This urge to do it yourself is one that comes naturally—at least for some of us. Remember class projects in high school and college? Were you the Type A high achiever that jumped in when deadlines approached and “took over” to prevent a failing grade or substandard outcome? I played this role many times in college and look back on my behavior with a cringe.

Did we grouse about how busy we were? Maybe a little, but for the most part we just got after it. Our spouses were incredibly supportive and were involved in the business from the start—stuffing envelopes, talking to customers, and packing boxes of soft-cover books to be shipped to all corners of the globe.

As I look back, the work didn’t feel like work. We had entered a flow state.