Spencer Combs Article Bank

There’s a silent, invisible force working against you every time you try to level up . It’s not your competitors. It’s not the economy. It’s not even your own self-doubt (though that’s a loud one). It’s the relentless, biological, psychological drive for homeostasis . Your brain, your body, your habits, your team, even your spouse and friends—they all crave stability. Predictability. The known. So, when you declare that 2026 will not be a repeat of 2025… When you launch that new product that changes everything… When you commit to that daily habit that elevates your game… When you decide to exit a draining client relationship … The system pushes back . This pushback, this opposition , isn't a glitch. It's the feature. Most people interpret friction as a stop sign. They hit resistance and think, "Oh, I must be doing something wrong." They retreat. They adjust. They shrink back to the comfortable. And that, right there, is how they guarantee another year of the same . B...

The "Gangster" Paradox: Why Autonomy is the Ultimate Un-Goal The word "gangster" carries a lot of baggage. For most, it conjures images of the street, the hustle, or the headlines. But in his recent Esquire sit-down, 50 Cent stripped away the theater and gave us a definition that belongs on every entrepreneur’s whiteboard: "To me, gangster means to live the way you like without answering to anyone." Read that again. He’s not talking about crime; he’s talking about agency . He’s talking about the " Un-Goal ." The "Should" Monster vs. The Un-Goal In my work with the WRAP Sheet and Momentum & Mastery , we talk constantly about the " Should Monsters ." These are the invisible anchors—the projects you took on because a competitor did, the clients you tolerate because you’re afraid of the gap in your calendar, and the "hustle" habits that steal your emotional capital. Most people spend their entire careers building ...

The calendar is almost done. And you know what that means. The 'Should' monsters are waking up. They are the goals, the projects, the expectations you carry around that don't actually belong to you. You should launch that huge, complex product. You should be on that social platform where all your competitors are making noise. You should chase that client segment that is exhausting and doesn't pay. These "shoulds" are anchors. They drain your emotional capital, clutter your WRAP Sheet , and steal the energy you need to execute on the real high-leverage assets. Most people treat the New Year like a blank canvas, which they immediately fill with complex, obligation-driven goals. They mistake activity for momentum. Momentum is not the result of doing more. It is the result of eliminating friction. If a goal, a project, or a relationship is causing constant drag—if it costs you three units of energy to gain one unit of result—it is not a goal. It is a tax o...

The headlines scream. The algorithms whisper. Inflation. Recession fears. AI is coming for your job. It’s easy to get lost in the noise. To feel like the ground beneath your business is constantly shifting. To think you need a new strategy every other week. Stop. Because while the world is busy chasing the next shiny object or panicking about the latest disruption, your real power lies not in reacting to their game, but in owning yours . The market doesn't pay for average. It certainly doesn't pay for replaceable. And here’s the stark truth: if a machine can do it, a machine will do it. Faster, cheaper, without coffee breaks. If your customer only cares about the lowest price, you're in a race to the bottom that you can't win. So, what’s left? You. Not your tasks. Not your basic services. But your human advantage. Your genuine creativity. The unique way you solve a problem. The empathy you bring to a frustrated client. The gut judgment that sees around corners. The ...

The temptation is real. You’ve run hard for 47 weeks. The holidays are here. The finish line of the calendar year is in sight. The couch is calling. Most people treat the last 30 days like a wind-down. They shift into planning mode, waiting for the mythical start date of January 1st to begin the hard work again. But if you’re serious about autonomy , about defying the odds, and about creating momentum, you know that the calendar is just a suggestion. The final 30 days of the year are not a wind-down. They are the launch sequence . The mistake is inventing new, complex goals now. The success is rooted in leverage . Look back at your year. Look at your WRAP sheets . Somewhere in that data—in the quiet successes, the routines that stuck, the clients that closed easiest—is your highest-performing asset. It’s not a secret. It’s the single best habit or project that made the biggest difference in your results this year. It was the system you installed. The five calls you made every day. Th...