Most entrepreneurs set income goals based on external markers: a number that looks impressive, a benchmark someone else reached, or the revenue they think they “should” be hitting by now. But the real cost of those goals often shows up behind the scenes.

You hit the revenue target…
but you have not taken a real day off in months.

You reach the launch number…
but your reserves are empty three weeks later.

You cross the six or seven figure line…
but your nervous system is held together by caffeine, grit, and sheer willpower.

A revenue goal that does not include peace will eventually cost you more than it creates.

Your Income Goal Should Make Room for a Life

When you build goals with only profit in mind, you often forget the one variable that determines whether you can actually sustain the journey: YOU.

Your income targets should include:

• Personal time off that is actually budgeted for, not squeezed in
• A healthy profit margin that supports long term growth, not survival mode
•  A consistent monthly reserve so slow seasons stop feeling like an emergency
• Extra payroll cycles and seasonal expenses in your SAVINGS account

When you build these into your operating costs from the beginning, your income goal supports your peace beyond the profits. It supports confidence, capacity, and a business honors your humanity.

Peace Comes From Margin, Not Hustle

Most entrepreneurs do not burn out because they lack passion or ideas. They burn out because they lack margin. And I am not just talking about profit margins. I am talking about these margins:

There is no margin for rest.
No margin for creativity.
No margin for unexpected life moments.
No margin for a slow month.

Margin is not a luxury. Margin is what protects your business and creates a life that leaves room for opportunity, collaboration, and genuine peace.

This is why I teach the EPI formula and The STOP Method. When you calculate what your business truly needs (expenses, profit, taxes, payroll, reserves), you are finally able to set an income goal that does not crush your spirit, drain your resilience, or steal time from your family.

Your Goal Is Not Just More Money. It Is More Stability.

Your big heart struggles to charge more and raise your prices. I know this because I am you. But I also have a family, a team, a responsibility to lead, and a desire to be a role model for the future versions of myself who depended on me to rise.

I cannot go as low as possible, because doing so would dishonor the next generation of entrepreneurs looking for someone strong, steady, and honest about what it truly takes to own a business that creates peace and profits.

Final Thoughts from Your Favorite Accountant 🧡

You are allowed to build a business that creates both profit and peace. You deserve income goals that give you breathing room, not burnout. And you deserve a financial strategy that strengthens the CEO you are becoming rather than draining the human behind the title.

If you are ready to build income goals that align with your life, your values, and your capacity, I am here to guide you every step of the way.

✅ Hire My CFO for done-for-you bookkeeping
👩‍💻 Join my Financial Leadership Events to learn how to budget, forecast, and lead with clarity and confidence
📚 DIY budgeting with my book and workbook using The STOP Method

👉 Because at the end of the day, cash flow isn’t luck, it’s strategy.