Skip to main content

The Derailment Trap: How a Missing Future Makes You Life's Effect (Momentum & Mastery)

Let's talk about something that can silently sabotage your success: a missing future, or more specifically, a compelling future. 

In my book, "Momentum & Mastery," I wrote: "In the absence of a compelling future, you’ll find that when derailments happen, you become life's effect."

Think about that for a second.

When you don't have a clear, exciting vision of where you're going, you're essentially adrift. You're reacting to life's circumstances instead of creating them.

The Derailment Danger

Life throws curveballs. Derailments happen. It's inevitable. But how you respond to those derailments makes all the difference.

If you have a compelling future, a vision that pulls you forward, those derailments become minor setbacks. You have a north star to guide you back on course.

But without that vision? You become life's effect. You're tossed around by every unexpected event, every challenge, every obstacle.

I've seen it happen. I've even experienced it myself. When I didn't have a clear picture of my desired future, I was constantly reacting to circumstances. One setback would throw me completely off track.

But when you create a compelling future, you take back control. You become the architect of your destiny. You stop being a victim of life's whims.

Let's be blunt: are you living on life's terms, or are you living on your own? Are you reacting, or are you creating?

Your Action Step

Take some time today to define or revisit your compelling future. What do you want your life to look like in one year, five years, ten years? Write it down. Visualize it. Feel it.

And then, start taking action to make it a reality.

Don't let life derail you. Create a future that pulls you forward.

To your Momentum & Mastery,

Spencer



Photo by Ryan Jacobson on Unsplash


About Spencer Combs:

Spencer Combs is a business leader and author of Momentum and Mastery: The Business Leader's Guide to Fastrack Unshakeable Profit, Productivity, and Purpose. With a passion for helping others transform their challenges into opportunities, Spencer offers unique insights through his events, coaching programs, and daily text messages.


Take the Next Step:


Connect with Spencer: www.spencercombs.com/social 



Labels:
Marianna, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Here's what others like you are reading:

The Bridge to Next Year - Your Q4 Focus

The calendar flips. The page turns. Another year ends, and a new one begins. Most people treat this transition like a hard reset. A magical switch. As if a new number on the date automatically wipes the slate clean and hands them a fresh start. It doesn't. Next year isn't magically better. It's built. It's constructed, brick by brick, by the choices you make now . Especially now. In this final quarter. The bridge from this year's potential to next year's guaranteed success isn't paved with resolutions made on January 1st. It's built with specific, non-negotiable actions taken in the eleventh hour. For me, that bridge is clear: onboarding 60 agents into the Productivity Coaching Program at Keller Williams Jacksonville and First Coast. It’s not just a number; it’s 60 new engines ready to fire, 60 seeds planted for exponential growth. It’s the foundational momentum that makes everything else possible. What is your bridge? What is the one, undeniable, criti...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's your Number?

We talk about freedom. We talk about choice. We talk about work-life balance , the hustle , and the grind . But sometimes, all that chatter is just noise, distracting us from the actual lever of autonomy . The lever is a number. It’s not your net worth. It’s not your annual salary. It's not your bank account balance right now. It’s your FUN (F* U Number) . It’s the amount of capital, invested strategically, that would spin off enough residual income —passively—to cover your chosen lifestyle expenses forever. It’s the size of the asset that makes the job optional. The deadline negotiable. The compromise avoidable. It’s the number that means you get to say 'no' to the client who drains you, 'yes' to the project that inspires you, and 'stop' to the routine that suffocates you. It's the ultimate measure of your self-reliance . If you don't know your FUN, you don't know the distance to your freedom. You're just wandering. You're working withou...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Story We Tell

We are storytellers. Every single one of us. We wake up, and the narrative begins. About the day, about the work, about our capabilities. But often, the most persistent story, the one whispered most loudly, is the disempowering one. "I don't have enough time." "It's too hard." "I'm not good enough." "They won't listen." This isn't just internal monologue; it's the operating system for your actions. It dictates what you attempt, what you avoid, and what you achieve. The insidious thing about these stories? They feel true. Because we've repeated them so many times, they've become part of our perceived reality. But here's the secret: you're the author. That disempowering narrative? It's a draft. A first pass. A working title you've been stuck with. And just like any author, you have the power to edit. To delete. To rewrite. What is the truth? Not the convenient excuse, not the protective shield, but th...
Post a Comment
Read more