Learn to fire yourself
Learn to fire yourself
I fired myself, and it changed my life.
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Dear Unlearners,
I suck at cleaning. Like, really suck.
Growing up in Asia, having maids was just normal for upper middle-class families like mine. So I never learned how to clean properly. I can spend 3 hours cleaning and my apartment still looks messy.
My mom always said, "Don't bother learning to clean. Focus on your studies and career instead."
A few years back, I decided hiring a cleaning lady was a non-negotiable in my life. It wasn't a luxury. It was a necessity. I fired myself from cleaning, and it changed everything. Every time I come home to a clean apartment, my mood improves significantly.
Here's the truth: We can all earn more money, but nobody can earn more time. Time is more valuable than money.
Every task you do yourself has an opportunity cost. When I clean, I'm not working on my business, writing, or learning. That's the real price of DIY, the hidden tax on your most precious resource.
Especially when you're not an expert at something. Trying to do things can often cause more harm than good.
“You don't get rich by spending your time to save money. You get rich by saving your time to make money.” — Naval Ravikant.
Figure out what your time is worth. If something makes your life easier and costs less than your hourly rate, just do it.
Get the sitter for date night. Use the laundry service. Hire a VA. Get your meals prepped. It's not being lazy. It's being smart. Taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's strategic.
Learn to fire yourself from tasks that drain you. Future you will be grateful. Not just for the free time, but for the stress reduction, the mental clarity, and the ability to focus on what truly matters.
This isn't just about getting more done. It's about avoiding burnout and taking back your energy for the important stuff. Start small. Figure out what's eating up your time. Get over feeling guilty about outsourcing. Find people you can trust to help out.
As you become more successful, you'll learn to fire yourself from tasks that you're good at to focus more on a few things that are even more important.
Sometimes doing less means you end up achieving more. It's the paradox of productivity.
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This is a solid tip to FIRE YOURSELF !!! I make sure to hire an expert to do a deep house clean every month. I started doing this years ago when I realized the time I spent cleaning could be done in a fraction of the time by someone who’s an expert and does it for their business. Plus, that’s time I can’t get back, especially with work, staying on top of tech stuff, and my other biz. I also use experts for other things too—frees me up to enjoy some downtime. And it helps out other entrepreneurs who know their cleaning game. I always pick a small ma and pop business for the job. Thanks for this post! and the reminder :-)
I completely agree! Most times, my family members see my as lazy because I am reluctant to do certain things that consume my time. What they don't understand is that it is not about the work (maybe a little), it's about the time and energy spent