You Need a Set of Nevers

As we go through life, we live by a certain set of principles.  For instance, most of us would live by the principle that we shouldn’t rape or murder.  It’s just one of those given things that no matter who you are, or what you believe in, you don’t do that sort of thing.  Some have stronger convictions; others are a little more lenient.

When you are in business, whether as a business owner or as an employee working for someone else, you need a set of principles as well.  I like to call these my Nevers.  They are things that I will never compromise on, and I will never prioritize work over them.

My Own Personal Nevers

Everyone will have a different list of what they will never give up.  But I would encourage you to make it a strict list.  That means when you create it, don’t compromise on it.  Now keep in mind that there will be times when you do have to work; times when you are up against a deadline.  You have to make certain sacrifices as a part of your career.  But for the vast majority, stick to your nevers.

I will never turn my back on God – My relationship with Jesus is more important than anything else; without my faith I wouldn’t have this career.  My business is actually God’s, and he lets me work in it.

I will never sacrifice sleep – Getting a good night’s rest is important.  I will never sacrifice sleep in the name of earning a buck.

I will never sacrifice relationships – Having friends to lean on and to trust is one of the things that keep us sane as human beings.  Don’t choose work over having a good time with your friends.

I will never ignore my family – Family comes before work.  Every single time.  That might mean that I don’t get to do something that I want to do later, but spending time with those you love is more important than that.

I will never give up my hobbies – I might have to put some of them off for a while.  I might not get to go fishing as much as I want.  I might have to minimize the number of hours I spend in my workshop.  But my hobbies won’t go away because I’m busy working.

I will never damage my health – This ties into the sleeping aspect.  If work starts to become such a burden that my health (mental or physical) is suffering, then work gets eliminated.

I will never ignore my happiness – A career is not worth being miserable.  If I find that I’m unhappy, work is the first thing I look at to see if it needs to be changed.

This list is by no means comprehensive.  Naturally things are added to the list too (nothing has been removed).  Keep in mind though that this doesn’t mean that you have free reign to do whatever (my hobbies could occupy every waking moment); career still is a priority.  But there are certain things that you should never give up.

 

It Stems from your Values

You’ve heard of your Mission, Vision, Values.  This is where your set of nevers comes from.  Your values are the items that you don’t waver on; they’re what you never compromise on in order to make a buck.

Are you compromising on your values?  Or have you developed your set of nevers?