It’s amazing what we get used to. I went through security at the airport and was randomly selected for the “TSA pre” line. I didn’t have to take my baggie of liquids out, my computer stayed in my bag, my shoes stayed on my feet and I didn’t have to take my jacket off. It was amazingly civil. A welcome change.
Do you remember the movie Airplane? (Yeah, I know this dates me) It was a spoof horror movie. One scene had passengers going through airport security. As they went through a metal detector a screen displayed a naked image. It was a joke, now it’s commonplace.
We learn to tolerate irritation, especially when fear is driving it. It isn’t until the irritation is gone that we recognize how annoying it is.
We can talk about airport security all day, that’s not the point; this is about how tolerations affect your business.
Look around at what you’re doing. What do you do because of fear? What do you tolerate?
Do you tolerate projects that someone told you that you have to? Do you tolerate low profits because you’re afraid to go bigger? Do you make decisions that don’t feel right to you because you’re afraid you’ll fall behind or look like a fool?
I often see entrepreneurs tolerating clients. Do you take on clients that you know you are better off not working with? Clients that sap your time and energy and suck more from you than they give you in return. Do you take them on because you are afraid to say no to the income that they offer you, or maybe because you’re simply happy that someone wants to work with you?
It gets to the point where you accept these tolerations in your life and businesses as normal and it can even be scary to let them go. The truth is that when you stop tolerating, your life becomes so much easier. When you stop accepting tolerations, your business, and your bottom line, will improve.
What would your business look like if you stopped tolerating the projects that might technically be right for your business, but you know aren’t right for you?
What would your business look like if you stopped tolerating a “good enough” profit line?
What would your business look like if you stopped working with the clients who take more from you than they give you back?
When you stand up for yourself and stop tolerating, you open yourself up to embrace the things that make the most sense for you and your business will grow.
What are you tolerating in your business right now? What is it time to say enough to?