I recently read UpLevel Now by Ursula Mentjes and it made me stop and think about a few things.
The book is divided into chapters that are major life categories like health, friendships, money, spaces, time, etc.
The author asks questions and gives examples of things you might be tolerating without really realizing it. She shares her experiences in each category with suggestions to help you “uplevel” or kick it up a notch.
At the end of each short chapter, she asks three questions.
- What are the top 3 things you are tolerating in this area?
- What are the top 3 things you would like to change about that area the most?
- What is one step you can take right now and when will you take it?
Change is hard but sometimes we don’t even recognize that we should or need to change something that is causing us stress simply because we don’t take the time to look at it. Is it fear of change, is it an old limiting belief that is no longer true or just a big “BUT” that gets in the way? ( I would do that but….).
Up-level according to the Free Dictionary is an idiom, meaning "to make progress or improve in a specific skill or area of one's life.” So, for instance, if you wanted to UpLevel your life you might consider ways to get healthier, have less stress, maybe you want to consider switching jobs, end a relationship that drains you, or just get organized enough to be able to find your keys every day. Whatever it is, you first need to figure out what is holding you back?
Maybe you think it will only happen that once, but then weeks or even days later, it happens again. Or the “It’ll go away” pain that doesn’t and you realize you have been tolerating it for 3 months! Or is there some fear from your past that keeps getting in the way? Sometimes it does take frustratingly long to finally realize a change is needed.
What are you tolerating that if you weren’t you would be happier, healthier, richer, better organized or more productive, or whatever it is for you?
If you have ADHD you may have learned early to adapt and change on a whim, you may not have taken the time to look at a problem long enough to think about changing it, instead you end up continuing to tolerate it and just accept it as the way it is.
Yes, ADHD can get in the way and make some things more difficult for you but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to change it. A big part of coaching is helping people figure out what is getting in the way of them leading the life they dream of. Then breaking it down into manageable parts so that they can come up with strategies, habits, routines and ideas to make it work for the way THEY think. Other people’s suggestions don’t necessarily work for the way you think, but you have to stop and really think about what will work for you.
Also, sometimes lower self-confidence can also play a role. Maybe you feel you don’t deserve to get rid of that problem once and for all – but you do. Read that again….YOU DO!
Three coaching questions:
- Think about what impact it would have on your life, if you were no longer tolerating “x”.
- What is it costing you to do nothing about it?
- Make just one small change at a time (when will you do it?) and watch what happens.
Have fun!
Enjoy the summer!
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