Building in the non-negotiables: grounding your day the simple way

The other day I was listening to a craft-related podcast—Simply Write with Polly Campbell—which covered the topic of time management for writers, although I believe the methods highlighted can be applied to any vocation. One thing she discussed was the non-negotiables she builds into each day, which triggered a review of how I manage my own time. What I discovered is that even when I need to tweak my non-negotiables due to unforeseen circumstances, by starting my day with coffee, Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” (e.g., stream-of-consciousness journaling—whether three pages or 5-10 minutes), and Bible reading and prayer, I ground myself once my feet hit the floor. And whether I’m at home or vacationing, this practice affords me a small measure of control. Then, after I’ve addressed the non-negotiables, I focus on the “important vs. urgent” tasks. If you’d like to learn more about these, check out Dr. Ben Hardy’s article that reviews the difference between important and urgent activities: https://medium.com/thrive-global/this-morning-routine-will-make-you-a-millionaire-f2309d8005aa

What are your daily non-negotiables?

Photo by: Debby Hudson on Unsplash