In a new book, a habit coach offers tips on how to manage time effectively without burning out

Here’s a fun fact: Sumer in Mesopotamia is the first place we see the economic principle of division of labour recorded in history. This is a key turning point in the history of humankind.

Division of labour is one of the most important concepts for our society to exist. Without it, we would have perished before reaching the age of cave men.

The idea is that each person in a community plays a specific role. Each person does something different and vital to the functioning of the society. A farmer grows the crops, an engineer designs the buildings, a plumber fixes the water supply – you get the drift, right?

In hunter-and-gatherer societies, the division of labour existed based on gender. The women would gather berries and roots, and take care of the children. The men would hunt and build huts. Within these, there would be specialisations as well. For instance, one member of the tribe would be responsible for the drums and the music on a hunt.

The Dutch were once the most powerful people in the world. The key advantage they had over other countries was with regard to shipbuilding. Other countries did not have specialised roles in the ship-building process; the builders would do anything that was needed. The Dutch shipbuilders had very specialised roles. One person specialised in the sail and hence developed his own unique abilities and techniques. Thus they were able to advance very quickly.

The idea of division of labour is a very powerful one in the corporate world. Which is why we have so many roles and hierarchies. If we work in companies, we are automatically a part of this division of labour.

Where we fail to understand this concept is in our personal lives. We do not realise that we can use the principle of the division of labour to make our lives better. Instead, we try and do everything ourselves. We become the Jack of all trades. This leads to failure. I once worked with an entrepreneur who was running a very successful start-up. She insisted on running the business, cleaning the house, washing and ironing the clothes, cooking the meals and doing everything herself. She had a grown-up son and a husband. This poor woman was so burnt out. She was constantly trying to juggle everything and then when it did not work out, she felt like a failure.

Her health – both physical and mental – took a toll.

As her habit coach, my first goal was to explain to her that she does not need to behave like a superwoman and do everything herself. That it is okay for her to ask for help and divide up all the tasks that need to be done. Her daily habits were restricting her growth and potential.

I made her list all the tasks she did in a day. Then next to each task, I made her put a mark. “C” on tasks that were her core competencies and ones only she could do. “E” on tasks she enjoyed doing. “O” on tasks that could be outsourced. She soon realised that 75 per cent of the list could be outsourced and that she did not need to be doing those things.

She asked her husband to take care of the home accounting, which he happily did. She asked her son to help with the laundry, which he grudgingly did. She enjoyed cooking so I let her keep that task. Soon she hired an Executive Assistant to help her with the office tasks.

And as soon as she divided up all these tasks her life became so much easier. She was no longer burnt out. She was better at her work and could grow the business. But what she really thanked me for was her family life. She used to believe that doing all the home tasks would make her a better mother and wife. However, in the new system, she had more time and energy to spend with the family and this improved her relationship with them tremendously.

This is the power of division of labour in our personal lives. We need to use this principle to have a more fulfilling life. Let others handle things that are not in your scope of expertise. Focus on the things you are good at or enjoy doing. Hire help if you need to. Most of the time the value you get from hiring someone is far more than the cost of hiring them.

So your super simple habit starts by making a list of all the things you are doing every day. Next to each item, put a “C” for core competencies, an “O” for outsourcing and an “E” for the things you enjoy.

Continue to do the C and E activities and outsource all the Os.

Remember you are the CEO of your life so act like one!

Excerpted with permission from Small Actions, Big Results: 31 Habits for a Supercharged Life, Ashdin Doctor, Westland.