What Are Your Non-Negotiables?
Boundaries and Habits That Empower Your Best Life
What if the key to your best life wasn’t about doing more but about protecting what truly matters to you?
Time and time again life shows me that the more authentic, more in alignment and the more I follow the path of what truly matters to me, the more joy, peace, and flow I have in my life.
You have probably experienced those moments in life when you really wanted to say “no” but the words “sure I’ll do that” came out of your mouth. Next up is the feelings of resentment and dread. Life is not meant to be lived like this. Life is meant to be joyful.
Today I wanted to talk about non-negotiables. Do you know what yours are?
What are Non-negotiables?
Essentially non-negotiables are the habits, boundaries, and values that you commit to prioritizing no matter what. And please remember, you are worthy of this! You should never have to compromise your values!
As a coach, I often find that people really don’t know what their values are or what truly matters most to them. This is your opportunity today to grab a pen and journal and dive into this!
Non-negotiables are like the compass for your life—they guide your actions and help you stay true to your values, even when the world feels chaotic. Are they easy to put in place…not so much LOL. It takes time and perseverance until they are truly non-negotiables. At first they are going to be simply habits that you work towards. The more you practice them the less negotiable they become.
How Do They Help You?
When you are really leaning into living a life where non-negotiable items are truly non-negotiable you will discover that they protect your energy, help you maintain focus, and you will have more joy, peace, and ease in life.
I have a friend that first demonstrated this concept to me over 25 years ago. I was visiting her in Florida and at 8:00pm she gracefully excused herself for the evening and went to her room. Her evening meditation and getting to bed at a certain time was a non-negotiable. What she found was the everything in her life was better because of this ritual/habit. As a twenty something year old I was thrown off a bit, as a 57 year old, I value and appreciate this more than ever and am grateful for the live example!
Maria’s Non-Negotiables!
Here are a few of the things that matter most to me so you can get a sense of what they might look like in your own life.
Daily Movement - Exercise isn’t just physical—it clears my mind and anchors my energy. It also helps with my lifelong goal of being a centenarian.
Healthy Nourishment (80/20 Rule) - I honour my body by choosing foods that fuel me most of the time, allowing room for enjoyment. (p.s. I love donuts!)
Respect in Relationships -I won’t stay in friendships or environments where I feel disrespected.
Guarding My Energy -I refuse to let others’ negativity influence my decisions or mindset. I also don’t stay in situations that drain me…I’m OK leaving a party early!
Trusting My Intuition -Following my intuition always leads me toward ease and clarity.
Mindfulness Practices - Meditation is my daily reminder to slow down and tune in.
Family Connection -My relationship with my daughter is a top priority, and I honour that daily.
Making it Happen
You might be saying to yourself…that looks great but my life isn’t like that and I have too many extenuating circumstances. This is not a sprint to see how fast you can get there but rather a marathon of life long habit changes.
I teach this concept over and over…one tiny step at a time will get you there faster!
First I would say to start by creating space in your life for non-negotiables (especially the habit type). This may require setting some boundaries or enforcing them more if you have started them.
Awareness is key and you will learn more and more to lean into your non-negotiables. When you do something you don’t want to….first see if you can get out of it. You will feel better! Yes, there may be some guilt attached but that will dissipate over time.
Last but not least, give yourself grace.
An Invitation to Discovering Your Non-negotiables?
Here are a few prompts to help you discover them!
What habits, values, or boundaries are essential to your well-being?
What activities or relationships consistently bring you joy and peace?
What drains your energy, and how can you protect yourself from it? (this is a big one!!)
What commitments feel deeply aligned with your vision for your life?
Living a life leaning into your non-negotiables is about living with intention!
Feel free to share your non-negotiables in the comments to inspire others!
Love & abundance,
Maria