Lesson 8: Create Daily Non-Negotiables
Contents
Video
Create Daily Non-Negotiables For Yourself
There is an old saying: If you want to become what you've never been, you must do what you've never done.
This is super important, so let's hear that one more time, louder:
If you want to become what you've never been, you must do what you've never done.
If you want to work at a higher level, you must start living at a higher level. That means treating yourself and those around you differently. It means stop putting junk in your body. It means facing your own self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors.
It means designing intention into your daily life.
Non-Negotiables are a set of daily practices designed to nurture your own health, improve your personal resilience, and ensure that you are operating at your best - physically, mentally, and emotionally. By adhering to a daily set of healthy practices, you are committing to function at the top version of yourself.
When you start living this way, you will find that others around you - your family, your friends, your colleagues, your team - will take notice and feel inspired by your actions.
Categories of Non-Negotiables
Physical Health
Daily movement or exercise is essential for maintaining mental clarity and energy levels. Physical health is directly linked to mental sharpness and stamina, which leaders need to sustain long-term performance and effectively serve their teams.
Mental and Emotional Health
Practicing mindfulness daily helps manage stress and increase focus. Leaders who practice mindfulness are more emotionally resilient and capable of handling high-pressure situations with calm and clarity.
Continuous Learning
Growth is a never-ending process, and staying informed makes you a better leader. Continuous learning models growth for the team and keeps leaders adaptable in a fast-changing world. Maintaining brain pliability helps avoid getting set in old ways.
Relationships
Investing in personal or professional relationships is crucial for a balanced and fulfilling life. Building strong relationships fosters empathy and emotional intelligence, helping leaders cultivate authentic connections with their team and clients. Having a network of people around you can help you land opportunities and learn how other people do things.
Focus Time and High-Value Work
Deep, focused work drives progress in leadership and business roles. Focused work time increases efficiency, and delegating non-essential tasks enables leaders to concentrate on activities that align with long-term goals. If you are not managing your time in your personal life, you are probably not functioning as well as you can as a leader.
An Example
Here is how I manage my own Daily Non-Negotiables (DNNs). Every day, I commit to:
- Hydrate
- Workout
- Mindfulness (10 min)
- 1 LinkedIn post
- Connect with one person
Every week on Wednesday - purposely mid-week - I do a quick check-in with myself:
- Have you networked this week?
- Have you learned anything new?
- Are your goals serving you?
- Is your team moving the needle?
- Are you moving the needle?
- What is working?
- What needs adjustment?
I have similar higher-level reminders quarterly and yearly. But in order to actually put any of them into action, I decompose them into something that manifests in my day-to-day.
As you go through this course, I want you to establish an intentionally designed set of non-negotiables for yourself.