Where is your line in the sand?  What will you definitely not negotiate away—
and what things will you or do you decide are not values to you? 

At the recently-completed Noel-Levitz Conference on Student Recruitment, Marketing and Retention I had the opportunity to hear Frank Bucaro (www.frankbucaro.com) speak about ethics.

He stressed the importance of maintaining a moral compass and knowing where our “line in the sand” is when it comes to making decisions. He referenced a concept that I have written about (Choices for College Success, 2^nd edition and Study Skills: Do I Really Need This Stuff, 3^rd edition): In order to draw that line in the sand accurately you must know what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable in your life. That is, you have to know what you value—and what you will not compromise.

Video recommendation for the week:

I have written about this in a previous blog post (Priority Management: Are You Doing the Right Things or Are You Just Doing Stuff?). At that time I said, “Look at your list of activities for a week. Are they negotiable or non-negotiable? Are you doing the right things or are you just doing stuff?”

From Piscitelli, CHOICES FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS, 2nd ed. (Pearson, 2011)

Bucaro’s use of the same terminology got me thinking again about the non-negotiables of life.  We all have six dimensions in our lives—and each dimension has its own set of negotiable and non-negotiables.

Homework for you

For each dimension below I have listed general examples of non-negotiable items. The last piece of each dimension asks for your answers as they relate to your life. Take a few minutes and begin the reflective process.  Where is your line in the sand?  What will you definitely not negotiate away—and what things will you or do you decide are not values to you? 

One final thought: Be mindful of what you SAY and what you DO. It’s one thing to SAY “I will not negotiate my health away.”  It’s another thing to live that mantra.

• Social.
  • Examples of non-negotiables.
    • Spending quality time with friends, family and/or colleagues.
    • Maintaining community connections.
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?
• Occupational.
  • Examples of non-negotiables.
    • Performing consistent quality work.
    • Mentoring colleagues in your area.
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?
• Spiritual.
  • Examples of non-negotiables
    • Setting aside quiet reflective time for connections to a higher being.
    • Taking time to quiet your mind (meditation).
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?
• Physical.
  • Examples of non-negotiables.
    • Maintaining a regular and (appropriate) challenging exercise routine.
    • Eating a healthy diet consistently.
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?
• Intellectual.
  • Examples of non-negotiables.
    • Feeding your mind a consistent diet of good literature.
    • Maintaining a consistent level of curiosity and life-long learning.
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?
• Emotional.
  • Examples of non-negotiables.
    • Applying healthy, legal, and ethical stress reducing strategies on a regular basis.
    • Limiting/eliminating time with energy vampires and haters.
  • What is YOUR specific example of a non-negotiable in this dimension of YOUR life?

Complete the above exercise on a regular basis.  If you are honest with yourself about your answers, you will have a touchstone by which to check your personal value system.

Enjoy your week—and H.T.R.B. as needed!

REGISTER NOW for my August 8, 2012 P.D.Q. Webinar “Study Skill Strategies: Success in the Classroom and Beyond!” Click here or paste this link into your web browser: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6856101855536438784

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Please pass it (and any of the archived posts on this site) along to friends and colleagues. You can also follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you get a chance, visit my Facebook page and join in–or start–a conversation (www.facebook.com/stevepiscitelli). Also, if you have suggestions for future posts, leave a comment. Have a wonderful week!