I was going through some old articles that I wrote for the newsletter I was sending out years ago when I was doing more Life Coaching. The article below is kind of funny, but to the point about the cost of putting up with things that don’t serve us. Hope you enjoy and can find some things you can work on.

Why gravy????

I have really bad “carpet-karma.” There is a little girl named Kylie who will be able to go to Yale if she wants to because her carpet-cleaning dad is making so much $$ off of my carpet messes. We should really just put him on retainer. It used to be the two little boys who trashed the very light colored carpet. Now it’s the crazy dog. He’s five year old lab-dane mix, and neurotic as hell. He’s also not the “brightest bulb in the box” if you will, but he’s wonderful with the kids and really a great dog. It only took Colby about two years of living with us to learn that he could just stick his long snout into the garbage and get his fill of goodies.

This article isn’t really about my goofy dog or stained carpet, it’s about a coaching concept known as “tolerations.” This defines all the things in your home, Business, life, relationships and other areas that you tolerate. These little suckers drain your energy and keep you stuck.

After two years the goofball dog found the garbage. We kept it in one of the under the counter cabinets that had a baby lock on it from the previous owners of the home. You know, one of those little latch numbers. Since it was at least a decade old, it no longer latched. The garbage can lid had broken and had somehow gone missing, so dear sweet Colby found the way to quite an assortment of non-kibble goodies. Here’s where I demonstrate living with a huge pain-in-the-ass toleration.

For some reason Colby decided that he needed to eat his newly caught garbage in the dining room. (Guess he was attempting to be more civilized!) So he would drag all the food from the kitchen to the CARPETED dining room. And, wouldn’t you know…there was always gravy or ketchup involved! It was a vicious cycle. I’d get the carpet cleaned, and he’d smear gravy on it. There were even times that the carpet was still wet from getting cleaned earlier in the day, and Mr. “big-hunter” dog would find the remains of the plate of fries and ketchup the kids had had. Of course he chose to enjoy this in his dining room! I’d get nuts, and he’d keep breaking into the garbage until one magical day…I got rid of the toleration and got a new garbage can with a lid!!! WooHoo. It only took me months and months…and I called the dog “not the brightest bulb.” But that’s what tolerations do…you get so used to living with the annoyances and inconveniences, that you forget that there is light at the end of the freshly cleaned carpet!!!

It’s such a silly story, but we all have loads of this stuff we deal with. You could spend hours and hours going from room to room in your home and find all the little things that bug you, but lets look at your business. Where are you leaking energy? Here are a few things my clients have struggled with:

Clutter
Clients who are behind in paying
Technology that isn’t working properly
Assistants or employees not doing a good enough job
Working with Clients that aren’t a good fit

Well, this stuff drains your energy.

So often we overlook these little things but once you take care of them, you will notice an immediate difference. It’s like trying to listen to beautiful music and trying NOT to listen to the background noise of the TV in your kids’ room. You can’t fully enjoy where you are at because your “psychic energy” is tied up with tolerating the interference. Tolerations take up “room” in your head. As you walk through your house, notice how your attention is drawn to the stuff that is undone, broken, old, or just plain ugly! As you think about your business, pay attention to the nagging voices in your head of all the things that cause you stress. I want you to be “friction free” in that you can be in your home, business, relationships, and life without this stuff tugging at you.

Usually this concept both excites people and overwhelms them all at once. I ask my clients to do through each room of their house, their cars, their closets, and review relationships. The next task is to come up with lists of things to be corrected. Some are tiny and easy to do, while others will either take much work, much more time, or a bit more $$. After you have taken on your home, you start on your business tolerations.

So, where are you going to start? I bet as you read this article you can think of at least 10 things right off the bat. Here’s your assignment. Make the list, and commit to doing at least five things this week. Keep plugging away until you can feel the difference. You can also prioritize what you’ll do based on finishing a space or the ease or cost of the work that needs to be done. You can do it!!! And, you’ll be amazing at how much more energy you have and how much more productive you’ll feel!