Most people suffer from a lack of time-saving creativity.
Only do what only you can do.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The general idea is this: There’s only one you, so you must be doing what only you can do. Put another way, the things that you are supremely capable of are the only things you should do. When we do this, we bring something into this world that doesn’t exist — in the form of art, entrepreneurship, or any creative endeavor. There’s only one Jobs. Or Musk. Kahlo, Beyonce, etc.
Easier said than done. There’s always so much to do and finding the right conditions to create your own work is difficult. You still need to:
- cook
- clean
- brush your teeth
- put on clothes
- shower
There are still hundreds of things you do in your business or your life that aren’t things that only you can do.
Replying to e-mails, dropping off packages, or helping your dad figure out how to find Wordle on his phone.
If you’re any good –
doing what only you can do can be a recipe for success.
Staying out of the day-to-day minutiae and focusing on your craft will improve your performance and output.
That being said, I don’t believe there are many people who can accomplish it completely. That’s because most people suffer from an insane lack of time-saving creativity. And consequently, don’t truly value their time.
They not only aren’t outsourcing mundane things in their business but also their day-to-day life.
It’s the small tasks that are the most insidious time-destroyers. If you’re really committed to saving time in your work and in life, it’s time to dream a little bigger.
If we assume even a
modest $50/h while building your creative work (you’re probably worth more or will be, soon), it becomes clear quickly how much money we can save by outsourcing.
Here’s a few common things to outsource first:
- Meal Prep: $280/month (no cooking 3 days per week)
- Grocery Delivery: $5/delivery (no driving to the store, picking out groceries, and driving back)
- House Cleaning: $120/month
- Laundry: $100/month
- Prescription Delivery: $5/delivery
- Lawn, shoveling, and yard maintenance: $75/month
- TaskRabbit: $20/hour (have someone run errands for you)
Some numbers.
Per Month:
- Total Cost: Approx ~$650
- Hours Spent doing the tasks yourself: 50 Hours
- Difference: +$1850
Time breakdown example:
- Grocery Shopping & Driving: 4h
- House Cleaning: 5h
- Laundry: 5h
- Picking up Medications: 1h
- Lawn, Shoveling & Yard Maintenance: 5h
- Errands: 5h
The breakeven cost for doing these tasks yourself is
$13/hour.
(50 hours x $13/h = $650)
You’re paying companies and freelancers $650/month to do these tasks for you at an approximate rate of
$13/hour.
Are you worth more than $13/hour?
Yup.
In many places in North America, that’s slightly above or at minimum wage.
“But I like cooking!”
That’s fine. Keep cooking and outsource the rest.
But know that you will have less time to do what only you can do.
Most companies and freelancers specializing in one area (i.e., laundry) can complete the task
quicker, cheaper, and better than you can.
Why not let them do what only they can do, and you do what only you can do?
Key Condition
Outsourcing in this way only makes sense if the time that you save from not doing these day-to-day tasks is used completely as time spent doing what only you can do.
If you outsource and then have nothing to fill that void, this is all wasted money.
Once you give away or hire out the things that were taking up your time, make sure you have a creative project or mission to fill that time with.
Even More Time-Saving Ideas
- Deposit cheques on your mobile app (don’t drive to the bank)
- Don’t use cash
- Go paperless with all of your bank/utilities/etc. statements
- Utilize auto bill payments and automatic credit card payments
- Use a pomodoro work cycle
- Read while eating
- Ride your bike to must-attend appointments (exercise is necessary)
- Stretch while watching TV
- Delete Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, etc. from your phone
- Don’t bring your phone into the bedroom
- Get appliances that start/end automatically (coffee maker)
- Automate your thermostat
- Don’t drive to appointments — hire an Uber instead and read or write in the back seat
- Move in-person meetings to Zoom → Zoom to phone calls → Phone calls to email → Email to text
- Ask for an agenda or have an agreed-upon topic beforehand
The idea is this:
Outsource tasks that can be done more cheaply IF you have both
higher ROI and
creatively unique work to complete.
Let’s Explore This a Little Farther
- a) Do not do tasks that others can do cheaper
b) Do not hire someone to do a task that can be done cheaper by code
Some Simple Math
Assume an hourly wage for yourself:
$50/hour
- Average Virtual Assistant (VA): $5–10/hour
- Average code cost: $30/month
Assuming the task takes 40 hours per week:
- You: $2000/month
- VA: $200–400/month
- Code: $30/month
Doing the task yourself saves $0/month
VA saves $1600–1800/month
Code saves $1970/month
Examples
1) Email Management
- Old: I check my email every day and respond to everything. Stuck in it all day.
- New (VA): Hired a VA to manage day-to-day. They unsubscribe, respond to basic stuff, and categorize important messages.
- Next Level (Automation): Installed browser add-ons that auto-respond, send reminders, archive junk. Email gets categorized and sorted with almost no input.
If the task can be done by code, don’t hire a VA to do it.
2) Amazon Data Tracking
- Old: Manually download data daily for conversions, CTR, spend, etc.
- New (VA): Hired VA to do it. Time saved after frontloading training.
- Next Level (Automation): Used browser automation to pull data, hired a contractor to build Excel formulas to insert it. Minimal input required.
Upfront costs of automation may be higher, but often cheaper in the long run.
How to Get Started
- Write down tasks that take up your time that are not something only you can do
(email, graphic design, inventory management, pricing, etc.)
- If stuck, track your week in a journal — write down everything you do and the time you spend on it.
- Search for:
- <task> + “automation”
- or “spend less time” + <task>
- Hire someone to do the task or write code to do it.
- Save time and money doing only what you can do.
Final Thought
The hardest part: Finding something that means something to you and is only something you can do.
- In art, it’s easier to see: anything you create becomes something only you could have made.
- In business, it’s harder: anyone can start a landscaping company, but not everyone can start one that’s unique and authentic.
As lame as it sounds, it’s essential to find yourself and then explore it.
Authenticity is attractive and interesting.
Once you know what it is for you, cut out all the other bullshit and give the world your unique work.
