Time to Make the Donuts

Some days I feel like the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial where the donut maker gets up at the crack of dawn and recites, “It’s time to make the donuts.” This happens day in and day out. Until one day he’s so weary, he meets himself in the doorway and meets himself returning from work saying, “I made the donuts.”  

Time To Make The Donuts

As I face three weeks of continuous in-and-out travel and work, I am starting to feel the weariness of it all. As an entrepreneur who has worked solo for more than a decade, I’m reminded this week of something we all need to remember when these times in life happen. 

I need to remember that I’m not in this alone, nor are you. But I have to be willing to ask for help as do you. For me, Alex is here to help in the office. Don, the kids, and dear friends are all helping on the home front. It takes a few minutes of planning, but each of these folks are capable and waiting to help, but I have to ask.  

Help At Work And At Home

At work, that looks like a list of what Alex can do before I leave, and what she can do after I leave, to monitor the office and move work forward. At home, it looks like a responsibility list, a schedule of events, timelines and action items. With a little work up front, we can manage all of these fronts together, but it requires me to consciously concede my task list to others and to ask for help.   

So while it may be time to “make the donuts,” I won’t find myself at the door saying, “I made the donuts.” Instead I’ll find a network of colleagues, family and friends, all saying, “We made the donuts.” 

 Keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams. To buy her book or inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.