Many have thought to themselves that asking for help is for the weak. In a society built on ideals of exceptionalism and individual achievement, asking for help can be a demoralizing admission of failure. Today, we’ll explore some of the societal triggers of the stigma to seeking a helping hand.

Nothing Happens In A Vacuum

From a certain level at every category you’ll see that overall, it’s actually a common occurrence for there to be a single most successful individual in a given field. That happens often through circumstance, luck, hard work, or some other combination of advantages. Eventually, hard work pays off. Even if you’re struggling at first, you might be the best to ever do it if you stay determined through the obstacles. Always learn from your mistakes, and never give up on yourself; eventually, you’ll get where you want to be.

Whether or not these efforts are directed appropriately usually ends up coming down to a select group around which some specific objective originates. One person can be very specific, or vague, in what it is that they want to do; adding perspectives stands to temper more radical points of view.

Sometimes Struggling Is Optional

When a goal is so big that it requires cooperation, the implication then, is that there’s bound to be a shared reward for shared effort. Either you give up on the objective altogether, or you find a way to persuade others to help you. It’s much easier to convince a person to do something that they enjoy and comes naturally to them than something they despise and to which they aren’t accustomed. Help is more likely if it’s helping them, too! In seeking help from someone else, your goals might shift a little.

Help can really be inspiring. Hitting a limitation along the way might be the best thing to happen on your journey. A snag can force you to re-evaluate your process and refine your efforts. Hurdles nudge you to ask for help, if that’s the only way forward with a sound idea. It can encourage you to streamline your workflow, or be more productive. Asking for help in execution may even give you a better perspective on the overall idea or goal.

How To Ask For Help In Email

Asking for help around the house can be difficult enough sometimes, even with people you live with. It can be a mystery figuring out how to ask for help at work. Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to the tools to help you overcome any obstacle-with a little help.

• Find the right source. You’re much more likely to get the right assistance if you ask the right person.
• Be specific about what you need. Have a good idea of what you’re asking from the person you’ve trusted to co-manage your project.
• Be respectful of their time. If a person agrees to help you with something, always try to be more active in achieving the goal than they are. You’re more likely to get a positive reaction when you’re putting forth solid effort, and more likely to get help in the future when you need it. Unless they tell you that they’ll take care of it, try to keep busy.
• Make sure you fully understand your role and obligations. This might be the only time this person is able to help you, so try to get the fullest perspective you can to mitigate holes in understanding later.
• Communicate, throughout whatever the process, and take notes if necessary. Nothing shows appreciation like eager absorption.
• Conspicuously show appreciation, whatever the outcome, and offer reciprocity. 

While it’s true that you have to do some things alone, a lot of things you don’t. Help can save you immeasurable time and effort while strengthening your relationships. Developing a strategy around how to ask for help at work from home can really make your professional life more bearable. Being comfortable asking for help in any aspect of life stands to imrpove the quality of that aspect.

Don’t be afraid to ask!