Reflection: Are there any life lessons you seem destined to learn over and over and over again? I know there are a handful that are very much alive in my world. I’m reliving one of them this week.

As I prepare for the December release of my new ‘Sketches of Saskatoon’ book, I find myself mired down in detailed marketing tasks, many of which I could have handled differently.

Had I been thinking and working a bit further ahead, I could have farmed out various tasks to others who have the experience, the resources, and the talent to handle them with ease. Alas, in the crunch and press of time, the opportunity is lost.

Maybe this happens in your world, too. You leave a project just a tad too long on the back burner. All of a sudden (or so it seems) it pops to the top of the list and you find yourself cradling a bona fide DIY (Do It Yourself) hot potato in your hands.

Action: On the assumption that I may not be alone in this recurring spin cycle of overload, I share these notes to myself with you. May we be jointly reminded that there just might be a better way.

• Learn the skills before you need to use them. A looming deadline may motivate you to learn your way around a new software package, but it spikes your stress when you get stuck.
• Cultivate partnerships before you need them. Farming tasks out to those best suited to them, makes both the farmer and the farmee happy. And, it works best when the relationship is already in place and the lead time is reasonable.
• Create in parallel. The best time to be working on a marketing plan is while you’re developing the product.
• When the time is short and the pressure mounts, sift the sparkly seductive tasks from the essential. Focus on the latter, as they’re what matter most.

Quote Of The Week: Although this advice from Shannon Parish may well fall in the category of easier said than done, it’s worth considering nonetheless: “Stop trying to do it all yourself! If it’s not your genius…it’s not your job.”

Resource Of The Week: This Forbes magazine article doesn’t specifically address the need for planning ahead, but it does a good job of profiling clarity as ‘The Secret to Effective Delegation’.

Readers Write: In response to the most recent message, Paris, Parks & Peace of Mind, Pause reader RS writes: I agree, we all need that place we go to just reflect and meditate and remind ourselves of what really matters in our worlds; and I truly hope it’s our people and not our things. Love your paintings. Don’t stop!