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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Do It Yourself vs. Delegate

I don't think of myself as some obsessive compulsive, detail focused, perfectionistic b-word (you could insert the traditional b-word here, or the wedding related b-word...they both work), but maybe I am. Or maybe everyone* else just sucks.

I'm referring to wedding related tasks and actually accomplishing wedding related tasks. Seems like I am doing a lot, which yes, I mostly enjoy...but...others say they will do certain tasks and then...nothing.


My hypothesis is: I'm awesome and do things best, and everyone* else just sucks. Can you have a two pronged hypothesis? I should have read Miss Pony's scientific post more carefully....

Here's the pro - con list that will count as this completely unbiased experimental design.

Do It Yourself Myself
Pros:
  1. The task gets done.
  2. The task gets done correctly, or, well, close enough.
  3. The task gets done in the time frame I planned.
  4. If the task doesn't get done, I just blame myself.  (This is a pro and a con.)
Cons:
  1. I feel resentful that I am doing everything.
  2. If the task doesn't get done, I just blame myself. (See? Pro and con!)
Delegate
Pros:
  1. Someone else, X, does it! Mr. Magic, a parent, a friend...yay!
Cons:
  1. X might not do it. Like, ever.
  2. If X does it, it might not be right.
  3. If X does it, it might take 27x as long, which causes me to:
    1. Give lots of reminders. That's annoying to everyone involved...especially me but especially X.
    2. Feel bitter.
    3. Go insane(r).
    4. Expend mental energy remembering that it is on my To Do List but I can't check it off until X does it.
      1. Feel bitter.
      2. Go even more insane(r).
Seems like, obviously, it is easier to just do it (all) myself. I feel so satisfied and yet so unsatisfied with my discovery!

Do you delegate? Is it easier just to do it yourself?

*If you were wondering if "everyone" includes you, it most likely does not...unless you agreed to do a task and did not do it. Then, yeah, it most likely does.

1 comment:

  1. I did the exact same thing during wedding planning. It was just easier to do pretty much everything myself, even though it was overwhelming to do so. But when I did get help, either it was done wrong, never done because they're flakes, or they did something right, but it was something I really was looking forward to doing myself (cue meltdown about something done right--yah, crazy person here!). So...no advice, but you're not alone in your pro/con list, I agree with it all!

    P.S. if you do need help with anything, just let me know! I swear, I'm the type of person who if I say I'm going to do something, I actually do it!

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