There are a few things in life I consider non-negotiable. Some may laugh or consider it trivial, but having non-negotiables has saved me on many occasions. Here are just a few of my many non-negotiables:

1. Family Time. Some people – even close friends – have actually balked when I’ve told them my family time is guarded. My husband and I rarely give it up – even for other really great things. We strongly believe in being together and nurturing our family in many different ways. If we don’t protect it, no one will. I know it has strengthened my family in numerous ways, and I don’t plan on changing this non-negotiable. Ever.

2. Physical Activity. I made a commitment to improve my health and well-being over a year ago. There is no way I could have gotten as far as I am today without scheduling daily physical activity and sticking with it. People ask me all the time, “How do you do it? How do you work, keep up with your family, and have time to exercise?” Simple. It’s non-negotiable. Physical activity helps me fulfill all those other duties and more. I make time for it, and I protect that time as much as possible.

3. No-Meeting Day. It is super easy for my days to be consumed with meetings upon meetings. In my previous role, I instituted a personal no-meeting day. It was every Tuesday. The day was blocked from all meetings, and I worked diligently keeping it free from commitments. That gave me the opportunity to actually work on the other things I needed to accomplish – you know, implementing all those meeting ideas and action items. Now that I have moved into a new role, I haven’t been able to implement a no-meeting day, but I can see it coming very, very soon.

I have a few more non-negotiables that help save my sanity. It is not important that you replicate my non-negotiables. It is, however, important for you to identify your work and life priorities and then do your best to guard them so they remain your priorities.

What current non-negotiables do you have in your life?