have a harder time providing others with a clear roadmap to get things done. After all, the steps to develop the task require a lot of logical thinking with the left brain.
Step 3: Lighten up your To-do list
Don't be afraid that you might miss them. As long as it's a short-term task (maybe within a month), that doesn't matter if you don't do it. It can be considered non-urgent and temporarily removed from the To-do list. Sometimes our To-do list is so long that it weakens our judgment and makes it difficult to determine which tasks are more important, which may affect the ranking of our work.
In addition, we can identify tasks that are easier to complete. For the tasks that can be done in 5 minutes, simply tell yourselves to finish them now! With focus, these tasks can be completed successfully.
Step 4: Find the person to delegate to
Psychologically, this can be one of the most challenging steps. We always feel that the other person couldn't meet our requirements.
We can write the assignment process or use our smartphone to record the steps. Then we can find the right person, tell them the procedure, and if they understand it, we can try to give them the task.
As a typical ADHD and perfectionist recovering individual, I understand this is the hardest part. But if you are willing to take the first step and talk to the people around you, you will always find a way to deal with it. It's also essential to reach a consensus with our idealistic brains and find a middle way to solve the problem. Knowing there is a huge pile of things to be done is a warning sign from our brains to ask for help.
Perhaps, we may want to find someone who works the same way as we do. However, we have to set a realistic goal that everyone's work pattern and results are different, and it is basically impractical to find someone who works exactly the same way as we do.
Finally, delegate your tasks down, up, or even horizontally! The key is to identify common goals, not to shirk tasks.
Assign your job to others, and you can free up more time to do what you love.
The above article is a translation from the original text.
original text from：https://www.am730.com.hk/column/健康/成人adhd的煩惱-委派工作/276079
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended as a substitute for the psychological therapy of clinicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician and psychologist in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.