For a long time, I knew that one of the reasons why sometimes I am driven to get things done is this: When I have a list of things that I know should be done, but for one reason or the other they are not happening, it makes me feel sick, tired or bogged down. Yes, weird you may be thinking, but wait till I finish unpacking this.
Let me give you a simple example: Sometimes when we are busy and our home becomes scattered – books in the wrong place, dust on the window, pile of laundry to be done, kitchen counter cluttered, etc. In those times, I discovered that even when I have time to rest and take a break from my busy schedule, sometimes I struggle to feel rested in my own space.
One day, it dawned on me that when my external environment is scattered, I feel more tired and stressed even after resting for a whole day or weekend! I shared this with David and we started becoming intentional with keeping our living spaces more “zen”, especially when we are wanting to feel relaxed and well-rested.
When I began developing my passion for “moving people forward” through coaching, I came across this word in the coaching industry that explains what I thought was just one of my idiosyncrasies.
Let me introduce you to my New Favourite Word – Toleration.
When you put up with unresolved things or issues, it makes you tired and drained of energy. It also clutters the mind. Tolerations deplete us of life force and undermine our ability to achieve our goals. They make us feel slow and stuck in life. Our joy is minimized and we operate below our fullest potential.
Here’s a brief example of some of the tolerations that can cause one to feel overwhelmed, drained or exhausted for no obvious reason:
- incomplete tasks
- unresolved relational tensions
- procrastination or delay
- clutter
- lack of boundaries
- indecision
- unhealthy dietary habits
- unclear projects and tasks at work
- unmet expectations in relationships
Do you have more to add to the list of tolerations?
When we stop putting up with little annoyances and things that bug us, we make room in our lives to feel great and to be on top of things.
In order to overcome tolerations, here are a few suggestions that can help in breaking through the clutter:
- Write down all the things that you feel overwhelmed by or need to be done.
- Sort them according to categories such as home, business, work, finances, personal, others etc.
- Select the ones that are of highest importance or urgency – Break those down to steps or things necessary for the task or issue to be resolved.
- Decide to either do it yourself or delegate.
- Set a deadline
- Review the process, you will immediately start feeling lighter and positive about moving forward.
So have you experienced Tolerations lately? If so, “What are you putting up with” or “What are you putting off?”
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Written by Grace Samson-Song
Grace has been curious about transitions from a very young age. She currently consults and assists people to get unstuck in the areas of life purpose and calling, career choices and personal development. She is the founder of The Maximize group and the Author of Crossing Intersections.
