Yesterday, Brian and I had a discussion about anxiety and what causes it. Lately, I’ve been having some very vivid dreams about choices I’m making and how those choices will affect other areas of my life. I love to think about ripple effects, taking an idea as far down the road as I can to see how it may play out in the short-, medium-, and long-term. Of late, I’ve also been experimenting with working backwards, considering where I’d like to be and then working back to see what I should do now to get there.
I asked Brian for some other tools like the working backwards strategy that may help me with the current decisions on my plate. He suggested the idea of building a list of non-negotiables. I am a fan of pro-con lists, though the trouble with pro-con lists is that they are interminable. By contrast, a list of non-negotiables is finite and non-negotiables quickly help us get to our core values.
We can develop a list of non-negotiables for every area of our lives: career, relationships, where we live, our diet. And the genius of this type of list is that it prevents us from settling. There are certain things that are just unacceptable, and if we take each of the options before us and match it up against our non-negotiable list, we can more easily discern which options could work and which ones need to go to the trash.
I’m working away on my lists for different areas of my life. Here’s one for how I schedule my writing commitments:
1.) I must retain the rights to my work
2.) I receive credit for the work and am able to list my website’s URL at the beginning or end of the piece
3.) The piece must be about a topic that personally interests me
4.) The publication must broaden my reach to a new audience
That’s it. Now of course there are other things I’d like to have, though these 4 points are the must-haves. If an opportunity violates any of my non-negotiables, no matter how great the opportunity is, I know I will eventually be unhappy with it. Knowing our non-negotiables provides us with our greatest chance at happiness, ensures our authenticity, and presents the most efficient and fulfilling use of our time and effort. Who could argue with that?
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
Christa Avampato 