I've lost count of the number of business owners I've spoken to who, on paper, have everything they ever wanted. The revenue is there, the team is growing, the office looks great, and from the outside they're exactly what people aspire to become.

But when you sit down with them over a coffee and the conversation becomes honest, a very different picture emerges.

They're overwhelmed. They're constantly firefighting. They haven't switched off in years, their health has taken a back seat, and they barely spend the time they wanted with the people who matter most. 

Despite achieving every goal they set themselves, they're left asking one uncomfortable question:

"Is this really what I wanted?"

The truth is, the business was never the goal.

The goal was to create a better life. The business was simply the vehicle that was supposed to get them there. Somewhere along the journey, though, many of us forget that. We become obsessed with turnover instead of freedom, growth instead of fulfilment, and scale instead of sustainability. 

It's hardly surprising. Every day we're surrounded by stories celebrating bigger numbers, faster growth and larger teams. We compare ourselves to entrepreneurs who are building completely different businesses for completely different reasons, without ever stopping to ask whether that's actually the life we want.

That's why I think the first goals you should set have nothing to do with your business. They should be about your life.

• What does your ideal week actually look like? 

• How many hours do you want to work? 

• Do you want to finish early enough to collect your children from school? 

• Do you dream of travelling more, reducing financial pressure or simply having the freedom to switch off at weekends without checking your phone every ten minutes?

Once you know the answers to those questions, your business goals become much clearer. You're no longer chasing success because everyone else says you should. You're building a business that supports the life you've chosen.

For some people, that's a £10 million company with hundreds of employees. For others, it's a profitable business that gives them flexibility, financial security and time to enjoy the things that matter most.

Neither is right or wrong.

A £250,000 business that gives you freedom may be far more successful than a £5 million business that leaves you stressed, exhausted and trapped.

Success isn't measured by turnover, headcount or how impressive your LinkedIn profile looks. Success is waking up each day knowing you've built a business that gives you the life you wanted in the first place.

At 53°, that's what we believe business should be about.

Not building the biggest company.

Building the right company for you.

Because the wrong goals can build the wrong life.