I stopped building new things for trainers

A few years ago, I made the hardest decision of my career.

I stopped building new things for trainers after 12 years. I walked away from multiple companies I had built. Companies that checked every box society told me mattered: the title, the money, the recognition.

People kept asking me: “Why would you leave? You made it!”

For months, I struggled to articulate exactly why. I knew it was the right choice, but I couldn’t quite explain it in a way that made sense—even to myself.

Then I finally put it together when writing my newest book Unhinged Habits.

Let me explain…

Here’s the price versus dignity distinction from the philosopher Immanuel Kant

Price = Things that are means to something else.

Money, titles, promotions. They have value, but only as stepping stones.

Dignity = Things that are ends in themselves.

Time with loved ones. Creative freedom. Health. These are worth pursuing for their own sake.

—

Most of us start with dreams centered on dignity. “I want to live a healthy life.” “I want to write a book.” “I want time for the people I love.”

But then bills pile up. Jobs lock us in. Ego takes over. And we spend decades chasing things with price while postponing things with dignity, often to our detriment.
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I get it. When I was younger, I thought that the only definition of success was professional. I climbed relentlessly. I built companies. Worked nights and weekends.

Then a few years ago, I realized I was optimizing for price—not dignity. Which is why one of my favorite quotes from the book is:

“Over time, wisdom lies in exchanging more things with price for things with dignity.”

The distinction is simple once you hear it. And hard to forget too.

Here’s a table you’ll find on page 135:

Let’s talk about something we aren’t supposed to talk about: Being rich.

I want to be rich. You probably do too. Though we’re not supposed to admit it so pretend we didn’t have this chat.

Or, better yet, let’s redefine the word rich.

I want to be rich in:

• Slow mornings where I can write without rushing
• The ability to travel without asking for approval
• Time with people I love, on my terms, without guilt
• The freedom to build something of my own

Here’s what makes the trap of chasing “price” instead of “dignity” so dangerous:

The longer you chase price, the harder it is to stop. Every decision becomes evidence of who you are.

When you work 70-hour weeks, you start to believe you are the person who works 70-hour weeks. The person who sacrifices everything for the next milestone. The person who doesn’t have time for the things that actually matter.

Your identity fuses with the chase. Your network reinforces it. Your habits lock it in. And escaping starts to feel like losing yourself.

This hurts me to write because it was me.

So let me ask you a question I had to ask myself:

Are you climbing the mountain you actually want to be on?

A heavy question, I know.

My answer was no. And that’s when I stopped building new things for trainers. The Online Trainer Mentorship is still going amazingly well. But that’s all that exists anymore. My income has dropped a lot since then. But what I lost in price, I gained in dignity. I have more space to write. To think. And to be with my family.

I still catch myself falling into the price trap. Even after a few years. Even after writing this book. This stuff isn’t easy. Hard decisions never are.

Old habits die hard. The pull of “more” is always there. Subtracting is difficult. But every day you postpone dignity, the loop tightens. Maybe this is finding you at the right time. If you’re still reading, I expect that it is.

-Jon

If this is resonating, please considering buying a copy of my new book Unhinged Habits.

Yes, it’s about habits. But not in the way you’ve read before.

That’s because, before you decide on your habits, you have to first decide on what kind of life you want. And honestly, that’s what the book’s really about.

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