Acting with Intention
What Marcus Aurelius Knew About Success That Most Entrepreneurs Ignore
Most business owners think they will always have more time. Time to scale (eventually). Time to launch the next thing (maybe next year). Time to figure it all out (once things slow down).
But they don’t.
If there’s one truth that separates those who grow from those who stay stuck, it’s this: Wasting time on things that don’t matter is just a slow way to fail.
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, put it this way:
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
He wasn’t just talking about life. He was talking about how we use our time. Most people act like they have an unlimited supply of it—putting off decisions, delaying action, waiting for the “perfect moment.” But perfect moments don’t exist.
And in business, time wasted isn’t just time lost—it’s opportunity lost.
Why Most Business Owners Struggle to Make Real Progress
Most businesses don’t fail because their owners take too many risks. They fail because their owners spend too much time on the wrong things—work that feels productive but doesn’t create real progress.
They stay busy with the work that feels important but isn’t. They hesitate to make the decisions that actually matter. They fill their days with low-impact activities instead of building something meaningful.
It’s not just about making bad choices—it’s about making the wrong kind of choices. A business owner can work tirelessly, making decision after decision, but if those choices don’t create real momentum, they’re just treading water.
And eventually, they sink.
This is the greatest illusion in business—that there will always be more time to figure it out. But there won’t be. Markets shift. Customers change. Competitors move faster. Every moment spent on something meaningless is a moment stolen from something that could have made a real impact.
You Can’t Afford to Waste Time
Imagine you knew, without a doubt, that you had only five years to take your business as far as it could possibly go.
Not just five years to run your business, but five years to build it into something that truly matters.
Five years to create a lasting impact on the lives you touch through your work. Five years to make all the financial progress you’re ever going to make through this business. Five years to put the systems in place that allow it to grow beyond you. Five years to turn it into the business you always envisioned.
Would you still put off hiring that key employee? Would you spend months tweaking your website instead of getting in front of customers? Would you let yourself stay buried in minor tasks while ignoring the big moves that could change everything?
Or would you act with intention?
This is the shift Marcus Aurelius was talking about. Not panic. Not rushing. Deliberate action. A commitment to doing what actually matters—while you still can.
The Hidden Trap: Mistaking Activity for Progress
Service professionals are especially prone to this mistake. Many stay busy, but they aren’t building what they really want.
- The consultant who spends months perfecting a new program but never actually markets or sells it.
- The coach who endlessly tweaks their website and branding while avoiding real conversations with potential clients.
- The therapist who spends hours in low-revenue, high-drain sessions with clients they aren’t best suited to help, instead of focusing on their ideal clients and building a practice that sustains them.
- The accountant who drowns in administrative work rather than hiring help so they can focus on high-value client relationships.
They all have the same problem.
They mistake being busy for building something that lasts.
But the business owners who actually succeed—the ones who create impact and financial stability—understand that time is the one thing they don’t have to waste. They act with intention. They decide. They move forward even when they don’t have all the answers.
And that makes all the difference.
The Simple Framework for Acting with Intention in Your Business
If you’re caught in a cycle of overthinking or feeling overwhelmed, here’s a simple way to cut through the noise:
First, write down three things you’ve been spending time on that aren’t truly important. The distractions, the busywork, the things that feel urgent but don’t actually move your business forward.
Then, write down three things you’ve been putting off that would make a real impact—the big decisions, the key investments, the hard choices you keep avoiding.
Now, shift your focus.
Start putting your energy into what actually matters. Cut the waste. Make the moves that count.
You’re Running Out of Time—Use It Wisely
One day, your business will be gone. That’s not pessimism—it’s reality.
The only question is: Will you look back knowing you spent your time on what mattered? Or will you wish you hadn’t wasted it?
You don’t have ten thousand years.
In five years, you’ll either have built something that matters—or you’ll wish you had. If acting with intention isn’t already your habit, this is your moment to start.
