How I 10X’d My Life

Commentary On Wealth Issue #11 • The Leap to Exponential Growth

Dec 20, 2024

"An obvious challenge people face is that they don’t know what they want. They’re far too busy justifying what they think they need. They haven’t learned to be brutally honest with themselves and others. They’re still living in fear.”

- Benjamin Hardy in 10x Is Easier Than 2x

Let’s start here: I didn’t just stumble onto this process. This wasn’t a neatly wrapped idea that showed up on my desk one day. It started in March of 2022, when I found myself at a mastermind in Mexico. I was sitting with Ben Hardy—the guy who wrote 10X Is Easier Than 2X, The Gap and the Gain, and Be Your Future Self Now.

Now, I’m not the woo-woo type. You won’t find me chanting in circles or burning sage. But that day, Ben pulled out a napkin—yes, a literal napkin—and started sketching out this idea. He explained the reframe of what 10X really means and how it works. It wasn’t a casual conversation; it was the pin being pulled on a grenade.

That conversation hit me hard. I realized I was holding onto 80% of the wrong things—business partnerships, relationships, and revenue streams that were comfortable but weren’t aligned with my bigger vision. If I was going to 10X, I had to let those things go.

So I did.

I ended partnerships that had lasted for years. I walked away from revenue streams. I said no to client relationships that didn’t fit the vision. It was uncomfortable. Painful, even. But here we are—18 months later, Sovereign Entrepreneur exists because I 10X’d myself first.

Ben’s books—10X Is Easier Than 2X, The Gap and the Gain, Who Not How, and Be Your Future Self Now—are really one set. Together, they form a system that completely reshaped how I think about growth, planning, and who I am becoming. Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share 9 lessons I learned from applying this framework—lessons that helped me 10X my life, my business, and my impact in just over a year.

Protect Your Confidence

Let’s talk about confidence. Confidence is your most valuable resource as an entrepreneur. Period. If you don’t have confidence, you won’t act. You’ll hesitate, second-guess, and eventually spiral into failure.

The problem is, most people hold onto their 80%—the stuff that feels productive, the stuff they’re good at—because it feels safe. But here’s the truth: the 80% that feels safe is what’s holding you back.

At some point, that 80% was your 20%. It’s the thing you doubled down on that got you here. It became part of your identity. That’s why it’s so hard to let go. But if you want to 10X, you have to shed that identity.

Confidence comes from momentum. Momentum comes from progress. Progress comes from focusing on the 20% that actually moves the needle.

10X isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about protecting your confidence by working smarter. By betting on the 20%, you create momentum, you create breakthroughs, and you get half your time back. That’s how you 10X your results without losing your mind in the process.

The Two Freedoms: Freedom From vs. Freedom To

Most people start with freedom from—freedom from stress, from debt, from the grind. It’s scarcity thinking. It’s reactive. It’s about escaping something you don’t want. But here’s the problem: when you escape, you’re just standing in an empty room asking, now what?

Freedom to is where growth happens. It’s abundance thinking. It’s proactive. It’s saying, “I want the freedom to build something bigger, to create impact, to live fully aligned with my purpose.”

Here’s where I’m gonna go on a spiritual limb: Abundance is wanting what you should want. It’s aligning your desires with what God wants for you. One of the most powerful prayers I’ve heard is:

“Lord, help me want what You want for me.”

Because let’s be honest—what we want most of the time is small, selfish, and short-sighted. But what God wants for us? That’s where true abundance lives.

Get a Better Map

Imagine flying into Dallas, holding a map of Cincinnati. It doesn’t matter how well you follow the directions, you’ll never get where you want to go because the map is wrong. (And for you Tommy Boy fans, it’s like driving around aimlessly saying, “It’s gotta be around here somewhere,” when you’re miles off course.)

This is exactly what happens when you try to 10X your life using a 2X mindset. You’re stuck in incremental thinking, working harder with the same assumptions. But here’s the deal:

Your current reality can’t inform your desired destination. If you let where you are now determine where you’re headed, you’ll never aim beyond what you already know.

The first step to 10X is picking your destination. Where do you want to go? Google Maps doesn’t care where you are—it asks for your destination first. Only then does it figure out the path to get you there.

Once you decide on a 10X destination, it changes everything. You can say no to the 80% that doesn’t align. You stop chasing distractions and shiny objects because your vision is big enough to drown out the noise.

If you’re tired of running in circles, check the map. Decide where you’re going first, and then start moving.

