This post is the third in a week-long heavy-hitting series called the Remarkablogger Manifesto. The post in the series are:
- What Do You Believe In?
- What Do You Stand For?
- What is Non-Negotiable?
- Why Do You Blog?
- What Will Your Legacy Be?
The inspiration for this series comes from changes I’m making in my life that are not separate from my work. See the first post, Remarkablogger Manifesto: What Do You Believe In? for more on why I’m doing this series.
What is Non-Negotiable?
We all make compromises or get drawn into things against our better judgment. Compromise too much or get in too deep, though, and you’ve lost your way. You will have also lost your time, because these things have a way of eating up all your time. You offered life an inch, but it took a mile instead.
Some things need to be non-negotiable. Think of it as the more personal version of taking a stand.
Here are some important things to be non-negotiable with. These are examples and they may not resonate with everyone (and they’re not my non-negotiable items, either):
- How much time you spend with your family every day
- Not drinking cheap beer
- Your favorite television show
- Getting your own posts out
- Your rates or prices
- Eating organic food
- Giving a percentage of your earnings to a worthy cause
- How much time you spend in volunteer activities
- Mobilizing for your party/candidate of choice during an election
- Compromising your integrity in business dealings
- Attending Sturgis or a blogging conference every year
Specifically for business and blogging:
- A comment policy
- A paid links policy
- A posting schedule
- A posting topic
- A level of post quality (this could conflict with your posting schedule, so it’s likely you choose one over the other at some point)
- Design elements
- Selling/monetizing methods
- Only working with clients that meet specific criteria
Here’s a specific example from my life: every September in Vermont is one of the most down-to-earth old-timey country fairs ever, the Tunbridge Word’s Fair. For the past couple years, my family and I have not gone, and each time we miss it, I get really pissed.
So I’ve decided that the Tunbridge Fair is non-negotiable. And even though I really didn’t have the time, we went anyway and I’m very glad we did. I feel like I can breathe more easily now that I got my Tunbridge fix. Stuff like that is one of the reasons why I live here in the first place, and to miss it is to miss the point of why I’m here and why I do what I do.
Knowing what’s non-negotiable in your life is empowering. It sets boundaries–not in a barricade sort of way, but in an energy channeling sort of way (look out, I’m gettin’ mystical on ya!). I feel refreshed and renewed, ready to tackle that mountain of work I have to do.
There can be unpleasant consequences to having non-negotiable elements in your life and work. Other people may not like your inflexibility about something that’s important to you. If they can’t respect you for that, well, that’s their problem. When something is non-negotiable, it is vital to your life, to your success, and to your sense of well-being (can beer be vital to your sense of well-being? I think so! 
).
What’s Non-Negotiable for You?
As with the previous two posts in this series, I believe that the only way you’re going to really know what’s non-negotiable for yourself is to write it down. Take the time to examine your life and see what’s important to your sense of well-being. Plan around that, and I think you’ll be happier. As this relates to blogging, you’ll certainly be a better blogger and reap the benefits of that in traffic and subscribers.
Here’s to your blogging success!
Michael Martine, Remarkablogger
Blog Marketing is what I blog about, Blog Consulting is what I do–How can I help you? Click here to find out.
Would love to read previous two posts, but links don’t work and they don’t show up in search. Thanks!
Hi Michael,
One time a friend and I were discussing her decision to marry and she said, “I knew what he stands for.” She knew it then and he still does now, so it must have been non-negotiable. Marvelous!
I suspect this series has been just as grounding for you as it has been your readers. Thanks for the thought-provocation and the reminder to get centered!
My biggest non-negotiable (other than the no cheap beer one) is the time I spend with my little boy. There’s no way to make that up later, or offset it. I have times that belong to him, full stop. Other needs and wants get stuffed in around the edges, which is not always convenient or enjoyable, but that’s just the way it is.
@Pam – that was when I accidentally published this post ahead of schedule! Oops! They should work now.
@Betsy – That’s a great story, and yes, doing the manifesto series has been an eye-opener for me. I can only hope that everyone else gets some value out of them, too.
@Sonia – That is wonderful. I find myself compromising on this too much, thinking I need to spend time working this or that and I tell myself I’m doing it for my family. But I don’t think it works that way in the long run. Non-negotiable family time would contribute more to overall success, but you can’t really see that when you’re in the middle of it.
This is cool that the “made you think” factor goes both ways. This is why blogs are so awesome.
Flexibility is critical. Therefore, I would say that the only non-negotialbe things in my life are:
1. That the raising of my children belongs to my husband and myself, not third-party
“advisors.”
2. The balance in our bank account at the end of each month is non-negotiable. That is what we have to spend – not more.
3. Though I used to believe that values, morals and ethics were non-negotiotiable, I have found, as I get older, that they are: as we experience more things in life, even such things as our inner beliefs can change as we grow. My values and ethics were somewhat different in college than they are today – the core beliefs are the same, for the most part, but they, too have room for growth – hence, they are negotiable.
Yeah, Michael, I hear you. For me I just started out with a certain set of time habits when I went back to work after he was born. Then over time that became more and more of an expectation.
Anyway, if you decide to get some habitual time in there for family, I think you will get a tremendous amount out of it.
(Small children are also good blog fodder, I’ve found. For some weird reason, everyone likes to read Great Truths as exemplified by goofy little kids.)
Gee, Michael, this one has tripped me up utterly.
“Nonviolence” is the best I can do, so far; I’ll reflect further…