Why I shut down half my business before vacation

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Back from the Amazon with zero fires to put out

Two days back from the Amazon.

No fires to put out. No frantic catch-up mode. Actually feeling pretty good.

That's... not normal for me.

Last week I told you about the 80 hours I spent preparing for this trip. How I was consolidating, shutting things down, getting systems in place so everything would run without me.

I thought it was temporary. Just so I could disappear into the jungle for a week.

Plot twist: I'm not going back.

Here's what happened.

The Simplicity Revelation

While I was in Brazil, something clicked. All my shower thoughts, all my mental bandwidth, all my creative energy was focused on ONE thing. One business. One direction.

Not juggling six different projects. Not splitting attention between the main thing and three "maybe someday" side hustles.

Just one thing.

And it felt... freeing.

My timeline became my own. Instead of constantly reacting to whatever was on fire, I got to think about what I actually wanted to build. Done-for-you services. AI-coded microsites. The stuff that actually excited me.

Funny thing about focus - it doesn't slow you down. It accelerates you.

The Pet Project Problem

We all have them. Those projects we've been "working on" for years. The ones that get 50% of our attention and produce 2% of our results.

The course you launched once and never promoted. The app idea you tinker with on weekends. The newsletter you publish sporadically.

They feel harmless. But they're not.

Every half-hearted project is a mental drain. Every "someday I'll focus on this" commitment is bandwidth stolen from the thing that could actually change your life.

The Middle Ground Myth

Here's what I realized in the Amazon: there's no middle ground with projects.

Either go all in or kill it.

That side project you've been nursing for five years? It's probably not going to suddenly take off because you gave it another 10% effort.

But your main thing? The one that's already working? Give it the attention those side projects have been stealing, and watch what happens.

The AI-First Approach

This is where AI changes everything.

I used to keep projects alive because "maybe I'll have time later." AI tools mean I can actually execute on the things that matter instead of just maintaining the things that don't.

My team handles operations. AI handles the routine stuff. I get to focus on strategy and the work that actually moves the needle.

It's not about doing more. It's about doing the right things.

What This Means for You

Look at your project list. Really look at it.

How many things are you keeping alive that should be dead? How much mental energy are you spending on maintenance instead of growth?

Kill the projects that don't deserve your best effort. Double down on the ones that do.

Your future self will thank you.

And you might just find yourself writing newsletters on your own timeline instead of rushing to catch up.

To Your AI-First Success,
Jeff Sauer

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