Want a Business That Funds Your Dream Life? Follow These 7 Steps | Entrepreneur

Most entrepreneurs have a business plan. We write it, follow it… and slowly that business grows until it consumes our lives. Suddenly, the company dictates the calendar, family trips are canceled for “urgent” calls and personal decisions take a back seat. I’ve had countless closed-door conversations with entrepreneurs who, from the outside, seem to have it all, but in private admit that they hate their company and think they are a prisoner.

Yes, they have financial success, but not health, time or quality relationships. That’s what led me to create my Life by Design plan: first, design the life you want — then build the business that will finance it.

From collapse to conscious design

In my early ventures, I lived to work. During my second major project, I was working until 3 a.m., sleeping for one hour, then heading back to the office. Rapid growth came at a cost: zero personal life.

Then came the 2008 crisis. I lost my mortgage company and ended up with $1 million in debt. I’d wake up at 2 a.m. in a cold sweat, stuck in a cycle of worry. One day, I decided to write. First, what I didn’t want, then what I did. Without realizing it, I was designing my ideal life.

My first plan was for when I turned 55: it included my wife, kids, friends, health, travel, wealth, books written and experiences lived. I wrote it in the present tense and positive language, and in two paragraphs, I still read it almost every morning. Today, I’ve achieved nearly 90% of that plan.

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Step 1: Define what matters

Before thinking about revenue or KPIs, make a list of what you truly value: family, health, experiences, impact, geographic freedom, wealth. You name it. This becomes the filter for every decision.

For me, that included goals like earning income from multiple countries to avoid depending on one economy, and ensuring my children have multiple passports so they can live anywhere in the world. Clarity on what you want protects your time and keeps the business from consuming it.

Step 2: Write it in the present and positive form

Tony Robbins calls these incantations: when you declare something in the present tense and positive form, your mind begins to believe it—and act accordingly. Not “I’d like to have time to travel,” but “I travel every year with my family to new destinations.”

Give it a time horizon (minimum 10 years, maximum 25) and describe how your ideal life looks. This becomes your personal “north star.”

Step 3: Measure what matters

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Just like in your business, assign clear metrics to each personal goal: number of trips per year, time spent with friends, books read and passive income generated.

Review progress regularly. In my case, I make weekly adjustments and, if something is off track, I correct it. It’s the scoreboard of my life — without it, you have no idea if you’re winning or losing.

Step 4: Align your business and life

Here’s where many entrepreneurs fall into a trap: their business plan goes one way, and their life plan goes another. The result? Drama and burnout.

Once you define your personal plan, design or adjust your business to fund and support it. If you want geographic freedom, for example, avoid models that require your constant physical presence.

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Step 5: Know your type

Over the years, I’ve seen three entrepreneur archetypes:

• Mountain Climber: wants to build something big, sell it, or leave it as a legacy.
• Freedom Fighter: seeks independence and a business that funds their ideal lifestyle.
• Craftsman: wants to create the best product or service possible and have people seek it out for its quality.

Each type requires a different Life by Design approach. The mistake is not knowing which one you are—and building a business that doesn’t match your nature.

Step 6: Review and adjust

A life plan isn’t static. I’m now writing my second one, this time with my wife. My first was all about “achieving” and “being successful”; today, I prioritize experiences and enjoying our later years together.

Review it at least once a year. Some goals will change, others will strengthen. What matters is that it reflects what you want today, not what you wanted a decade ago.

Step 7: Don’t do it alone

Sharing your plan with trusted people multiplies your chances of achieving it. I have a personal “board of directors” of five people who challenge and support me. I also participate in entrepreneur groups (masterminds) where we exchange ideas and experiences.

Having mentors and peers who challenge you can be the difference between dreaming and doing.

More than money — It’s about purpose

I’ve worked with entrepreneurs who have $100 million in the bank and are deeply unhappy, and others who live with far less but feel fulfilled. Money is a tool, not the end goal.

Success isn’t just a number in your account — it’s the ability to live according to your values and priorities.

Life by Design is about clarity, alignment, and intentional action. It’s knowing what you want, structuring your business to achieve it, and living every day with purpose.

If you don’t know where you want to go, even the most profitable path can lead you to the wrong place. Start today: write those two paragraphs, read them every morning, and make the small daily corrections that move you closer to your vision.

Because the life you want won’t build itself — you have to design it.