The topic of tolerations seems to come up every once in a while with my clients. It also comes up in my own life.

Tolerations could more accurately be called “energy zappers.”

They are those situations, problems, or things that are really solvable, but that you let stay unattended.

Those tolerations bug you on occasion, and you think they are just a nuisance.

What happens when you ignore them?

Sure, you can put up with a few items, but most of us let the list grow. And, you start to compromise on those items.

You know, maybe that stack of old magazines on the floor is not really that bad.

The problem is that you start to desensitize yourself to all the good around you. And your energy gets zapped.

Admit your tolerations

So, how do you get control on those tolerations?

First, admit you do actually have some!

For starters, make a list of what you are tolerating. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with 20, perhaps more if you get started listing them. So set aside 15 minutes and start your list. You might even do this walking through your house or office.

It might be the dead plant that you think will suddenly grow shoots. It might be the clutter you live with. It might be your kids’ socks that never seem to leave the family room floor. It might be the stack of library books you have got in the car you are meaning to take back. It might be something your spouse always says that you that you live with rather than create waves. It might be the dishes in the sink.

Look at all areas of your life: your business, your home, your car, your environment, your habits and behavior, and the habits and behavior of those you interact with.Look for the benefit

Find the benefits

Next, ask yourself what you are getting from for each of these tolerations.

While it may seem odd, you have some benefit for not addressing the toleration.

You also have costs for each of the tolerations, so identify those.

Once you realize what the benefits and costs are, it becomes easier to take action.

Take action

Decide that you are ready to take action on the tolerations and start at the top of your list.

Which can you take care of right now? Aim for the big win and tackle it first.

At some point, it really will hit you that you do not want to tolerate any longer.

Just tackle one toleration each day.

And, watch what happens: you will build momentum towards eliminating the tolerations and you will find more energy.

It’s your turn!

What are you committed to no longer tolerating and when will you take action?

Tags: organization, Prioritize, tolerations

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 31st, 2019 at 9:15 am and is filed under Organization, Productivity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.