CLEARING OUT THE TOLERATIONS

Clearing out the tolerations

Have you ever felt energized by clearing out the tolerations in your life? I never realized how the things we tolerate day-to-day could drain our energy and focus. Many years ago, I took an online course focused on “tolerations.” It was a great time for me to delve into the matter. I was working full-time as a Dean of Admission while spending my non-working hours on my dissertation and family responsibilities. A lot was going on in my life. Hence, removing anything that drained my energy was very valuable to me.

My tolerations are like, “whack a mole!”

You may not consider certain items or things in your life as tolerations. Take a moment and reflect on anything that is draining your energy – a full email inbox, social media, a disorganized closet, or a messy desk.

For me, at the moment, a toleration is a full email inbox. I’ve always struggled with a full inbox. It’s like “whack a mole.” You respond to 5 emails, file them, and bam, 6 additional emails pop up. The emails may be a response to the ones you just sent, or a new electronic message may arrive. Nonetheless, you feel frustrated by the amount of email correspondence that needs to be addressed. What about the notifications you sign up for when shopping online? I can waste quite a bit of time perusing the notifications from various sites.

How to tackle tolerations

The answer? You have a couple of options. For the favorite sale flyer emails, set up a system to automatically file them in the appropriate folder as they arrive. When you get time, you can search the folder and review the sale ads. Another option is to unsubscribe. I’ve unsubscribed to several online shops lately to save time and money. I realize the majority of my shopping is done on Amazon, so I’m not really missing out on the sales, and I’m spending much more time focusing on my “to-do” list.

Another toleration is my desk. I love my desk, and I spend a lot of time at my computer. Unfortunately, I tend to place anything and everything on my desk – blog research, committee notebooks, church calendar, aRLo’s immunization record, water bottle, pen and pencil holder – you name it, and it’s on my desk. Lately, I’ve made it a priority at the end of each day to file or put away anything I have placed on my desk haphazardly. This habit saves me time the following day because I am not digging through piles of files or becoming distracted by the stuff on my desk, such as the latest edition of Garden and Gun magazine. I love G & G magazines with attractive photo layouts and cool Southern articles, but there is a time and a place to flip through my favorite magazine, and the beginning of the day is not one of them.

It’s about making the time!

With these new practices in place, I am no longer fretting over silly things such as an unorganized desk or unanswered emails. As easy as it sounds, it’s the little things that can deplete our energy, so the next time you say, “I’ll get to it later.” Remember that later comes with a price. Spend a few minutes handling the tasks. Gain time, gain energy!

I have learned over the years that removing tolerances gives you more time to focus on what really matters. So, what tolerations can you remove from your life today to save you time and energy and make room for what truly matters?

It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NKJV