Ask for help and watch your dreams multiply

Imagine your to-do list as a mountain peak you’re determined to climb. You can scramble alone, planting every foothold by sheer will, or you can build a team who hands you gear and scaffolding along the way. Yet, so often we hesitate. We feel we must do it solo, or risk appearing weak, unfit, or incapable. Every time we swallow our pride and ask for help, we begin to dismantle that myth.

Notice how your body stiffens at the thought of delegating a task. Your chest tightens—your very DNA wired you to survive by going it alone. But there’s a chemical shift when you accept assistance: stress hormones ease, and oxytocin—the bonding hormone—floods in, reminding you of community, mutual care, and shared success. You’re actually healthier and more effective when you let others use their strengths to bolster your own.

Picture a group of paddlers in a canoe. When they all dip their oars in sync, they shoot forward. If each tries solo strokes or refuses to pass the paddle, the boat stalls. Likewise, your life’s canoe requires coordinated strokes with others. The strength of your dream isn’t measured by your solo feat, but by the community you build around you.

Help doesn’t make you less—you’re still the author of your journey. It simply reminds you that great achievements are rarely pathless. When you lean into shared effort, you lighten your load, sharpen your focus, and discover new vistas you couldn’t reach alone.

List the three tasks eating your time and energy most. Then pick one person you trust and ask them directly: ‘Could you handle X so I can get to Y?’ Speak your need calmly and specifically. Finally, thank them with genuine acknowledgment—a coffee, a note, or your own offer of support. Each time you practice, you strengthen trust, deepen bonds, and free yourself to sprint toward your dreams.