What Are Your Non-Negotiables?

Last weekend I attended a seminar on change. During her inspiring talk the presenter, Ariane de Bonvoison, author of The First 30 Days, mentioned something that has really stuck with me. She talked about what we often let fall by the wayside when our lives are in flux or our schedules are swamped—our health, and mostly our life-sustaining practices. What is it that gives you the energy to be your best self? Inspires you to make changes in your life? Allows you to feel connected to others?

Someone said to me the other day, "well if I add meditation to my life, that's another thing to put on my to-do list!" The idea of non-negotiables is that they are not a chore to be done, but rather what our bodies and minds need (and crave) to sustain us as we move through those never-ending to-do lists. I realized that one of mine is exercise, and by thinking of it in this way, it doesn't seem so grueling—it's easier to see how integral it is to my life in order for me to stay focused and successful.

The first step to adding these practices back into your life is a practical one: When can you make time for them? I've been getting up earlier to meditate and exercise before beginning work. Where can you place your non-negotiables so that they're a priority in your life? When you wake up in the morning ask yourself, how can I feed my body and soul today in order to bring my best self to the world?