A to Z of Luck : T is for Toleration - busting

Here's another installment of my project to provide an antidote to the pessimism we find all around us, by exploring the ways that we can make our own luck.

This time: T is for Toleration busting

One of the first things I learned when I started my coach training with Jim Vuocolo and Coach U was the concept of Tolerations.

What’s a toleration? They are the small irritations, energy drainers, things we put up with large and small which irritate us. They may be so small that we barely notice them, or so big that we can’t help it.

The key that sticks in your lock, the bad habit, the dead plant in the driveway, the corrosive colleague, the negative news on TV.

We may train ourselves to put up with them, even “not really notice” them any more. But large or small, tolerations drain our energy, create discomfort, and cause us to work harder. Eliminate them and life sails more smoothly and efficiently.

The first step: make a list: Write down the tolerations that come to mind when you think of work, home, and all other aspects of your life. As you think of more items later, add them to your list. Nothing is too trivial.

Your list may include situations, your beliefs and behaviours, other people's behaviours, unmet needs, broken objects, incomplete projects, problems, lack of equipment, your car, etc. It may be that you have never set up your printer defaults correctly, so you have to constantly change the settings.

You may or may not choose to do anything about the tolerations on your list right now. However, just becoming aware of the things you are tolerating, will bring them to the forefront where you will naturally start handling, eliminating, fixing, and resolving them.

As you develop a habit of dealing with things as they arise, you’ll create fewer tolerations and feel more powerful and assertive about dealing with them.

Magic Bullets 2 : Operating Systems

I spoke this morning at the Christchurch SWAP group (it went well - and being around so many enthusiastic people is a great way to start the day.) Afterwards, Tony Watson (of All Business Matters) and I were talking about ideas and implementation.

The thing is, that we all know more than we can possibly use. As Jim Vuocolo pointed out getting more information, going on courses, seeking a Magic Bullet Moment can be a dilution of focus and, when all's said and done, your time can be better spent elsewhere.

Tony and I came up with a metaphor : sometimes life is like a computer. If you load extra programmes, cool widgets, and stuff, you just slow things down. Sometimes it's more important to use what you have.

That said, there is one book I'm encouraging people to read. It's by Cordelia Fine , a psychologist who is also a witty and entertaining writer. The title: "A mind of its own, how our brain distorts and deceives" gives a hint of its context, and you won't trust your perceptions quite so much afterwards!

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