I’m The Real Jason Duncan, here with your weekly Beyond the Grind blog, where we help entrepreneurs like you build thriving businesses without sacrificing your freedom. 🚀

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’ve felt the pressure of chasing financial goals while constantly running out of time.

It can feel like freedom is just out of reach. But what if you’ve been looking at it backward?

We’re exploring my Five Freedoms Framework—a progression of resources every entrepreneur needs to master to live a life of true freedom and fulfillment.

The Five Freedoms are:

• Energy
• Money
• Time
• Choice
• Purpose

Previously, I talked about energy as the foundational freedom that fuels everything else. Without energy, money has little meaning, time gets wasted, and your ability to make choices or live with purpose remains out of reach.

Now, let’s dive into the next two freedoms: money and time.

These are the freedoms that most entrepreneurs obsess over—and for good reason. Money and time are central to the freedom we all seek.

But here’s the catch: most people have it backward.

They spend their non-renewable resource (time) to earn a renewable one (money), locking themselves into a cycle that leaves them burned out and stuck.

To unlock true freedom, you need to flip the equation.

Spend your renewable resources—money, energy, and attention—to buy back your time.

Let’s dive into what this looks like and how you can master the freedoms of money and time.

The Five Freedoms Framework: A Path to True Success

The Five Freedoms Framework is a progression: energy, money, time, choice, and purpose. Each one builds on the last, creating a pathway to the life and business you truly want.

• Energy is the starting point. Without it, none of the other freedoms matter.
• Money comes next because financial stability gives you the power to make better decisions about how you spend your time.
• Freedom of time follows because it allows you to pursue choice and purpose in meaningful ways.

For example, consider someone who has all the time in the world but lacks the energy or money to do anything meaningful with it.

Conversely, someone with money but no time finds little joy in their financial success.

These freedoms aren’t standalone concepts—they’re interconnected resources that compound when used wisely.

Today, I’m going to explore how the freedoms of money and time work both independently and in tandem to shape your entrepreneurial journey.

Freedom of Money: A Tool for Alignment and Liberation

We all know money matters—it’s what keeps the lights on and the dream alive.

You cannot do anything truly impactful, meaningful, and lasting as an entrepreneur without money.

Let’s be real: 99% of entrepreneurs start businesses because they want financial freedom. That’s likely why you started a business, too. Am I right?

Money is often seen as the ultimate goal—and for good reason.

Financial freedom unlocks the door to everything else. When you don’t have to worry about making ends meet, you can focus on spending your time the way you want, making choices that align with your values, and living a life of purpose.

For me, financial freedom means having enough money that I never have to ask money for permission to do anything.

That’s a powerful feeling—and one worth striving for.

But here’s the thing: financial freedom isn’t just about having a lot of money. It’s about using money intentionally.

Money is a renewable resource. You can always earn more, save more, or invest better.

Even if you lose tens of thousands—or even millions—of dollars to a bad decision, you can earn it back.

One of my cousins was a successful contractor in the early 2000s and lost everything in the Great Recession of 2008. When the dust settled, he was left with nothing but his pickup truck and his wife. Within five years, he built another business and became a millionaire again. Money is renewable.

But its true value lies in how you leverage it.

Are you spending money in ways that help you reclaim your time, energy, and focus? Or are you caught in a cycle of trading time for money, leaving little room for anything else?

Freedom of Time: Your Most Precious Non-Renewable Resource

Now that we understand how money can work as a tool for liberation, let's explore how it connects directly to our next freedom: time.

While money is renewable, time is unique—it's the only resource you can never get back.

Yet many entrepreneurs treat it as if it’s infinite, filling their days with tasks that don’t align with their goals or values.

Here’s the truth: time freedom is only meaningful when it’s built on a foundation of financial stability. Don’t believe me? Consider this:

Someone who is homeless may have complete control over their time, but without money to meet their basic needs, that freedom becomes meaningless. This is why financial freedom often precedes time freedom in a practical sense.

Most entrepreneurs get it backward.

They spend their non-renewable resource (time) to gain a renewable one (money), locking themselves into a cycle that leaves them burned out and unfulfilled.

The real power lies in flipping the equation: spend your renewable resources—money, energy, and attention—to buy back your time.

For years, I worked 60+ hours a week, telling myself it was the price of success. But what I didn’t realize was how much of that time was wasted on low-value tasks that didn’t move the needle. I wasn’t designing my schedule; I was reacting to it.

When I prioritized financial freedom, I was eventually able to step away from daily operations and focus on big-picture strategy.

This improved my business performance and gave me the time to reconnect with my family and pursue personal growth.

Mindfulness Activity: The Time and Money Audit

Take 15 minutes to reflect on how you’re using your money and time:

• Write down your top three financial goals.
• Review your weekly schedule and highlight tasks that don’t align with those goals.
• Commit to eliminating, automating, or delegating one low-value task this week.

This small step can help you align your time and money with what truly matters.

True freedom comes not just from having money and time, but from using them wisely and intentionally.

Next Up: Choice and Purpose

Next, we’ll dive into the final two freedoms: choice and purpose. These are where the Five Freedoms Framework really comes together, creating the life you’ve always envisioned.

Go beyond the grind,
The Real Jason Duncan 🚀

P.S. Struggling to reclaim your time? My free guide to the 10-Block Weekly Scheduling Method can help. Get it here: therealjasonduncan.com/10block.