You handed it off.
Said yes to getting support.
Let someone else take it.
And for a moment – it looked like it worked.
It wasn’t yours anymore.
Until it was.
Because it comes back. In small ways.
A question.
A reminder.
Something not finished.
Something not done the way you would’ve done it.
So you step in.
Just to fix it.
Just to close the loop.
Just to make sure it’s handled.
And without noticing – it’s yours again.
Not fully.
But enough that you’re still holding it.
Tracking it.
Thinking about it.
Carrying the responsibility of it being done.
So even though it’s “delegated” – nothing actually left your system.
It just changed form.
From doing – to overseeing.
From completing – to carrying.
So your plate doesn’t get lighter.
It just gets quieter.
Less visible.
But still yours.
And over time – that becomes normal.
Delegating without releasing.
Passing things off – without them fully landing somewhere else.
Because it’s not just about the task.
It’s the role you’ve been in.
The one who makes sure.
The one who catches.
The one who closes what’s left open.
So even when someone else is involved – you’re still the point it runs through.
And that’s the pattern.
Not that delegation isn’t happening.
That nothing is fully transferring – so you never actually stop holding it.
