Most of us are familiar with the term “control freak”.
Based on the Cambridge Dictionary, a control freak is someone who is determined to make things happen in exactly the way they want and who tries to make other people do what they want.
That sounds exhausting.
I prefer “control fan”. In my mind, that is a person who prefers to be in control of the things that matter to them.
So, how does this help improve your work performance?
First, you are in touch with what matters. You know what your priorities are and you are able to reference them when new opportunities come along. You understand that not everything is urgent, important and crucial to your role.
Second, you try to understand what you can and can’t control. Then, you focus on what you can control and just monitor what you can’t.
Third, you care about something enough to want to control it. You are ready to invest effort into making it work.
Fourth, although you prefer to be in control, you know that it’s not always the best idea. This is either because someone is more skilled, needs a learning opportunity or needs the spotlight more than you do.
All of this ensures that you are working on the right things.
In my business, for example, being tax compliant is one of my top priorities.
I want to run an honest business, mainly because it's one of my core values, but also because stressing over “tax gymnastics” sounds incredibly stressful.
Also, it’s my privilege to be able to contribute to roads, education, public health and all the other awesome things our tax dollars give us.
Now, while I don’t set the tax requirements, I do have control over how well I meet them. My choice is to be at the 100% mark.
However, I know that this is not my “zone of genius” and that it’s much more effective to seek external assistance. This is why I work with a lovely accountant who is across the requirements and helps me stay compliant.
And this leaves me with the time, energy and mental space I need to focus on my client work, which is the purpose of my company.
Thanks for reading this post. I hope it was helpful.