We could learn a lot from Starbucks. They’re right up front about what they are, what they’ve established and the relationship they intend to continue with you. Ritual. So much part of your daily routine that you don’t feel guilty about spending $5 for a sugared-up cup of coffee & milk, because it’s not that you’re spending money there, it’s become what you do.

The word ritual carries interesting connotations… something you do without thinking. Something that maybe, sometime in the past, you made a commitment to, and now you’re doing your best to follow through. Something that you need to do before you can go on to the next thing. Something you can’t escape.

So instead of a trip to Starbucks being something you do once in a while, you’re reminded it’s something you do ritualistically, like combing your hair a certain way or saying grace before a meal or inflating your tires to exactly 120 psi before each ride. And on their door, they remind you, every time you pass by, that rituals are a good thing, and thatis Starbucks is a part of your daily life.

Brilliant people running that company.