Stop Drifting, Start Thriving: Habits That Align With Your Purpose

I remember struggling to understand my class notes in high school.

It was a nightmare!

Like most students, my biggest challenge was mathematics. I attended every class and practiced by redoing exercises, yet I still struggled with assignments.

Surprisingly, it was the complete opposite in my early grades. I was a straight-A student, often topping my class. So, what happened?!

Fortunately for me, I knew about the internet, where I could find potential solutions to my struggles.

My first searches were, of course, about "how to learn mathematics" or "how to understand mathematics."

I started reading articles and watching tons of YouTube videos. I was in "research mode."

I stumbled upon videos on "how to remember things," "how the brain works," and related topics.

That’s when many things clicked. I would even say this was the beginning of my productivity journey.

After binge-watching those videos, I realized that in my early grades, I had been cramming everything without truly understanding it (which meant I had a pretty good memory, though!).

Now, in higher grades, where a solid understanding of the material was required to pass exams, cramming no longer worked. So, I had to rewire my brain.

Blog articles and YouTube became my best friends. I learned how to study by understanding the brain and using effective techniques.

Though I didn’t fully grasp everything, what I learned gave me enough brainpower to get into college, and that’s where all the pieces came together.

I was back in the game—acing every test and exploring other interests, including business. All of this paved the way for who I am today—a productivity junkie mastering the art of modern entrepreneurship.

Looking back, knowing what I know today, I can pinpoint the things that had the most impact and even what could have accelerated my progress.

These were mainly having a sense of purpose, clear goals, and habits designed around them.

That’s what I want to share with you today in the most actionable way possible.

The next sections will focus on building meaningful habits—ones that align with your values, goals, and purpose.

These habits helped me regain control and create a path toward a great life.

Whether you’re a student, an entrepreneur, or both, this framework will help you thrive.

With that said, let's dive in.

The Purpose Gap: Why Traditional Habits Aren’t Enough

Many people focus on building generic productivity habits (e.g., waking up early, time management) without a clear understanding of why they’re doing them.

If that’s all you do while hoping to achieve your wildest dreams, your chances of success are slim.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying these habits aren’t important. The problem is they will hardly take you far unless they are tied to something deeper—a purpose.

Let’s take my school struggles as an example.

I crammed course material for exams. I did well—earning A’s even—but forgot the lessons afterward.

I had no real reason to study them properly. Even though I already had dreams of becoming a doctor, there was no clear connection between that goal and good study habits.

Everything changed later in college when I became aware of how my brain worked and how it impacted my behavior—and vice versa.

By then, I had different career aspirations. Since I couldn’t get into med school, I switched my interest to robotics.

My learning habits were now structured in a way that aligned with my goals.

Even my entrepreneurial endeavors reflected that shift.

There was now a connection—a purpose behind my habits.

The goal of this letter is to present a framework for identifying your purpose and designing habits that directly support it.

Let’s call it the Purpose-Driven Habit System.

The Purpose-Driven Habit System: A 4-Step Guide

This isn’t just about building better habits; it’s about building a better you.

Here’s how to design a life of purpose, one habit at a time.

1. Uncover Your Core Values: Inventing Your Purpose

Author James Clear defines a habit as a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.

He also states, “The process of habit formation begins with trial and error.”

This ties directly into what’s required to find your purpose and set your core values—you experiment with multiple activities until you naturally gravitate toward one (or more).

The best approach is to blend different interests. You may love something but not be well-suited for it.

That’s why instead of finding your purpose, I’d say you are inventing your purpose.

If you don’t yet have something you can call your purpose, we’ll explore this in a future letter.

For now, do this to get started:

• There are countless problems in the world—from minor inconveniences to survival-threatening issues. Choose one—just one!

• Of course, not every problem will suit your unique abilities. Experiment with a few as quickly as possible until you feel a natural pull toward a problem you believe you can help solve. Perhaps that will be your purpose.

• Now, don’t rush into it. Introspect.

• You have personal problems too.

• Which of your own problems do you need to solve first to pursue your purpose more effectively?

Then follow these steps from James Clear:

• Decide what you want to achieve.

• Try different ways of achieving it until you find what works for you.

• Do more of what works. Do less of what doesn’t.

• Keep going until it stops working.

• Repeat.

What you value isn’t just what you believe is important—it’s what you do that matters.

Identify it and start taking action.

2. Define Your ‘North Star’ Goal

For your habits to be meaningful, they must be aligned with a goal. Don’t worry about specifics just yet.

Write down what you’d like to achieve in 10 years. Then in 5 years and 3 years.

• Where would you like to live?

• What would you like to own?

• How much money do you want to earn?

• What kind of business or career do you want?

• What about your health, relationships, and lifestyle?

Write your goals for 30 minutes per day for 30 days. Don’t stop, and don’t worry about perfection.

At this point, you should have something to work with. Now, let’s build the habits that will help you stay consistent.

3. Design Keystone Habits

Your daily habits bring you closer to your goals.

Identify three keystone habits you can commit to every day.

For example, I’m currently building Keen Maker, a 3D printing media company.

My main focus is growing its social media presence, so I post helpful content four times per week and engage with other accounts daily.

Find the activities that move you toward your goals and prioritize them in your daily routine.

You can use this template from Matt Gray to schedule your weeks and days.

4. Track Your Progress and Celebrate Small Wins

Tracking your habits helps with motivation and accountability.

Seeing your streaks grow will make you less likely to break them.

Your strongest motivator will be your purpose and values—because that’s simply you.

What else will bring you fulfillment if not working toward your goals?

Don't forget to reward yourself for every bit of progress you make, no matter how small.

This strengthens your habits, especially at the start.

To track your habits effectively, I recommend Life of Discipline. It uses a heatmap that helps visualize your progress at a glance. You can submit my handle (LegrandTsague) if asked to mention the person who recommended the tool.

Establishing all of this in your life is a long process, requiring multiple iterations.

Start small, build one habit at a time, and enjoy the transformation.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this letter valuable.

See you in the next one!

— Legrand