Non-Negotiables
Non-Negotiables
All of us have important parts of our life that we aren’t willing to compromise on. What they are and how you choose to prioritize them is different for everyone, but it’s important to have them and, in many cases, more of them than you would typically think.
In order to really break down and confront our Non-Negotiables it is important to have and chase an understanding of a “Why.” Your “Why” is the reason you are pursuing your career, craft, or life goals. Great whys are personal, somewhat vague, and provide a compass. The idea is to identify your purpose so that you can refocus your energy and time into reinforcing and developing your purpose. In this way, motivation is no longer needed. The question can become, “Do you have the discipline to pursue your ‘Why’ every day?” My “Why” is “to facilitate the transition of beautiful art from the fabric of the Universe into reality.” This can take shape in many forms. It can be the music I create, the art that I perform, the food I make, the teaching of my students, feats of athletics--anything as long as it is thoughtful, beautiful, and crafted.
Our Non-Negotiables are the pieces of our life that help us to pursue our “Why.” In the best cases they can be invigorating, tempering, or rejuvenating. Unfortunately Work seems to be a Non-Negotiable for many folks, and, while I’ll be the first to say that making sure you have incoming cash flow is important, I don't think this is helpful or sustainable. Folks shouldn’t be identified by their jobs. They are the human beings and interesting people who do those jobs. If work is how you are identified, how are you different from a robot? People don’t want to hire robots. They want to hire other interesting people. In this way working more is actually working less. How much could you get done if every session of work you put in was with your entire commitment?
As a result, your Non-Negotiables should be the things outside of work that keep you restored, fulfilled, and your inner fire burning. For me this takes a few forms including being able to spend time with friends and family, get a great amount of sleep, stretch every morning, work out regularly, watch soccer, and eat healthy, but in this season of my life where my incoming isn’t coming just from my musical career ensuring that I have time to write and play most days is incredibly high on my list of Non-Negotiables. I quit a job last week for those exact reasons. The extra money was great, but all of the extra hours, the profound lack of stamina at the end of the day, and the miniscule amount of practicing and writing time I had made the entire situation unsustainable and over a longer period would probably have impeded my development as a musician.
I think most folks could afford to think more about their Non-Negotiables. They allow folks to decompress adequately, feel more valued, purposeful, and restored thereby allowing them to pursue their work, craft, goals, and “Why” relentlessly. Setting healthy boundaries like these gives you freedom. You can eliminate things in your life that compromise your Non-Negotiables and explore others that compliment them or other interests in the spaces they create for you.
Many world class achievers and coaches have asked the rhetorical question “What would you sacrifice in order to succeed?” A more accurate version might be, “would you sacrifice your personal health and happiness to do well at work in the short term?” because it’s only with a healthy personal life that people reach their best, most efficient work sustainably. And if you’re one of those folks who accomplishes everything you set your mind to despite not having your Non-Negotiables set, imagine the Earth-shattering things you could accomplish if you did!