In a world that constantly pulls us in different directions, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. As leaders and individuals striving for impact, we often talk about values as guiding principles—but how often do those values translate into consistent action?
The truth is, it’s not enough to define your values. Real transformation happens when those values become part of your daily decisions, behaviors, and habits. That’s where PiPP comes in.
Introducing “Deal Breakers”: Protecting What Matters Most
At the heart of PiPP is a concept we call “Deal Breakers.” These aren’t just boundaries or vague ideals—they are the non-negotiables that define who you are and what you stand for. They protect what matters most and ensure you’re not sacrificing what you care about for short-term gains or external pressures.
But here’s the key: defining your deal breakers is only the first step. PiPP (short for People, Impact, Process, Profit) is the system that takes those deal breakers and turns them into actionable habits. It bridges the gap between intention and impact, helping you align your daily actions with your deeper purpose.
Why Values Alone Aren’t Enough
Values are powerful, but they can remain abstract if not tied to tangible actions. For example:
- You might value family, but how do you protect time for your loved ones when work gets overwhelming?
- You might value integrity, but how do you consistently make decisions aligned with it under pressure?
Without a tool for putting values into action, like PiPP, even the clearest values can get lost in the noise of life. That’s why building a habit of action is essential—it ensures your values aren’t just aspirations but commitments you honor every day.
Turning Deal Breakers Into Habits With PiPP
The PiPP Pillars—People, Impact, Process, Profit—are designed to help you translate your deal breakers into actionable habits that align with your vision. By defining your PiPP, you create a checks-and-balance system to guide your decisions when faced with limited time and resources.
Here’s how to work through each step of the PiPP process:
Define Your Deal Breakers
What are you unwilling to sacrifice? Your deal breakers are your non-negotiables—the priorities you must protect to stay true to your vision. Reflect on what truly matters in your life and work.
- What matters most to me in my personal and professional life?
- What am I no longer willing to sacrifice?
- What aligns with the legacy I want to build?
- What is essential for my success and happiness?
- What protects my vision?Â
Example:
- Deal Breaker: I will always prioritize quality time with my family, even during busy seasons.
- Deal Breaker: I won’t sacrifice my integrity when making business decisions.
Categorize Your Deal Breakers Using PiPP
Once you’ve defined your deal breakers, categorize them under the four PiPP pillars:
- People: Prioritizing relationships and connections.
- Example: Protecting time with family or nurturing a strong team culture.
- Impact: Focusing on the difference you make in others’ lives or the world.
- Example: Ensuring your work delivers meaningful change to clients or communities.
- Process: Emphasizing how things get done, including methods, ethics, or efficiency.
- Example: Maintaining high-quality standards in delivering your services.
- Profit: Prioritizing financial outcomes or resource allocation.
- Example: Ensuring you focus on revenue-generating activities to achieve financial freedom.
Prioritize Your PiPP
Not all PiPP categories will carry the same weight. When time and resources are limited, you need to decide what matters most. Rank your PiPP categories based on their importance to achieving your vision.
Questions to Ask:
- Which category, if neglected, would most derail my vision?
- What do I need to protect today to move closer to my long-term goals?
Check out this example of PiPP in action: :
Jordan’s vision was to create a life centered on financial freedom while spending quality time with family and making a positive community impact. After defining their PiPP, Jordan identified Profit as their top pillar—protecting revenue-generating activities was essential to achieving financial independence and supporting their broader goals.
When asked to take on a volunteer leadership role, Jordan was tempted. It aligned with their value of giving back but would consume significant time, pulling them away from work that sustained their financial stability and family commitments.
Jordan evaluated the opportunity through their prioritized lens. They realized that saying yes would sacrifice their profit pillar, putting their vision at risk. Instead, they found a smaller way to contribute that preserved their time and resources, keeping them on track toward their ultimate goals.
Knowing your PiPP Pillar ensures that you stay aligned with your vision, protecting what matters most, even when faced with tough trade-offs.
Build Habits to Protect Your PiPP
First, create a habit of using PiPP as a checks and balance for decision-making. Make it a regular practice to evaluate each choice, opportunity, or commitment through the lens of your PiPP system. This ensures that you stay focused on your vision and protect the deal breakers that matter most. By doing so, PiPP becomes an integral part of your daily routine, guiding your actions and helping you stay aligned with your core values and long-term goals.
Next, determine what habits you can incorporate that will actively protect your PiPP. These habits should be designed to ensure that you don’t sacrifice your prioritized deal breakers, and they should align with the PiPP categories you’ve ranked as most important. Whether it’s setting boundaries, scheduling regular check-ins, or monitoring progress, these habits will help reinforce your commitment to your vision.
Check out these examples of protecting your PiPP:
Habit to Protect Profit
Sarah’s PiPP prioritizes Profit because achieving financial stability is key to her vision of having the freedom to travel and spend time with family. To protect this pillar, Sarah builds the habit of blocking off specific hours each week to focus exclusively on high-revenue activities. She no longer takes client calls or meetings during this time, ensuring she’s dedicating her efforts to what generates the most income. This habit protects her profit-driven vision by guarding the time she needs to move closer to her long-term goals.
Habit to Protect People
Jason’s PiPP places the highest value on People—nurturing relationships and supporting his team are central to his vision of building a thriving, values-driven business. To protect this pillar, Jason commits to a habit of scheduling weekly one-on-one check-ins with his team members. These meetings ensure he stays connected, offers support, and fosters a strong, collaborative environment. By consistently prioritizing these relationships, Jason safeguards the personal connections that fuel his larger vision.
PiPP in Action: Realigning Priorities
How can reflecting on PiPP shift your perspective?
- From People to Impact:
You value relationships but realize your true priority is the meaningful change you create for others. Protecting your impact above all else ensures your vision comes to life. - From Impact to Process:
You thought your priority was the results you deliver, but you recognize that how you deliver them—the ethics and methods—is what matters most to you. - From Process to Profit:
While you appreciate structure, you discover that protecting profitability drives your vision forward more than process alone. - From Profit to People:
Initially, financial success seemed like your top priority, but upon reflection, you realize that nurturing relationships is what truly aligns with your vision.
The key is to identify what you’re unwilling to sacrifice and what you must protect in order to move closer to your vision. By defining your PiPP Pillar, you create a powerful reference tool that guides your habits and decisions, ensuring every action aligns with your vision and safeguards your deal breakers.
Tips to Build Habits Through PiPP:
- Start Small: Focus on one or two key actions at a time to avoid overwhelm.
- Track Your Progress: Use a system to measure how well you’re living out your deal breakers.
- Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge the small successes that reinforce your commitment to what matters most.
Why PiPP Matters
The PiPP Pillars are more than a habit building tool —they are a catalyst for turning values into actions and ensuring you protect what matters most. By using PiPP to define, prioritize, and act on your deal breakers, you create a sustainable system that keeps you aligned with your vision, even when faced with tough decisions.
When you protect your PiPP, you:
- Safeguard what’s essential to your success and happiness.
- Build habits that reinforce your values in action.
- Create a clear path to achieving your long-term vision.
Ready to define your PiPP and take action? Start today by identifying your deal breakers and asking yourself: What will I protect to move closer to my vision?