by Deanna Webb
We live in an era that glorifies the “grind.” We see social media posts about 4 AM wake-up calls, “sleep when you’re dead” mentalities, and entrepreneurs who wear their exhaustion like a badge of honor. The prevailing narrative is that to build something great, you must sacrifice everything else—your hobbies, your health, and your relationships—on the altar of your business.
But what if that approach isn’t just unhealthy, but actually a threat to the long-term survival of your company?
We recently read a provocative and insightful article in Entrepreneur by Daniel Marcos that stops this “hustle at all costs” mentality in its tracks. The premise is simple, yet for many high-achievers, it’s a radical shift in perspective: Your business is likely to eat you alive if you don’t design your life first.
The “Business First” Trap
In the article, Marcos shares a vulnerable look at his own journey. Like many of us, he initially viewed his life and his business as one and the same. He poured every ounce of energy into growth, assuming that personal happiness would naturally follow financial success. Instead, he found burnout.
He identifies a critical distinction that many entrepreneurs and creatives miss: Your business is an independent entity, and you are another.
When these two identities blur, the business naturally takes priority. It is a hungry entity that will consume whatever resources you throw at it—your time, your mental bandwidth, and your emotional reserves. Marcos notes:
“The business is an independent entity, and I am another. Until that moment, my life served the company. To regain control, I had to flip the equation.”
The Solution: The 25-Year Life Plan
So, how do you stop the business from taking over? You have to set the boundaries before you set the strategy.
At the Life Design Project, we often talk about intention, and Marcos’s approach aligns perfectly with this. He suggests creating a “25-Year Life Plan.” This might sound daunting, but it acts as a North Star. Before you decide to double your revenue or open a new branch, you must ask: Does this align with where I want to be in a quarter of a century?
This involves asking hard questions about your “non-negotiables”:
How many weeks of vacation do I realistically want?
What health metrics must I maintain?
How much time do I want to spend with my family?
What specific problems do I actually enjoy solving?
If you don’t answer these questions first, you might build a business that is financially successful but personally suffocating.
Alignment Over Speed
One of the most valuable takeaways from the piece is the concept of “Strategic Alignment.”
Let’s say your business plan calls for 100% growth year-over-year. That sounds fantastic on paper. But if achieving that growth requires you to travel 200 days a year, and your Life Plan prioritizes being home for dinner every night, you have a conflict that will lead to burnout.
If you ignore this conflict, you will eventually resent the business you built. Marcos argues that true success might look like slower growth (perhaps 20% instead of 100%) if it allows you to maintain healthy margins and, more importantly, a healthy life.
You Are the Chief Bottleneck
Finally, it is vital to realize that you are the limit on your organization’s growth. A business cannot outperform the psychology and health of its leader. If you are burned out, anxious, or physically unwell, your decision-making suffers, and the business stalls.
By prioritizing your life design, you aren’t being selfish; you are actually protecting the business’s most valuable asset: You.
Final Thoughts
Your work should be a vehicle that helps you arrive at the life you want to lead, not a cage that keeps you from it.
If you are feeling the creep of burnout, or if you are just starting out and want to avoid the common traps, take a step back. Open a blank sheet of paper. Design your life first. Only then should you build the engine—your business—to get you there.
References & Further Reading: This post was inspired by the article “Your Business Will Eat You Alive If You Don’t Do This Step First” by Daniel Marcos. We highly recommend reading the full piece over at Entrepreneur.com here.
