I hope everyone has a memorable, magical day with your family!

My intent in sharing these weekly principles is simple—to offer hope and encouragement as we navigate the daily pressures of business and life. Staying principled isn’t always easy. The world around us constantly pushes self-promotion, winning at all costs, and putting ourselves first. But over time, I’ve found there is a better way. A more fulfilling way. A way that puts others first, adds real value, and allows us to be a light in a dark world. This week, we celebrate one of the most meaningful holidays of the year—Christmas. It’s a season meant to slow us down, to pull us out of the rush of deadlines and demands, and to remind us of what truly matters: family, relationships, and the small moments that too often slip by unnoticed. The principle I want you to carry with you this week is simple but powerful: Your presence is more important than any present. Your kids don’t really care about the newest toy. They care about Dad getting on the floor to play with them. They may love the new kitchen set, but what they’ll remember is making cookies with Mom. That new basketball is great—but what they really want is Dad stepping outside to play a game of HORSE. Your time is more valuable, more precious, and more sacred than anything you could place under the Christmas tree. As we enter this holiday season, give the best gift you can give—not something wrapped in paper, but something invested with intention. Give your time. Give your attention. Give your presence. Below is a short story shared by Dale Carnegie that captures this truth better than I ever could. Take a moment and read it. I promise—you won’t regret it. Father Forgets W. Livingston Larned Listen, son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and the blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside. There are the things I was thinking, son: I had been cross to you. I scolded you as you were dressing for school because you gave your face merely a dab with a towel. I took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily when you threw some of your things on the floor.

You’ve been deflecting for weeks now — avoiding the one thing you know you need to do. Every day you walk into your office and decide to put it off. No, it’s not buying the Christmas gift for your wife (although you should probably do that too). It’s not making the phone call to the one client you really don’t want to talk to. It’s building the business plan for next year. But since we talked about it last week, I’m going to assume you’ve done that (right?). So now that the plan exists, the real question becomes: how do we execute it? We start by accomplishing one thing. It doesn’t have to take all day or be something excruciating that you dread. All we’re looking for is getting 1% better every day. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explains it this way: if you improve by just 1% each day for a year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better than when you started. Small wins — or small setbacks — don’t stay small. They compound. So if improving by just 1% a day can create that kind of growth, what’s stopping us? In my opinion, it’s unrealistic expectations. We live in a world that wants results now. We want a six-pack after a week in the gym. We want our coffee five minutes ago. We want success tomorrow. But that’s not how it works. We start with the vision, develop the plan, and then execute the habits every single day. Think about it like this. You plant a small oak tree in your backyard. The next morning, you look out the window and nothing has changed. A week goes by — still no noticeable growth. Is something wrong with the tree? No. Beneath the surface, the roots are taking hold. It’s absorbing nutrients. The process has already started. The tree’s DNA is programmed for growth. Every day, it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do. A year from now, it’s taller. Five years later, it’s fuller. Eventually, it produces acorns and nourishes the ecosystem around it. We’re no different. Growth requires commitment. It takes determination to fight through the storms and patience to accept that progress may not show up tomorrow. But if we’re willing to persevere — to improve by just 1% every day — the results will come.

I was struggling financially a few years ago, but after launching an online business, I now earn more than $10,000 per month. The issue is... I never learned how to handle my money, therefore I spend carelessly, sometimes around $1,000 each day without thinking. I do not want to squander this opportunity. I want to learn how to manage my spending, invest intelligently, and accumulate wealth. How did you develop effective money management and discipline after experiencing a sudden increase in income? Any ideas would be really helpful.

It’s that time of year when people are buzzing with excitement about what’s ahead. There’s this anxious optimism in the air — daydreaming about possibilities so close you can almost touch them. If you think I’m talking about the holiday with the big tree and the fat guy in a red suit climbing down chimneys at midnight, you’d be wrong. I’m not trying to be Scrooge, counting coins late on Christmas Eve. What I am saying is that there’s something just as important to us as business owners this time of year — something that deserves to be a holiday on our company calendar: Business Planning. It’s so important we should set aside a full day (or several) to reflect on what we did well this past year and what we must improve going forward. This is what separates the good from the great companies. The average agent from the successful agent. When people plan for success — and aggressively address their weaknesses — it launches them to a different level in their career. And here’s proof: Only about 33–35% of small businesses have a formal written plan… But 71% of high-growth businesses create a strategic plan every year. One of my favorite quotes comes from the British Royal Air Force in WWII — painted on their walls as a reminder: > Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. It’s blunt. It’s true. If you want next year to be great, plan for it. If you’re tired of being average, plan for it. If you want to be in the top 10%, plan for it. No one is going to do it for you. This week, our team is meeting to plan for the upcoming year — and we’ll have a retreat to finalize our calendar, events, and growth strategies. Because if you focus on this principle consistently, it will lead to big returns for you in the future. Success is never accidental. It’s planned. Be Principled, Caleb