Summer of Self Care – Day 22

Accountability Day

 

We all have that unfinished project that needles at our thoughts whenever we think about it. Or that cluttered closet or bookcase we want to purge. These things that we have discussed in previous posts about tolerations or decluttering – maybe you couldn’t get to them yet and you need to schedule…

Accountability Day!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to host these monthly with a friend of mine who is an organizer, and it’s something I may re-start. But for today, let’s create a plan for you to have an Accountability Day right now when you need it, without any help from us. You Can Do It!

Start by identifying the project or area that needs focus. Then think about what you need to tackle it; tools, containers, supplies, chocolate. Decide how much time you have to work on this today and schedule a start time.

Then set the timer for an hour and get to work.

At the end of the hour, take a SHORT break (5 minutes or so) and check in with how it’s going and if you need anything else before you begin again. If no, start back up. If you need extra supplies, go and get them or send someone else after them. Then start back up.

You may need several accountability days to complete your project, so schedule those over the next four weeks or so.

If you need extra accountability besides the timer, find an accountability buddy and check in with him or her at the end of each hour. (Add another five or ten minutes for you to check in with each other). Encourage, support and remind each other to stick with it and get back in the game.

Getting those projects off your to-do list is going to make you feel so good! Creating an Accountability Day creates a mindful container for you to commit and complete.

Now off you go!!

Summer of Self Care – Day 3

The more you love yourself, the more energy you create. And the more energy you create, the less you tolerate!

Tolerations

One of the first lessons I learned when I began my coach training program was about tolerations – how we carry around this list of things that we need to attend to. And maybe we see evidence of these tolerations when we walk past, for instance, a wall that needs repainting, drive with a crack in our car windshield or receive a card from a friend or relative we haven’t seen or talked to in a while.

These tolerations subconsciously and consciously drain our energy, make us feel tense and sometimes even engage us in a conversation of self-blame and frustration. “Why can’t I just take the time to paint that floor?” Or “I will get to that soon or I will scream!!!” They block us from feeling good about what we have or bringing in new opportunities. If we have too much physical and mental clutter, we don’t have room to love ourselves and love the space we are in.

Don’t scream. But for today, start a list of tolerations. The first time I did this, there were over 100. I feel no shame in that. And I started busting them, one by one. And I learned not only to love the space I was in more, I felt better about myself and my ability to handle things. Removing tolerations increased my self-care, which also increased my self-love.

Now when the time comes, you can bust them in a few ways.

You can do it and cross it off (or schedule it in a way that commits you to a time frame).

You can pay someone else to do it

You can say, “I’m never going to do this” and give it away, throw it away, or begin accept it for what it is. Try to stop letting it bother you in whatever way you can make that happen.

Again, today, the goal is just to start a list. And if you’re feeling Feisty, you can bust a toleration and cross it off your list today. But don’t overwhelm yourself. And as you’re making the list, don’t freak out. Breathe and say – “Everything happens in the right time and for the right reason.”

Once they start coming off your list and they go away from your mind and sight, you’ll see your energy returning.

Now I am off to make my appointments with my Ophthalmologist and my Dentist.

 

(Need extra help? Find an accountability buddy who will hold you accountable to the time frame. Or if there’s more to this, ask me for a free exploratory coaching session and we will uncover what’s getting in the way.)