How Delegating Improves Gift Giving ⇪

Our aim at Athena is to help you achieve more by becoming an advanced delegator.

In each issue of our newsletter you’ll get unique delegation tips, including:

• Level Up → Satisficer Mindset

• Delegate This → Your “Favorite Things” Gift List

LEVEL UP

Satisficer Mindset

Some leaders struggle with delegation because they're stuck in the maximizer mindset. They believe every task needs to be done perfectly, exactly their way.

However, there is another approach — having a “satisficer“ mindset.

In the 1950s, economist Herbert Simon coined "satisficing" as a blend of "satisfy" and "suffice" to describe choosing good enough over perfect. Satisficers realize that perfectionism comes at a cost (typically stress or time). Instead, they recognize when that extra level of detail is needed and when good enough actually works fine.

Here’s how to implement this mindset:

1. Watch for perfectionist triggers → When you catch yourself making multiple small revisions or struggling to hit "send," ask "What's the actual cost of this not being perfect?" Usually, it's far lower than the cost of delay.

2. Set a concrete review limit → Give yourself one 30-minute review window and one revision round — no exceptions. This prevents the endless tweaking that kills productivity. When time's up, you ship and move on.

3. Build choice shortcuts → List only the vital requirements for any task or project and then create simple if/then rules like "If it meets 80% of must-haves, approve it" or "If the core message is clear, the formatting can wait." These predetermined rules bypass analysis paralysis.

A good satisficer evaluates each situation and determines the necessary level of quality or rigor based on the goals and stakes.

This discernment lets satisficers apply higher standards to critical tasks and more relaxed standards to lower-stakes tasks, but in both scenarios the task can now be delegated.

DELEGATE THIS

Your “Favorite Things” Gift List

Gift-giving gets so much easier when you have a curated list of items you personally love. They serve as thoughtful gifts for people who matter, but don't require ultra-personalized presents.

Think of this as your own version of Oprah's Favorite Things.

Why It Works

1. Personal Endorsement → You share items you genuinely value

2. Thoughtful Curation → Your favorites align with recipients' interests

3. Emotional Connection → Your personal stories add significance to the gift

This approach turns a simple gift into a meaningful gesture — without spending hours wracking your brain for the perfect thing for each person.

How to Surface Your Favorite Things

1) Look for top-of-mind favorites

• A+ favorites are easy to recall because they bring so much delight

• Leave voice notes to your assistant about things you've purchased, enjoyed, or use regularly

• Include experiences like hikes, workout classes, restaurants

Your assistant can then transcribe and categorize these notes, research pricing and availability, and then create a running gift list.

2) Run an environment scan

• Surface items that you love but may have forgotten by doing a room-by-room walkthrough, physically or mentally

• Review your typical day from start to finish, noting items you use and love

Your assistant can document your responses or research similar items for different recipients.

3) Discover using data

• Catch things you might have missed by having your assistant analyze your purchase history

• Common sources: Credit card statements, email receipts, Shopify vendor history, etc

With these 3 simple actions, your assistant can compile a list and present you with potential “favorite things.”

Not every gift needs to be fully personalized like you would do for loved ones. But employees, clients, extended family, teachers, and friends still deserve meaningful gestures from you — and pulling from your favorites list is an easy way to nurture those relationships.

Liked this issue? Let us know by voting in the poll below. And expect to receive more delegation tips to help you build leverage every few weeks.