Hey, folks. I’m happy to report that I finally retired the old computer and joined the MacBook family. Now, I’m trying to figure out how I ever got anything done with a PC. Never going back! Let’s get into this week’s Monday Morning Move.

So…I’m surrendering. Waving the white flag. Calling it quits. Quitting what, you ask? Trying to get everything accomplished on my own. I’m your quintessential overworked twenty-sixer – always juggling too many projects…always behind on responding to emails and returning phone calls…always at least mildly tired. While I like to think I’m above average when it comes to productivity, I’m starting to consider how much more productive I could be if I stopped trying to do every little thing myself. So , I did what countless other business owners and corporations do this time of year – hired interns. Now, this isn’t my first go-round with this. I had an intern last summer as well, and I’ve worked with a personal assistant before. But both times felt so unnatural for me. See, I’m the kind of person who finds it exhausting to have to explain to others what I need them to do and how I want it done. I also suffer from that “nobody will do things exactly the way I would” paranoia. But, juggling a law practice, blog, and a few other passion projects has forced me to rethink my  “go it alone” philosophy.

Enter the intern duo – college-aged, eager to learn, and ready to start building a professional resume. They actually came on the scene last Monday…but my brain was too fried after getting them all set up to actually write about it. Upon their arrival, I handed them a carefully detailed manual that I spent half the Sunday before crafting. It included every possible administrative task I could think of. Fast forward to the end of their first week, and I was just as, if not more tired than I usually am by Friday. What went wrong?

Here’s  the issue – while I had passed off a bunch of menial duties, I didn’t turn over any of the tasks that require real thought. So in essence, my brain was still being forced into constant overdrive. This past weekend, I decided to regroup, and today I doled out projects that really mattered…that could affect my bottom line. Scary. But guess what – those projects got done. Where the results perfect? No…but they were far from bad. And For the first time in a long time, I left the office before 6:00 PM. Win.

Maybe I could get used to asking for help after all. I encourage my fellow twenty-sixers to do the same. I find that our resistance to doing so is often caused by 1. fear of our ideas, projects or businesses not being good enough to warrant anyone else’s contribution, or 2. a lack of organization that, in turn, prevents us from knowing how to articulate what it is that we want and need. Well, here are two lessons that I learned today

1. If you fully believe in yourself and your dream, it is not hard to get full dedication and buy-in from someone else; and

2. Asking for help will force you to make sense of your goals and get your ducks in a row.

So push past the fear. Get over your need to do it solo. And put a call out for whatever assistance you need to help catapult you to the next level.

*Happy Memorial Day, folks! Like many of you, I’m taking the day off. With that being said, check out last week’s MMM which I was unable to post (don’t ask)….

So, this week’s MMM turned into a all-morning affair. And the preparation took 15 months. Yes. FIF-TEEN. It was my own personal version of “putting a pot of rice on.” If you don’t know what I mean by that, check out my inaugural post for an in-depth description. In short, “putting a pot of rice on” involves putting in the work necessary to create the right opportunities for yourself. When I started my law firm, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted it to become. I knew my brand was meant to be a lot more than just “lawyer chick,” but unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d accomplish each step to get there. But, I did what I do best. I planned and planned. And planned. Somewhere along the way, I came to the harsh realization that I would need some help to make all this happen. I use the term “harsh realization” because, like most twenty-sixers, it is ridiculously hard for me to ask for help. This is where the multi-talented twenty-sixer can get a little hung up. We know how to do a lot of things. And if we don’t know how to do something, we often become hellbent on figuring it out. As much as we hate to admit it, collaboration can often feel like a burden more than a blessing. It’s nothing personal. We just prefer to go it alone. Now I am a firm believer that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to. But sometimes I’m so focused on the “I can” part, that I ignore those around me who are ready, willing and able to help me get to my desired outcome a lot more quickly, and with better results.

Well, this law practice was a game changer…and by game changer, I mean a “swift kick to the face” kind of reminder that even I, yes I – the type-A, slightly neurotic, big-dreaming overachiever who prides herself on doing everything on or ahead of schedule – could potentially crash and burn without the help of friends, family and colleagues. That reminder is how I came to begin working on this week’s MMM well over a year ago.  I knew I needed a certain “big break.” I can’t reveal what that big break is quite yet, but it seemed almost impossible at the time. Yet, I forged ahead. I “put a pot of rice on.” I described in that inaugural post, I took stock of every gift, idea, and opportunity within reach and tried to make it work for me. I strategized. I made calls and scheduled lunches to pick people’s brains…the whole nine. Almost every day, I would handle all of my regular responsibilities and turn my attention back to “Operation Big Break.” I would literally fall asleep just before dawn with my laptop somewhere close by. I was FOCUSED.

The months rolled on, and I could not seem to progress past the point of my own strategizing. Yet, I was undeterred. “These things take time,” I told myself. I kept hashing out my ideas. I was patient.  Patient and stubborn. You see, while I had tried to make every idea and opportunity work for me, I had left out a key component of the equation. I failed to consider every person that might be able to help. Ugh. It was one thing to dream up outlandish goals for myself and work on them privately. It was a completely different ballgame to share them with people who may not get it…or offer not-so-constructive criticism. Yes, I was meeting with people to get information…but I wasn’t asking any of them for help. I’m not even sure exactly when it happened, but eventually I decided to put my pride and fear of rejection aside. I made a pact with myself: “reach out to everyone who might be able to help you get this off the ground. Don’t make assumptions about what you think they will or will not do. If they are not interested, do NOT take it personally. Move on.” And this is exactly what I did.

