Knowing and working with your non-negotiables

Jen Carrington on a podcast talked about what are your non-negotiables.  It struck me and made me question my non-negotiables.  What am I flexible on and what am I not willing to budge on. Will knowing my non-negotiables help me become a better blogger? Writer? Individual? Or even to clarity my journey?  I think anything that gives us a better insight into who we are is a good thing.  So what are my non-negotiables and how can I make them work for me?

Commitment is a non-negotiable for me. If I sign up for a course, start a project or say I will be there then it is given.  I enjoy trying new things from pottery, belly dancing, yoga and Nordic walking.  Some resonated with me and others didn’t, but the one common item in all of them was that once I signed up for my x many weeks I attended all the classes.  I might not sign up for a second term but I have given it a shot and can say yay or nay.  This has benefited me in blogging as early on I decided to do a weekly Angel Card series and no matter what once I started it was a done deal for me.

So how can I channel this non-negotiable to work for me?  Commitment is the key.  I have to make a commitment to write every Tuesday evening – treat it as a course.  Something I have committed to for a certain time period and there is no questions asked.

Being authentic is also a non-negotiable for me.  For as long as I can remember I have had a problem with people being phony.  I am okay if you are having a bad day and are cranky, just admit it and get through it.  Everyone has bad days – lack of sleep, grief or overwhelmed.  What is non-negotiable is a fake smile to my face and backbiting behind my back.

To be authentic I have to admit when I am tired and out of sorts.  Apologize for not being at my best and do the best job I can with the resources I currently have.

Living within my means is non-negotiable for me.  If I can’t afford it I don’t purchase it.  Period.  I have never been one for instant gratification. I want to feel safe and secure at the end of the day and not having high consumer debt does that for me.  There are sacrifices to be made and I am okay with that. I realize life is about choices and I can’t have it all.  What I can have is informed decisions and a life style that is authentically me.

So knowing my non-negotiables, how can I channel them into a more focused and happier me?  I don’t want to be rigid.  I do want to be comfortable in my own skin.  So I can work with my non-negotiables to build a more committed, authentic life instead of working against them and causing myself stress.

Consider your non-negotiables – are they positives or can you make them positive?  Can you work with them to create the life you want?  Tap into them to take you to the next level?  Why not write out your non-negotiables – the pros and cons and see where it takes you.  I know if I commit to something I can achieve it.  So consider your non-negotiables and making them work for you not against you.  We are on a journey so let’s use all the tools available.

You can always start now !