Too High A Price

When the alarm clock went off on Monday morning, the initial dread quickly turned into a pit in his stomach.

The business was a success. From the outside, it looked like he was winning. A growing client list. A great team. A strong product. A glowing reputation. But on the inside? He was worn down, distracted, and quietly disappointed.

He was spread too thin. No real control over his time. Constantly putting out fires. Doing what had to be done but not what he wanted to do. He missed dinners with his family, skipped workouts, and hadn’t had a weekend off in months. Financially, things were okay, but they weren’t where they could be.

Worse than that, he knew he was falling short of his own potential.

As we talked, I asked him, “What is this costing you?”

He looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. “To do all this?”

“How do you feel?”

“I just told you: not good!” he said emphatically.

Then he got quiet. He looked down. It clicked. The cost wasn’t just stress, sleep, or time.

He hadn’t built a business.

He had built a trap.

The kind of trap disguised as opportunity. The kind that promises freedom but slowly trades it away for busy work, constant distractions, and endless motion without progress.

Success doesn’t mean more, more businesses, more meetings, more clients, or even more money.

Success means alignment.

Clarity.

Choice.

He didn’t need to do everything.

He needed to do the right things. On purpose.

That was the turning point. Not a productivity hack. Not a better calendar app. A decision.

To stop building a life that looked good.

And start building one that feels good.

Because if it costs you your peace, the price is too high.