What are you Tolerating?
Posted on January 04, 2017 by Shawna Corden, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Identify the items or situations that are draining your energy and make a plan to address them. Watch your energy and motivation grow.
What are you Tolerating?
Welcome back to the New Year everyone! I’m sure you have your own version of resolutions that you’re aiming for this year. I love failing forward. Don’t be hard on yourself at your first sign of non-performance. Just get back on that wagon- and be better than you were yesterday!
I’m eager to share with you all a concept in coaching we call Tolerations. A toleration is anything that gets you down, drains your energy or is something you’re simply putting up with.
This can be anything big or small – a co-worker who steals credit for your ideas, or that your front door isn’t inviting.
Side note: A big one for a lot of people is a lack of money. In fact, it’s often so big that it’s something we call a pivotal toleration- meaning if you solve this challenge it solves a whole bunch of other challenges- like a string of dominos. If you have this challenge, I’m going to be starting blog series called, $100/day – so be sure to follow.
When I run into clients who are ‘stuck’ – not making progress, don’t have energy, have a lack of momentum in their lives- this is the homework I assign. (my clients always get to say ‘yes, no, or let me negotiate…)
Let’s get started in solving some of your own tolerations. Pick a defined space- say your office cubicle or your bedroom at home. If you had time, money, space etc. What would you change about that space? Some areas that frequently come up in the office:
No living plants
Poor lighting
Buzzing of machines
Co-workers with annoying habits (smelly food, gossiping, looking over your shoulder)
Everything is urgent
Air/Heat is opposite of what I need
No windows
Noise & Distractions
People imposing on your space
Impossible deadlines
Unrealistic expectations
Encroaching hours
Commuting an hour, a day, to talk on the phone!
Feel free to add your own. Consider this list and those you’ve added. What would it do for your environment to improve just a few of these items? It might mean asking for help, purchasing a plant, buying some noise cancelling headphones, or asking people to eat in the breakroom. (or buying a bottle of febreeze )
Pick one item to tackle this week- hypothesize on what this improvement will do for you- measure the result. Did it support you as you had hoped? If so, choose another. If not, why not? Is it perhaps your complaint is not the true source of this drain? Dig deeper.
In one of my classes I teach- we go through a list of 200+ possible tolerations- I encourage my students to edit these lists so that they truly reflect them and then we go on a “Zapping” mission. Students share their wins and it creates even more energy and momentum to pursue more.
What was a toleration from 2016 you are willing to Zap? Have fun with this- recruit others to join you on the challenge.
Have a great week- Happy Leading!
