Our internal reward system drives us to do what we like to do for Use purpose-driven routines. What we need to do to fulfill our chosen purpose is however not always what we like to do.

That’s why it’s so important to plug our “purpose fulfilling activities” into routines; behaviors driven by habit, not by choice.

My morning routine sets me up to WIN according to my chosen purpose: making success simpler for my fellow business leaders.

To fulfill this purpose, I need to have enough mental, emotional and physical energy available. The problem with this is that I don’t like any of the healthy habits that secures the necessary energy!

If I choose to do only what I like every day, I will never end up where it is I’ve set out to go. And if I choose what to do only what I need every day, I’ll eventually run out of willpower.

So instead of having to choose between what I like and what I need every day, I’ve built the things I need to do to fulfill my chosen purpose into a simple morning routine: wake up when alarm tells me to, drop the kids off at school, do about 40 minutes of weightlifting at the gym, and chug down a protein shake as soon as I get home.

Use purpose-driven routines to set yourself up to WIN!

Whatever I then do during the rest of the day takes care of what I need to do in the short term to fulfill my chosen purpose, like running my company, taking care of clients and colleagues, and securing new opportunities.

Routines connected to purpose are powerful tools for helping us do things that will reward us over the long term. But routines not connected to purpose are powerful tools for keeping us doing things that give us a false sense of control and security.

Which routines are helping you to WIN in business and which routines are just keeping you busy?

• Is there a weekly meeting that doesn’t add the same value that it did when the routine of a weekly meeting was started?
• Do the agendas of your meetings serve protocol or purpose?
• Do you habitually answer emails in a way that serve only the “now” money (current operational imperatives) instead of also creating “new” money (future opportunities)?
• Do you accept every calendar invite just because it might be important, or do you view your time as your greatest asset?
• Do your staff get into the office on time and then spend an hour making coffee and chatting with colleagues?
• Are your managers so fixed on getting the job done that those in their charge are feeling disengaged and demotivated?

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