Daily Routines: Key Takeaway
Willpower is finite and becomes depleted by constant decision-making. Lean routines don’t replace willpower—they protect and extend it by removing unnecessary decisions.
Combined with a clear North Star, guiding principles and a daily feedback system, routines help you use your time, energy and focus where they create the greatest return.
Daily, Weekly & Monthly Routines
These are the bare bones of the system I use. Please adapt them to suit your own life rather than copying them exactly.
My objective isn’t simply to become more disciplined. It’s about using my time, energy, and focus as effectively and efficiently as possible every day.
Decision fatigue is the silent drain. Every open decision becomes another withdrawal from the same limited account of willpower. Lean routines don’t replace willpower—they protect and extend it by closing many of those decisions in advance.
Instead of continually asking, “What should I do next?”, you’re simply following decisions you’ve already made.
Daily Routines
Morning
Every morning I ask myself one simple question:
What three tasks will I focus on today that, if I finish them, will both move me towards what’s important, and leave me feeling satisfied?
I’ve always found there’s something powerful about the number three.
By the time I sit down to work, the day already has shape. I’m not deciding what matters throughout the day. I’m simply executing decisions I’ve already made.
Evening
My evening routine is based on Marshall Goldsmith’s Daily Questions. Rather than asking whether I achieved perfect results, I ask whether I genuinely did my best. Each evening I score myself between 1 and 10.
Did I do my best to:
- Achieve the three tasks I set this morning?
- Follow my daily exercise, meditation, fun and eating routines?
- Significantly help today’s clients?
- Move the needle on my business today?
- Help others be happy and build positive relationships?
- Stay fully engaged?
- Identify three things I’m grateful for.
These questions aren’t there to make me feel guilty. They’re there to provide feedback. They help me notice drift while it’s still small enough to correct.
Weekly Routines
Each week I ask myself:
- Did I keep my morning and evening routines during the week?
- Did I review last week’s three key tasks?
- Have I identified the three key tasks for next week?
Daily routines keep me moving. Weekly routines help ensure I’m still moving in the right direction.
Monthly Routines
Each month I ask myself:
- Did I keep my weekly routines throughout the month?
- Did I review last month’s three key tasks?
- Have I identified the three key tasks for next month?
- Are those tasks still aligned with my North Star?
It’s easy to become busy without making meaningful progress. The daily serves the week. The week serves the month. The month keeps me aligned with my long-term direction.
Lean, Not Rigid
The purpose of these routines isn’t to create bureaucracy. It’s to create freedom.
Think about a great jazz musician. The freedom to improvise comes from first mastering the underlying structure. Good routines work in exactly the same way.
They remove unnecessary decisions, so your time, energy, and focus remain available for creative work, problem-solving, and helping other people.
If a routine starts feeling like a cage, it’s probably too heavy. Simplify it until it quietly supports your life.
Marshall Goldsmith Daily Questions in Practice (Build your own questions)
| Daily Question | Purpose |
| Did I follow my daily routines and healthy eating plan? | Supports my health and consistency. |
| Did I help others and build positive relationships? | Keeps me focused on serving others. |
| Was I fully engaged today? | Encourages presence and energy. |
| Did I move the needle on my business? | Ensures meaningful daily progress. |
| Did I find three things to be grateful for? | Maintains perspective and appreciation. |
The Question
Please post your answer in the YouTube comments.
What one routine or daily question has made the biggest positive difference to your life?
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Daily, Weekly & Monthly Routines: FAQs
Q: Why are daily routines important?
A: Daily routines reduce unnecessary decisions, helping you protect your time, energy and focus for the work that matters most.
Q: What is decision fatigue?
A: Decision fatigue is the gradual reduction in mental energy caused by making repeated decisions throughout the day. Lean routines reduce that load by making many decisions in advance.
Q: Why use Daily Questions?
A: Daily Questions provide a simple feedback loop. Instead of hoping you’re staying on track, they help you measure whether your daily actions align with your goals, principles and North Star.
Q: Why review your progress weekly and monthly?
A: Daily routines keep you moving. Weekly reviews help you make course corrections, while monthly reviews help ensure you’re still aligned with your long-term direction.
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