What Grocery Delivery Taught Me About Job Design

The same principle that makes grocery delivery worth it can make your job sustainable again.

Our fridge died last week.

Everything spoiled. We had to toss almost all of it and start over.

And normally, I'd grit my teeth, grab a list, and make the Costco run myself. But I wasn't up for it, physically or mentally.

So I ordered groceries online and had them delivered.

Was it revolutionary? No. It was just practical.

And it reminded me how often we look past some of the practical changes we can make to improve our situation, especially at work.

That's the heart of job crafting... making small, intentional changes to how you work so your job fits you better.

No dramatic overhaul or giant career leap, just smarter design.

There are three main ways to do it: task, relational, and cognitive job crafting.

📋 Task Crafting (what you actually do)

This is the easiest place to start because it's tangible.

Think about the specific tasks that drain you versus the ones that energize you. Then see where you can shift your focus or process.

Examples:

• Swap or delegate one repetitive task that kills your energy.
• Automate reports, templates, or workflows you touch weekly.
• Batch meetings or admin tasks instead of scattering them through the day.
• Volunteer for projects that use your strengths instead of just filling gaps.

This is like using grocery delivery... you're still getting fed, but with less friction.

🤝 Relational Crafting (who you work with and how)

Sometimes (or let's be honest, a lot of the time) our burnout can come from people dynamics.

Relational crafting is about adjusting who you interact with, how often, and in what ways to make collaboration less draining and more productive.

Examples:

• Schedule regular touchpoints with colleagues who fuel your energy, not just the ones who demand it.
• Set communication boundaries like blocking Slack during focus hours or batching responses.
• Find a thought partner or accountability buddy instead of trying to solve everything solo.
• Reduce unnecessary status updates and replace them with shared dashboards or brief summaries.

This is the professional equivalent of upgrading from “I’ll carry all the grocery bags in one trip” to “Hey, can you grab a few of these?”

💭 Cognitive Crafting (how you think about your work)

This is the mental shift — redefining how you see your role so it feels more aligned and meaningful.

Examples:

• Reconnect with your “why.” Why does this work matter to you or to others?
• Look for impact beyond your to-do list. Whose life or workload are you improving?
• Reframe frustration as feedback. It shows you where things are misaligned, not where you’re failing.
• Give yourself credit for what’s sustainable, not just what’s heroic.

Cognitive crafting is what turns burnout into clarity. It’s how you build a sense of purpose even in tough seasons.

​

You don't always need a new job to make work feel a little better. Maybe you can try designing the one you already have to fit you again.

So this week, ask yourself: Where can I stop doing things the hardest way possible and start crafting something that supports me?

Take care,

Tara