Your Non-Negotiable: Why 1% of Your Day Matters
How many precious minutes do you actually give yourself each day?
Be honest. Not for your partner, not for your kids, not for your boss or your business but for you.
It’s a confronting question, because most of us are running on autopilot. We’re chasing deadlines, paying bills, putting out spot fires in business and life, and juggling family life. And in the middle of all that chaos, we forget the one thing that keeps it all going, ourselves.
1% of Your Day
Here’s the simple truth: you don’t need hours to look after yourself. You need 1%.
That’s 14 minutes and 24 seconds out of the 1,440 minutes you get every day. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? But the impact is enormous.
That 1% could be a walk, reading a chapter of a book, journaling, deep breathing, or even just sitting quietly with a cuppa. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, it matters that it’s yours.
The Challenge for Business Owners and Farmers
Now, I get it. If you’re a business owner or a farmer, this probably feels impossible. You’re wearing every hat, boss, worker, bookkeeper, mechanic, marketer, parent, partner, community member. The lines between work, family, and self blur until they’re almost invisible.
I’ve lived that life. I know how hard it is to find space for yourself when the farm or business is pulling you one way, the family another, and you’re already running on empty. But that’s exactly why a non-negotiable matters.
If you don’t carve out those 14 minutes for yourself, the business suffers, your family misses out on the best version of you, and ultimately you break down.
The Power of a Non-Negotiable
I call it your non-negotiable, a daily ritual you protect fiercely. Something you do not push aside, no matter how busy or stressed you feel.
Think of it like putting fuel in your car. You wouldn’t expect to drive 500 kilometres on an empty tank. Yet we do it to ourselves all the time, running on fumes and wondering why we break down.
Your non-negotiable is your fuel stop. It’s the foundation for your mental health toolbox. And the toolbox is what you reach for when life throws up stress, uncertainty, and struggle, which it always will.
What It Looks Like for Me
For me, some days it’s walking the dog. Some days it’s sitting quietly with a coffee before the day begins. Some days it’s just taking a breath and reminding myself: Woz, you’ve got to get on top of this put your oxygen mask on first.
It doesn’t always look perfect. Some days it’s messy. But that’s the point, it’s about consistency, not perfection.
Why It Matters
When we give ourselves that 1%, something shifts. We think clearer. We react slower. We’re more present for the people we love. Stress doesn’t vanish, but it feels less like a mountain and more like a hill we can climb.
And here’s the kicker, when you role model this for your family, your mates, or your workplace, you give others permission to do the same. Self care isn’t selfish, it’s contagious.
Your Challenge
So here’s my challenge to you:
Choose your non-negotiable.
Protect 1% of your day.
Make it a habit, not a hope.
Because at the end of the day, if you don’t give yourself those 14 minutes, who will?
Your wellbeing is your responsibility. Your non-negotiable is the key. And your toolbox is only as strong as the tools you put in it.