Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck every day. Mark Zuckerberg wears gray t-shirts. Tim Cook wakes up at 4 AM and follows the exact same routine. Warren Buffett protects his calendar so fiercely that Bill Gates wrote admiringly about it.

These aren't quirks. They're systems designed to reduce decision fatigue and conserve mental energy for decisions that actually matter.

In this episode, I walk you through a proven framework to identify your Daily Non-Negotiables—the 3-4 specific actions that, if you did them without fail, would make success unavoidable.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• 
  
• Why the most successful CEOs follow strict daily routines (and it's not what you think)
• 
  
• 
  
• The three-part framework: Vision → Priorities → Non-Negotiables
• 
  
• 
  
• How to turn vague goals into specific, measurable daily actions
• 
  
• 
  
• Real examples of strong vs. weak Daily Non-Negotiables
• 
  
• 
  
• Why 40% of your life is already on autopilot (and how to make that work for you)
• 
  
• 
  
• How to build a backup plan so your habits actually stick
• 
  

THE FRAMEWORK:

Part 1: VISION - Who are you becoming? Identify the version of yourself one year from now at your absolute best.

Part 2: PRIORITIES - What three areas create the most leverage? Focus on the growth areas that move you toward your vision.

Part 3: NON-NEGOTIABLES - What's one specific daily action for each priority? Build habits that are specific, measurable, brief, repeatable, and valuable.

THIS IS A GUIDED EXERCISE:

I walk you through each step with pauses for you to think and write. By the end of this episode, you'll have your three Daily Non-Negotiables identified and ready to implement.

YOUR GOLDEN HOUR:

Protect your Daily Non-Negotiables. Block the time. Set up tracking. Build the system. Small actions, repeated consistently, compound into massive transformation.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• 
  
• Steve Jobs' wardrobe simplification strategy
• 
  
• 
  
• Mark Zuckerberg's decision-reduction approach
• 
  
• 
  
• Tim Cook's 4 AM routine
• 
  
• 
  
• Warren Buffett's time protection
• 
  
• 
  
• Jack Dorsey's themed days
• 
  
• 
  
• Duke University research on habitual behavior
• 
  
• 
  
• The average person's 35,000 daily decisions
• 
  

Whether you're running a $100K business or building toward $1M, this framework will help you engineer success through consistent daily action.

This is BusinessIsGood—practical business growth strategies for Canadian entrepreneurs who are ready to move beyond survival mode and build businesses that thrive.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/