The Big ‘Mo
Motivation and Momentum
One of the most difficult parts of goal achievement is getting into motion. It’s taking that very first step. Most people find it easy enough to dream and plan, but sadly, many get stuck right there. Frozen in the phase of perpetual planning. It’s kind of like rocking in a rocking chair. Sure, it gives you something to do, but you never really go anywhere. Planning and dreaming might give you the sense that you’re moving toward your goals, but it’s a trap. Only the person who actually takes a step forward ever achieves them. In order to see measurable progress, you have to step out of your comfort zones and take action. You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.
When you muster up the courage to begin moving forward, what usually happens? You realize it’s WAY harder than you thought it would be, right? It feels like you’re trying to run the 40 yard dash while buckled to an anvil. Facing unexpected obstacles, setbacks and delays and wrestling with fear and anxiety. It becomes a daily battle just to stay motivated.
It’s during this phase of resistance where most people throw their hands up in surrender. They decide to let a temporary setback become a permanent station. “I guess it isn’t meant to be” or “Must not have been in the cards” become the weak attempts to explain why they didn’t achieve their goals. They decide to put their dream on a shelf and vow to try again “someday”. Funny thing about someday…it is NOT one of the seven days of the week. You won’t find someday on any calendar in the universe. Or worse yet, some resign themselves to a life of mediocrity because they bought into the lie that encountering obstacles meant they don’t have what it takes. They reason within themselves that they “tried”, they “failed,” so why waste time and resources trying again.
Has this been your experience at some point? For most people it has!
However, I have a word of encouragement for you. this doesn’t have to be the end of the story. You can pick up your dreams, dust them off and try again. But this time you should know about a little something called Momentum.
You see, the difficult phase I just described is what happens at the beginning when you’re trying to gain momentum. Most people quit during this phase because they think it’s ALWAYS going to be this hard. What they don’t realize is that every effort they put toward the achievement of their goals will build on the previous efforts. With every step forward the process gets easier and easier. Finally, they’ve put so much energy and effort into the process that momentum begins to take over. Suddenly they realize that they don’t have to push so hard to keep moving forward. It becomes fun . . . even easy to achieve their goal.
This same experience can be yours! All you have to do is keep moving forward. Keep working toward your dreams and never quit. Momentum WILL take over eventually!
If you want to get momentum working even more quickly for you there are a few ways to do it, but they can be summed up in one sentence:
Be willing to work harder, faster and take bigger risks than you have in the past.
The reason why momentum can be delayed sometimes is because many people take very tentative steps toward their goals. They’re afraid to go all in, so they hold back much of the energy and power they should be devoting toward their goal. Even if they’re not aware of it, they may feel more comfortable working at a slower pace, so they avoid taking big risks and instead take baby steps. I believe one of the biggest mistakes we are taught at an early age is that “slow and steady wins the race”. The tortoise didn’t beat the hare because he was slower than the hare. He won because he didn’t get distracted and stayed focused on his objective. He never gave up!!! Just know this…if the hare had stayed focused, he would have finished light years ahead of the tortoise. Focus and intentionality wins the race.
If you want to make faster progress and build momentum quickly, think about taking bigger steps and going all in! I heard my good friend Paul Martinelli say this many, many times, “Jump and build your wings on the way down.” Start giving your full energy and focus toward making it happen. By doing so, you’ll push through the difficult beginning and find momentum carrying you before you know it.