Needs, necessities, non-negotiables. These have come up a few times in my coaching calls with others. One woman realized she needed to take a “vacation” from a big writing project, but could read novels, something she loves doing and doesn’t always make time for. Another, who recently relocated to South Asia, decided to hire a weekend driver so she’d be able to buy groceries, go out to meet friends, and otherwise take care of herself. I challenged a third to go back to basics for the next two weeks, after she’d come up with a list of weekly needs.
Although it would seem these are things we can’t and won’t live without, many items on our own lists end up being tossed away when stress and busyness takes over. To get back in control, try doing a needs inventory! Last week I was feeling slightly unmoored, and so on Monday I came up with a list of my own weekly non-negotiables. I was inspired by that third woman and realized I needed to challenge myself. Here’s what I wrote down earlier this week:
Non-negotiables
Yoga, 4x/week
Home cooking, most meals, fruit/veg every meal
Journaling, before bed
Meditation, daily, currently before bed
Reading, 1 hr/day
Adventure, 4 hr/week block, something fun
Other self-care, ? (incl. coaching, freewriting, acupuncture, socializing)
Cleaning, daily, at least something
And, unless I’m on vacation
Blogging, 1 hr/week, including organizing Q&As
Email, 1 hr/weekday
Coach class homework, 1 hr/week
Business development, a few hours/week, need to figure out what exactly this means, what’s included
Business busywork (invoicing, recordkeeping, followup emails), 2 hr/week
Paid work, ?
This list is a work in progress! But so far (two days in), so good. I’m still working out where best to keep this list, so that I remember to check in and keep on track. Any suggestions? What’s on your needs inventory?