“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
Welcome back to No Filter Fridays – the space where we drop the glossy filters and talk about the messy truth of leadership, work, and motherhood.
Doing it all is a myth. We know this — but who’s actually practicing it?
At work, we slap a shiny label on it and call it “ownership.” At home, it’s just called “being Mum.” Either way, the result is the same: you, knee-deep in tasks you never signed up for, wondering when exactly you became the unpaid project manager of everything.
The Leadership Trap
Every leader knows this dance:
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You try to take on too much because “it’ll be faster if I just do it myself.”
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Suddenly, you’re the bottleneck holding up your entire team.
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Cue the late nights, the endless emails, and the creeping resentment.
Here’s the kicker: leaders who don’t delegate don’t look impressive. They look tired. And their team looks unmotivated because — surprise — no one’s been trusted to step up.
The Mum Trap
At home, it’s no different. You’re juggling school forms, after-school activities, dinner, laundry, birthday parties, dentist appointments, and remembering who actually likes the green cup and who will scream if they get it.
When someone asks, “How do you do it all?” you laugh politely while silently thinking, Because I’ve given up on sleep, that’s how.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. We don’t let go. We don’t ask for help. We don’t delegate. And we suffer for it.
Why Delegating Feels Hard
Let’s be honest:
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Control freak tendencies. If I don’t do it, it won’t be done “right.”
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Guilt. Who am I to hand this off when everyone else is busy too?
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Ego. We secretly like being the go-to person, the one who can handle it all.
The problem? That strategy runs out of steam. Fast.
The “Delegate or Die” Reality
If you keep doing everything yourself, here’s what’s guaranteed:
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You’ll burn out.
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You’ll become resentful.
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You’ll miss the bigger picture because you’re stuck in the weeds.
And the truth is, whether you’re leading a team or leading a family, your role isn’t to do it all. Your role is to make sure it all gets done. Huge difference.
Fresh Delegation Moves You Haven’t Tried
👉 The 80% Rule
If someone can do a task 80% as well as you, delegate it. Perfection is overrated — momentum matters more.
👉 Turn kids into mini project managers
Dinner table chore charts are old news. Let them own an entire outcome: “You’re in charge of setting up everything for movie night.” Suddenly they’re negotiating, planning, and arguing logistics with their siblings — all skills they’ll thank you for later.
👉 Teach, then step back (yes, even with the stove)
My daughter loved eggs so much that one day I thought, If kids on Masterchef can cook, surely she can too. She was six when I started teaching her scrambled eggs. First the basics — crack them cleanly (no shell!), whisk, sleeves rolled up, hair tied back. Then how to light the gas safely, stir, turn it off, serve. Once she’d nailed scrambled, we graduated to fried — crack it into a hot pan, flip it, keep hold of the handle.
The first few times, I hovered. Then one day she looked at me and said: “I’ve got this, Mummy.” And she did. Now she regularly asks if I’d like some eggs and cooks them perfectly. Delegation level: delicious.
“The art of delegation is teaching your kids to make eggs before you lose your sanity.” – The Mama Assembly
👉 Delegation by default
Instead of asking “Who wants to help?” (cue crickets), assign roles automatically. “You’re handling X. You’re handling Y.” No wriggle room.
👉 Hand over decisions, not just tasks
Don’t just ask your team to write the deck — let them decide the story arc. Don’t just ask your partner to “help with dinner” — let them choose the menu. Ownership beats “helping out.”
👉 Drop the ball on purpose
Sometimes the best delegation strategy is strategic incompetence. Don’t do the laundry. Don’t book the appointment. Let someone else notice the gap and step up. Spoiler: they usually do.
The Big Picture
Delegation isn’t laziness. It’s leadership.
At work, it empowers your team. At home, it teaches your kids responsibility (and keeps you sane). In life, it’s the only way you actually get to enjoy the good stuff without being buried under a never-ending task list.
So next time someone asks, “How do you do it all?”
You can smile and say, “I don’t. I delegate.”
And then enjoy the rare luxury of sitting down with a hot coffee you didn’t have to reheat three times.
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Shop the Reminder
Need a daily nudge that you don’t have to do it all? Our cheeky “Recharging in Progress” mug is the perfect reminder to step back, delegate, and take five for yourself. Because sometimes leadership (and motherhood) looks like letting someone else take the reins while you sip your coffee in peace. ☕
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