The 4 C’s: Commitment, Courage, Capability, Confidence

This framework comes from Ben Hardy and Dan Sullivan, and it’s how you grow. Most people think confidence comes first. They wait to “feel ready” before they commit. But confidence doesn’t lead the process—it’s the reward at the end.

Here’s how it actually works:

Commitment: Decide where you’re going. Burn the ships. You don’t dabble; you fully commit.
Courage: Once you commit, courage shows up. Courage means showing up even when you don’t feel ready. It’s taking the first step when you don’t know what the second step looks like.
Capability: Courage creates capability. You start to build the skills, tools, and resources you need along the way.
Confidence: Confidence comes last. It’s earned. It’s looking back and saying, “I did the hard thing, and I’m better for it.”

Even God does it this way. He says, “Believe, and then you will see.” But we tend to say, “Show me, then I’ll believe.” That’s not how it works.

How to Avoid the Success Trap

Success is a trap. I know that sounds backward, but hear me out. Success creates options. Options create distractions. Distractions lead to diffused efforts. And diffused efforts are what undermine the very clarity that made you successful in the first place.

This is called the Clarity Paradox:

Phase One: You have clarity of purpose. That clarity leads to success.
Phase Two: Success creates new opportunities and options.
Phase Three: The options and opportunities pull you in too many directions.
Phase Four: Your diffused efforts destroy the clarity that got you here.

Entrepreneurs fall into this all the time because we see the future. We see the potential in every opportunity, and we convince ourselves we can do all of it. But you can’t.

The solution? Learn to say no. Ruthlessly.

Every time you hit a 10X moment, you’ll have to say no to things that feel familiar, comfortable, and even “successful.” Write down what you’ll say no to. You don’t have to drop everything today, but at some point, you’ll need to make room for the new by letting go of the old.

A Compelling Future

You know when people feel stuck? When they don’t have a future that excites them. If you’re dragging yourself out of bed every morning, it’s not because you’re lazy. It’s because you don’t have a vision big enough to pull you forward.

This isn’t just motivational fluff—there’s research behind it. It’s called prospection. Psychologists have found that humans aren’t driven by their past. We’re pulled forward by our vision of the future.

If you don’t have a compelling future, you’ll rely on force—whips, prods, guilt—to get yourself moving. That’s like driving cattle. But when you have a vision that excites you, you don’t need to be forced—you want to move.

So here’s the question: Is your future compelling enough to get you out of bed every day? If not, dream bigger. Lead yourself like a shepherd—not with force, but with vision.

Your 3 Best Friends

Who are your best friends?

Think about it for a minute, then write it down.

This is a trick question. You already know it’s a trick question, but go along with me anyway.

Here are the answers we all should have written down, and you're going to feel guilty that you didn't write.

Christ: He’s your anchor. The One who sees you as your perfected future self.
Your Spouse: The partner walking beside you as you build the life you’re working toward.
Your Future Self: The version of you that you’re becoming.

Here’s what you need to understand: You can’t change yesterday’s version of you. You can’t even change today’s version of you. The only “you” you can change is your tomorrow self.

When you become best friends with your future self—when you know what they value, how they think, what they’re capable of—you gain clarity. You stop judging yourself for your failures today because you’re focused on the person you’re becoming.

It’s not just about progress; it’s about compassion. You’re not who you were yesterday. You’re not even who you are today. But you can become the person you want to be.

The Gap & The Gain

This is a good one—Gap and the Gain. Here’s how it works: Where you started. Where you are now. And where you want to be.

The space between where you are now and where you want to be? That’s the Gap.

Here’s the problem: the horizon—the place you’re aiming for—can’t be reached. Why? Because as you move closer, it moves further away. It’s the horizon effect. You can’t “arrive.”

Now, as entrepreneurs, that’s frustrating. We’re wired to get things done. We want checkboxes, bottom lines, and results we can point to. But when we focus only on the Gap—on how far we haven’t come—we feel like failures. We beat ourselves up, we lose confidence, and we start questioning everything.

But here’s the reframe: The horizon isn’t bad. We need it. That future vision is what creates a compelling future—something so big it motivates us to keep going. If you don’t feel motivated, it’s because your future isn’t clear or exciting enough.

The key is this: while the horizon motivates us, it’s not how we measure progress. Progress is measured by looking backward. That’s the Gain—how far you’ve come from where you started.

