Get rid of tolerations and increase your energy levels
Imagine that each time you go through your hallway and flick the switch, the light fails to come on. And each times this happens, you think: “Damn, someday I’ll get around to changing that bulb.” As you’re always in a rush, this tedious task stays undone.
It doesn’t get done, because the steps required to accomplish this task are overwhelming. These steps include: 1) going to the basement to get the ladder, 2) climbing up it, 3) unscrewing the bulb, 4) reading the wattage on the bulb, 5) climbing back down, 6) putting the ladder away, 7) adding said bulb to the grocery store list, etc.
Annoying, hey?
Imagine you had 50 such annoying things in your home and work environments. Wouldn’t you really feel exhausted and overwhelmed?
Many of us can admit to having such annoying things that we put up with, and they are called tolerations.
Tolerations drain us. They keep us from becoming the best versions of ourselves.
One of the first exercises that we are taught in life coaching school is to identify and write down 5–10 tolerations in each of the following three categories:
· Home
· Work
· Relationships
This doesn’t mean we have to immediately know how to solve them. The “how” will appear with time. Just the act of writing them down is key.
Then, using the help of our coach, we are to tackle them, getting rid of them at the source. For example, if you’re always late paying your bills, it could mean setting up automatic payments to make future bill paying a breeze.
If you are unhappy in your neighborhood, write down the elements you would need in a living environment that would support you best. Then, identify some places having such elements, then go, and check and them out.
By eliminating your tolerations, you will have more energy to devote to the things that feed your energy and grow your business.
Examples of tolerations in each category include:
Your Home
1. The carpet in your living room needs cleaning
2. The electric kettle needs replacing
3. Closets are full and disorganized
4. Home is located in bad location
5. Paying a fee for something that you are not using
Your Relationships
1. You’re in a romantic relationship that is draining you of energy
2. Your kids are on electronics all the time
3. You don’t feel you have enough friends or time with friends
4. Your kids aren’t doing chores
5. You need to improve your communication with your spouse
Your Work
1. Not having a good space to work undisrupted
2. Not having enough clients
3. Not carving enough time and space to work on the creative side of your work
4. Feeling stressed out
5. Being in the wrong job
Just by identifying these tolerations, you are on your way. Every six months, I revisit my list, crossing off things I’ve accomplished and adding new ones.
For example, I once had the following tolerations in my work life:
1. Working at home is impossible sometimes… too many disturbances
2. Wifi doesn’t work everywhere in the house
3. Feeling like I need more education on corporate coaching
4. Stressed out, overwhelmed
5. Not having enough time to write
By installing a new router in my house, I made creating a home office in the back of the house possible. Now, I have a place where I can close the door and work without disturbances. With that solution, I resolved two tolerations at once. I enrolled in an advanced corporate coaching program that is contributing to my feeling more comfortable with my level of competency in that area. I am less stressed out and overwhelmed because I have gotten better at saying “no” to stuff and carving time to write. I also silence my phone and notifications. All of this has contributed to increased energy levels.
