I'm The Real Jason Duncan, back with another edition of Beyond the Grind – showing entrepreneurs how to stop being slaves to their own businesses and start building assets that run without them. 🚀

Every year Millions of entrepreneurs think about making resolutions about revenue targets, market expansion, and productivity hacks for the year ahead.

They'll promise to wake up earlier, work harder, and finally crack the code on scaling their business.

As you and I both know, most of these resolutions will be broken by the middle of January.

But here’s something no one talks about: even the ones that are kept, 95% of these resolutions will make their lives worse, not better.

Ironically, the entrepreneurs who break their resolutions will be better off than the ones who keep resolutions like these. 

Why is this so?

Because these types of resolutions are solving for the wrong problem.

The Real Problem

Most entrepreneurs think their problem is business growth.

It's not.

Their problem is that they've confused building a business with building a life.

We've talked about presence versus productivity.
About being in the room versus being present.
About the hidden tax you pay when you're physically there but mentally wrapped up in operations.

But January 1st brings a dangerous temptation – the temptation to forget these lessons and dive headfirst back into the grind.

Some resolutions sound impressive but actually pull you further away from what matters most:

• "I'm going to double revenue."

•  "I'm going to launch three new products."

• "I'm going to finally scale this thing."

All admirable goals.

All potentially devastating to your presence.

Why This Matters

In The Exiter Club, tenet #6 of our Credo states: "We understand and acknowledge that business ownership is not the goal; rather it provides financial resources to support our families and personal lives outside the business."

Read that again.

Business ownership is not the goal.

It's the tool.

But somewhere along the way, most entrepreneurs flip this. They start building lives that serve their businesses instead of businesses that serve their lives.

Their resolutions reflect this backwards thinking.

Instead of asking “How can I grow my business?” the question should be “How can I build a business that grows my life?”

Instead of “How can I work smarter?” try “How can I create more space for what actually matters?”

Instead of “How can I scale faster?” ask “Am I building a business that serves my life or a life that serves my business?”

That last question changes everything.

Because when you're clear on the answer, your business decisions become easier.

Your priorities become obvious.

Your presence becomes possible.

And I don’t know about you, but my biggest wealth marker is the freedom I have to spend with my wife and family, doing the things that we enjoy…not in simply seeing my net worth grow. 

The Resolution Every Entrepreneur Should Make

Here's my challenge for you:

Instead of resolving to work harder, resolve to be more present.

Not just physically present.

            Mentally present.

                        Emotionally present.

                                    Fully present.

This isn't about working fewer hours.

As I've said before: You don't systemize operations just to work fewer hours. You systemize operations so the hours you're NOT working can be truly yours. 🤯

That's the difference.

When you're truly present during your off time, those hours compound.

Your relationships deepen.

Your family feels prioritized.

Your own soul gets fed.

But when you're physically present but mentally at the office, those hours are wasted for everyone.

Now What?

Here's how to make your year different:

Before every major business decision, ask: “Am I building a business that serves my life or a life that serves my business?”

If the answer is the latter, pause.

Reconsider.

Find a different path.

📌 Measure presence, not just profit.

At the end of the year, you should be able to say you were fully present for the moments that mattered. That you noticed when your spouse needed to talk. That you listened when your kids shared their dreams. That you actually tasted your food instead of eating while checking emails.

📌 Build systems that protect your presence.

The goal isn't to work less. The goal is to ensure that when you're not working, you're truly not working. Your phone stays in another room during dinner. Your mind stays with your family during family time. Your attention stays where your body is.

This is the resolution that changes everything. 

Not because it makes your business smaller. 

But because it makes your life bigger.

Words of Wisdom

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” - Proverb 16:9

You get to choose what kind of year it becomes.

You can chase the same productivity metrics that left you exhausted and absent.

Or you can choose presence.

You can build a business that serves your life instead of consuming it.

The choice is yours.

The time is now.

Until next time…

Go beyond the grind,
The Real Jason Duncan 🚀

P.S. If you're ready to build a business that serves your life instead of consuming it, I want to give you a free copy of my book “Exit Without Exiting.” It contains the four core principles I used to go from working 70+ hours a week to less than 10 hours a week while growing my business. Get your free digital copy by clicking here, or if you prefer a physical book, you can get it for free at therealjasonduncan.com/freebook (just pay shipping).