My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“Your body is used to these patterns, these rhythms, these rituals and recipes, right? And so, you get into these rhythms that become ruts.”
What It Means
Successful routines can become limiting when they prevent adaptation and growth, turning beneficial patterns into restrictive habits
Why It Matters
Explains how success can paradoxically create stagnation, and why intentional pattern disruption is necessary for continued growth
When It's True
When routines serve you rather than you serving them, when habits create predictable positive outcomes, when systems free mental energy for higher-level thinking
When It's Risky
When routines become so rigid they prevent necessary adaptation, when habits persist despite changing circumstances, when patterns become identity rather than tools
How to Apply
Regularly audit current routines to distinguish helpful patterns from limiting ruts
Intentionally introduce novel elements into successful systems
Question whether current patterns still serve current goals and context
Use novelty as a test of whether routines have become too rigid
Example Scenario
“A successful manager realizes their weekly team meeting format hasn't changed in two years and team engagement is declining. They introduce rotating meeting styles, locations, or formats to re-energize the team while maintaining the core communication function.”