I’m a big fan of nonnegotiables. But at the end of all the talking, these three should be clearest to us. That’s what life coach Pia Acevedo taught us at the Every Girl Can conference last Saturday and it really stood out to me. This post is all about getting clear and intentional with my nonnegotiables.

Who I am is Apple, a friend, a writer and a Moonchild. I’m inspired by kindness, intelligence, creativity, and hard work of people. I’m improved by continuous learning, trying, and powering through the hard days.

But besides that, here are a few other things that are non-negotiable to me:

1. My friends or support system. Back in college, I had a small exercise whenever I got depressed or anxious: I would repeatedly write down names of people I am not allowed to lose. I haven’t rewritten the list lately. But in the back of my head, I know who these people are.

2. Writing. I’ve been writing since I could write, and I’ve called myself a writer since the fifth grade after a silly classroom essay. It’s been a huge part of my personality and my brand, something that people have always known me for. I simply cannot imagine an authentic life where I am not, even in the smallest way, a writer.

3. Creativity, healing, and personal development. This is the subheadline of my blog because this is what I write about and what I try to promote in my work. Creativity stems from my passion for art and writing; healing takes root in my struggles and advocacy in depression and mental health, as well as my adventures in spirituality; and personal development is my foray into growth through goal-setting, getting organized, and being organized.

4. My advocacies. As I mentioned, depression and mental health awareness and care are my advocacies. Besides this, I’m also an advocate of education and empowerment of the youth, especially for young girls. This is something I’m still working on building into my lifestyle, but I’m setting the intention now to never lose sight of these advocacies no matter where I go in life.

5. My values. Honesty, kindness, intelligence, and creativity are values I try to hold in every given situation. I’m still working on including diligence and consistency, but in the long run, I want to be the kind of person that has those in her character sketch.

So there, that’s the gist of my nonnegotiables as of today. I like to keep my list general and rather vague because I want them to be things I carry with me in every situation throughout the day. Once I know my nonnegos, I have a better grasp on the decisions and next steps I need to take.

What are some of yours?