Errors of ignorance versus errors of ineptitude

In his latest book (The Checklist Manifesto), surgeon Atul Gawande makes a simple yet profound distinction. Some mistakes are made because the person doesn’t know enough or know the right information or have the right skills (these are errors of ignorance), but other mistakes arise from not applying what we know.

In implementing strategies to move my life, work and income in the direction of freeing my time from money and still making a meaningful positive impact on the world, I must admit most of the mistakes and missteps I have made have been from not applying what I know.

I procrastinate on implementing what I know would help move me forward: hiring some more outsourcing help to implement the overwhelming number of ideas for projects I constantly generate; hiring a coach/project manager to “herd my cats,” that is, to help me stay focused and working on the right things and moving projects to completion in a more systematic and timely manner.

So, this post is to get you thinking about what kind of mistakes you make: Do you need more information or skills? Or do you need to use what you already know in a better way?

Easy outsourcing

I have used outsourcing a bit and found it helpful, but I haven’t used it as much as I could or should to move my business forward and to free my time while making money.

In realizing this, I have vowed that this year, I will use outsourcing much more and master this process as well as find some reliable outsources I can turn to at a moment’s notice.

I came across this site recently and it looks like it may be the ticket.

http://www.outsourcingoutsourcing.com/

To outsource or not to outsource?; that is the question

I am often in a dilemma when it comes to outsourcing. On the one hand, it costs money to outsource. You have to earn money to pay others to do stuff you don’t want to do, aren’t good at or are not getting done. In one way, that is antithetical to the goal I have: to leak less money so I don’t have to work as much.

On the other hand, outsourcing can be compatible with the goal of earning money without putting in time, being present or putting in effort. IF you do it right. And that is a big IF.

When should you outsource?:

When you have done the analysis and you will earn more money from outsourcing than you are paying out;

When you have some bottleneck task that is preventing you from moving forward on a project that will earn you some passive income or automate some ongoing, time-draining task so that you can free up more time (even if the outsourcing will not actually initially earn back the money you put out);

When you have a task that you could/can do and you hate doing it, so it makes your work more of a drag or keeps you from doing other things that could create more free time or passive income.

Of course, you have to learn how to choose the right person or group to outsource to and then you have to master managing those people, but that is the subject of another, future post.