COFFEE MUG THOUGHTS: JUST HOW RESPONSIBLE DO YOU HAVE TO BE?

My favorite coffee mug has this inscription, “if I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done!” That sentence defines many parts of my life. And, usually, that’s fine with me. But, sometimes, I just don’t want to be the one who’s expected to “do it.”
Are you the one who usually solves the problem, gets the job done? Are you usually the responsible one, while others wait for you to do it? Personal experience has taught me that it doesn’t always have to be that way.
You can be competent and in charge most of the time, but you can also decide when to let others shine, when to ask for help. The next time you realize that you’re feeling stressed and angry, after agreeing to do one more thing for someone else, you might want to try something different.

You could try saying, “I know I agreed to do this, but I realize I need some help.” Then sit back quietly and see what happens.

If the response isn’t what you’d wanted and needed, that’s ok. Just take a deep breath, then restate your needs – clearly and without anger. My experience is that when others are in the habit of expecting that you’ll “just do it,” it may take some time, patience, and clear communication before you’ve altered those expectations.

And if you can calmly stick it out until your message gets across, you may find that you’ve won the respect of your family, colleagues, friends – and that you are feeling less stressed and angry. If you’ve done your best, and people still aren’t paying attention, this might be a good time to reevaluate your relationships.