Stop Tolerating Mess!

“I need to fix my iPad.”

“I need to get a new phone.”

“I need to change my Internet service provider.”

These are the messages I had been telling myself for months but never did anything about them. Until….

I couldn’t use the phone anymore. The iPad screen became a hazard. The Wi-Fi messed up my recordings for an important video course.

The first time I dropped my iPad was at a veteran business seminar, and I got it repaired fairly quickly. But then my son dropped it and cracked it again, so I figured it’s not worth paying the funds to repair it so soon after the first episode. Months passed by, and we grew accustomed to the crack. The crack turned to cracks, and I began thinking and saying more and more, “I need to fix my iPad.”

Then a splinter came off. I got a little cut, and obviously, it became unsafe to be around our little boy. So I finally mustered up the courage to take it to a different repair shop and got it fixed for less than I paid the first time.

Problem solved! No more mess.

A similar thing happened with my phone. But it wasn’t as bothersome as the iPad since I don’t like being on the phone much, so I held out even longer than the iPad. But this past weekend I really got tired of turning that phone on and off and realized I didn’t like the carrier either.

Finally, just today, I went to a new carrier and the rep hooked me up with a newer phone, better Internet, faster speed, more storage, $50 for switching, $50 for my wife’s referral, and $10.00 discount on a second line (instead a separate account) plus $10 less off the monthly plan I choose (which is less than what I was paying with the previous carrier).

Why did I tolerate this for so long?

As for the home Internet service, my wife has had it with this provider. There’s always outage, and it seems like you have to plug it in and disconnect it 5-7 times to get it to stay on. Not good for the ten websites we run and not good when you’re in the middle of something and then…offline!

To make it worse, every time we call customer service, they go through the same routine:

Unplug the modem.

Wait 30 seconds.

Plug it in again.

“If that doesn’t work, unplug the cable also and try again.”

Why did we need to tolerate this mess when there are other local providers to choose from? Well, ____ company’s days are numbered.

I don’t know about you, but the same things happen in our lives, business, or ministry. We tend to tolerate mess when there are other healthy options to choose. Tolerating mess only makes your life worse and can also be frustrating for other people as well.

What mess are you tolerating right now?

Examine the key areas of your life and probe to see if there are situations that can be changed almost immediately if you just took some action. Here are a few ways to figure out if you’re tolerating mess and what to do about it.

1. In my physical health, what excuses have I been tolerating for why I haven’t lost weight, started exercising consistently, getting enough sleep, or eating more nutritious foods?

2. What negative emotions have I been tolerating lately that needs to stop ASAP? Have I become a critical, cynical, gossiping, unforgiving, or bitter person lately? Have I been excusing myself with the victim card, “that’s how they treat me” or “I can’t help it?”

3. Who are the toxic people in my life that I need to limit my interactions with or excuse from my life? Am I tolerating a hostile or disrespectful relationship that is clearly not in my best interest nor the other person’s?

4. Who on my team is a consistent headache or non-producer that I have been tolerating because I don’t want to ruffle any feathers? Who keeps interrupting me when I’m working on key tasks? Who keeps wasting my time with drawn-out meetings, pointless phone calls, or so-called ‘important’ messages?

5. Why do I tolerate losing money? Am I putting up with poor customer service from any particular business though I have other options to change if I wanted to? Am I tolerating a faulty product/device that is clearly frustrating me and others close to me? Am I paying for any service(s) that I’m clearly not using (which is a waste of money) but have not been disciplined enough to terminate that contract? Am I tolerating people not paying me on time for my products and services?

6. What problem have I been talking about that needs to be addressed but have been tolerating for too long now?

7. What ‘darling’ evil have I been holding on to and have not yet come clean with God? What secret vice am I practicing that I just won’t let go, even though my conscience bothers me each time I do it?

So what’s your game plan after reading this? How do you plan to deal with the broken things in your life? You don’t have to tolerate them anymore. You’ve been challenged and empowered to take action to stop tolerating mess. Go ahead. Do something now about that car; that belly; that friendship; that member; that house; that neighborhood; that job; that boss; that pain; that fear; that defeat; that lie; or that limiting mindset. You can do it!

If you need some practical, actionable steps to stop tolerating mess, check out my follow-up post, How to Stop Tolerating Mess in 7 Simple Steps. Share you comments and ideas below. Have a blessed day.