My Personal Non-Negotiables
Each day we can lay a brick, and soon we build a wall.
There’s just certain things I can’t let myself get away with anymore.
It is not up for debate or discussion. I cannot let time go by without making some deeper commitments.
“Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.”
― Greg Anderson
The following are my non-negotiable personal commitments I work to implement daily.
The benefits of making resolutions like this are numerous—but briefly my intention is public accountability and personal awareness.
As I write and understand these needs I realize these actions are tied to my first non-negotiable habit and practice.
1.) Creative Output
This is a huge one for me and the reason I’m even delivering this blog post today. I just need this to be an automatic commitment to myself every single day no matter what. At least some words published, some video editing, photography, or other art. Overall there are so many creative projects I have visions for and skills I want to learn, build, and master that I need to be in my studio daily. I owe it to myself and the world.
2.) Family First
But, wait…this is number 2 on your list??
Yes, family first doesn’t have to represent the highest item on the list—but it is the first lens I use to make decisions. Let me explain that a bit more.
I have to practice daily Creative Output in order to put my family first. There is a pre-requisite that I am not letting days go by without growing as a creator across all media I am passionate about.
To provide for my family I need to be creating and expressing the unique value that I have accumulated in my lifetime. Putting my family first means that when I need to make a call on how to invest resources (time, energy, and attention), what projects to green-light, and how everything I’m doing is lining up to guide us to the beautiful future we deserve.
If what I am doing does not benefit my family first—then I need to refocus.
3.) Health
This is a huge one that many of us think we do a good job at—and we don’t. We kid ourselves all the time that health is a priority, and we are doing enough to think long term about our bodies, minds, and spirits.
Health as a non-negotiable is encompassing of the trilogy—Body, Mind, Spirit—and all the layers beneath.
I need daily focus on my health across all categories. This could arguably come number 1 on the list with little resistance.
In my mental triage, the reason health is number 3 on the list is that if I’m creating something, that puts my family first, I am willing to ‘sacrifice’ a reasonable amount of priority on myself.
But, this is a dangerous path to walk and can quickly become disastrous. This was recently brought to my attention and I know that I must make adjustments in order to have a health focus throughout my day and in regards to all my activities.
…
Making it work…
None of this is new to me. None of these desires have suddenly sprung up and began to dominate my focus. I have known what I needed to do for a long time—I just have not integrated it consistently.
That is why I am writing right now. To make sure that I am doing my creative work for my family first and in a way that helps me achieve spiritual, emotional, and therefore also, physical health.
Writing a post like this does not guarantee that I will be perfect, rather it is an attempt to harness action into making these non-negotiable personal commitments work every day.
Sometimes we all need to commit more to a few simple things in life that make all the difference.
“My uniqueness is non-negotiable.”