Let’s pause for a second. Think about yourself 10 years ago. Picture that version of you sitting across from you. Could they even recognize who you are today? Could they connect the dots of how you got here?

No way. You can’t connect the dots looking forward—you can only do it by looking backward.

When you see the Gain—when you look back and measure how far you’ve come—it restores confidence. You realize you are making progress, even if it doesn’t feel like it. That’s what keeps you going.

So here’s the bottom line: The horizon pulls you forward, but the Gain keeps you grounded. You need both. Without the horizon, you lose motivation. Without the Gain, you lose confidence.

Measure backward. Celebrate the progress. See the Gain. Because when you do, you’ll realize how far you’ve already come—and that momentum will carry you forward.

Don’t Let Logic Destroy You

This is one of my favorite concepts because I’ve had to wrestle with it personally.

There’s a quote from David Hume:

“Reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions.”

At first, I stumbled over this. I’m a numbers guy. I have two left brains—I’m wired to think logically. The idea that reason should be the slave to passions? I didn’t like it. I thought passion was for 13-year-old girls writing in their journals, fueled by emotions.

But here’s what I realized: passion isn’t just feelings. It’s purpose. It’s drive. It’s what fills the hearts of warriors in the movie 300.

If you’re not passionate about something, you won’t do it—no matter how good you are at problem-solving. You’ll never fully engage your intellect if you don’t care about the outcome.

Think about it: passion creates energy. Logic just organizes it. Passion is what drives the “what” and the “why.” Once you’re clear on what you want and why you want it, reason steps in to figure out the “how.”

Here’s where we get stuck: Most people start with the “how.”

“How do I grow my business?”
“How do I solve this problem?”
“How do I get to my goals?”

But if you don’t first clarify what you want and why you want it, the “how” doesn’t matter. You’ll spin in circles because you’re not connected to the purpose behind what you’re doing.

Order of operations matters:

What do I want?
Why do I want it?
How do I get there?

Logic has its place, but it’s a servant—not the master. Passion leads. Purpose drives. Once you know your “what” and “why,” you’ll unleash the energy to figure out the “how.”

Don’t let logic destroy you. Don’t overthink it. Get clear, get passionate, and then let reason do its job.

Unique Ability

Here’s the deal: your unique ability is the thing that only you can do. It’s where you’re most creative, most impactful, and most alive. When you’re operating in your unique ability, you stop competing. You stop grinding. You start creating.

But most entrepreneurs get stuck doing the 80%—the things they can do but shouldn’t be doing. Why? Because it feels safe. Because it feels productive. Because it’s part of your identity.

At some point, though, you have to stop and ask yourself:

What do I really want?
What’s the 20% that’s producing 80% of my results?
What would happen if I let go of the rest?

Here’s what happens when you make that shift:

You stop working harder and start working smarter.
You create space to operate in your zone of genius.
You move from competition to collaboration because nobody can replicate you when you’re operating in your unique ability.

And yes, this is scary. Letting go of the 80% feels like taking a step backward. But remember, that 80%—that’s someone else’s 20%. Someone else can do that better than you. Your job is to focus on what only you can do.

Here’s the big takeaway: If you’re going to 10X your results, you need to be ruthless about operating in your unique ability and letting go of the rest.

Conclusion: Defending Your Identity

Let’s wrap this up with one final thought: you are not your business. You are not your results. You are not the revenue or the “stuff” you’ve accumulated.

You are the visionary, the creator, and the architect of your future.

As entrepreneurs, we often get caught up in the grind. We cling to the things that feel safe because they’re familiar—our 80%, our old identities. But if you want to 10X, you have to be willing to let go. To step into the unknown. To embrace a new version of yourself.

This isn’t just about growing your business—it’s about becoming the person capable of creating the life you want. That’s why 10X thinking matters. It’s not just about spreadsheets or results. It’s about your identity.

So here’s the challenge:

Commit to operating in your unique ability.
Protect your confidence.
Say no to the 80%.
Measure the Gain, not the Gap.
And dream so big that the distractions fade away.

Because here’s the truth: 10X growth isn’t just a strategy. It’s a defense of your identity as an entrepreneur. It’s proof that you’re willing to evolve, to grow, and to create something extraordinary.

And when you do that—when you commit to the process, step into your unique ability, and operate from a place of abundance—10X doesn’t just feel possible.

It feels inevitable.

If you’re committing to the process, drop a comment below.

Live Rich. Finish Wealthy.

Brad

Commentary On Wealth