The first few conversations didn’t really lead anywhere. But then…it happened. I set up a meeting with a business acquaintance of mine. I explained exactly what I had in mind. His response: “I think I know some people who can help you. Send me a detailed proposal.” Now, remember, this is something I had been working on for a YEAR…but because I never intended to ask for outside help, I didn’t exactly have it in proposal form. So, I cleared my schedule for the next few days and went to work turning all those ideas into what I thought was a meticulously crafted, well-written “pitch.” I sent it off to him. He liked it, but had a few critiques.  I made some changes, then a few more changes, and he passed it along. Another month or so passed, and I heard nothing. No big deal. I went on about my normal routine.

Just when I pretty much forgot about it, I got an urgent text from my acquaintance: “Please call me ASAP.” Assuming he had a legal problem, I reluctantly obliged. I couldn’t have been more wrong. “A friend of mine saw your proposal. He’d like to meet you this evening. Can you make it?” Long story short, five minutes into that unexpected dinner meeting, this person whom I had just met said, “I have to admit, I was in a rush…so, I only skimmed what you sent over. But I think it’s brilliant. I’m in, and so is a friend of mine. Can you stay and eat?” I was stunned. Over a year of preparation led to a complete stranger being sold on my ideas in a matter of minutes.

This morning, I met up with that other friend of his. She and I discussed my plans in further detail and hammered out a few logistics. Then, we lost track of time talking over cappuccino about things that had nothing to do with my career. The irony was not lost on me. After what felt like a very long year of slaving away solo, it all suddenly felt so easy  once I did the thing that I dreaded most – got others involved. At some point, I’ll be able to tell you more about this opportunity. But, in the meantime, make the most of your own resources, take stock of your own contact list, and put that put that pot of rice on.

Happy Monday, folks! First things first, for those regular readers who inquired – yes, I skipped a few posts last week. I had some tech difficulties, and instead of trying to sort through them in the middle of the week, I decided to wait until the weekend. But we’re back…and just in time for this week’s MMM.

Truth be told, I’m tired. Really tired. The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur. Like most people, spring is a busy time for me. Personal commitments seem to ramp up, my networking calendar is jam packed, and I can’t help but take advantage of the nice weather by hanging out with friends more often….all in addition to keeping up with the regular stuff, like, you know, work. Yesterday, my body decided that enough was enough. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by an 18-wheeler. Have you ever felt so exhausted, that it literally pains you to open your eyes? Yeah, that happened. But, there is no rest for the weary. This week, like those preceding it, is chock full of obligations.

This week’s MMM involves me hitting the road. Again. I’m making a quick trip to D.C. to celebrate a friend’s grad school graduation and marriage. Not one, but two reasons to party? I’m in! I’m eager to see my friend and her new hubby, but I will admit – the thought of the impending four-hour drive to the nation’s capital made me feel even more tired yesterday. So, why am I doing it? Well first and foremost, as I covered last week, human connection is important. Secondly, my newly espoused friend always, and I mean always, supports me. She has been front and center at many of my own celebrations, wielding her camera and grinning from ear to ear. She’s also been there for the not-so-great incidents, offering love and support.

Despite everything I just said, this week’s MMM isn’t really about the road trip or celebrations. It’s more so about dealing with the start of a new week when you’re still tired from the previous one. Twenty-Sixers are almost always over-extended. We’re hard workers, and we often take on much more than we should. Truth be told, we’ll likely always do more than the average person. Why? Because it takes above-average effort to be extraordinary. Not easy…but worth it in the end. But, exhaustion is real. At some point, we all have to make adjustments in our lives because of it. So, what do you do when your “tank” is on empty, but duty still calls?

1. Plan, plan, plan. I’m sure you know by now that I’m an advocate of proper planning. When you’re facing an overcrowded schedule, it is imperative that you spend some time on Sunday assessing what HAS to be done during the week. Take a look at all your obligations and do whatever you can before Monday to help make your week less frantic. Yesterday, I gave up a few hours to work. Wasn’t exactly fun, but it will keep me from having a meltdown by Wednesday.

2. Split the difference. Let’s face it – sometimes it’s simply impossible to get it all done. So, do what you have to, and find a happy medium on everything you simply want to do. For me, I wanted to spend the entire day with my friend, but I knew it would take a miracle and a learjet to do so. So, I’m skipping the graduation and attending a gathering after the fact. It isn’t ideal, but it’s the best I could do. That’s all normal most people really want anyway – our best.

3. Always add a dash of passion. No, I did not just skip over to left field. Ha. What I mean is, be intentional about making time for the things you are passionate about. It will keep you motivated and productive. If at all possible, fill your “lull” periods with things that excite you. If you find it difficult to wake up on time, or lose focus during the midweek slump, those are the perfect times to be attentive to your dreams. Schedule a coffee date before work with someone who might be able to help you get to the next level. Block off an hour on Wednesday for brainstorming. Before I leave D.C., I’ll have a couple of meetings  regarding this website. Doesn’t matter what you do, so long as it gets the adrenaline pumping and helps you press forward.

Well, the Interstate calls. Make it a great week!