Missing Momentum? 6 Tips to Get Started and Propel Yourself Forward
When you’re just starting out on a path, it can feel tough to build momentum, whether you’re starting a new aspect of your health journey, trying to find a job, building a business, or even just trying to get your house clean. Momentum tends to be easier when you have some successes behind you already. What do you do when you’re just starting and want to build momentum?
Before we dive into that, let’s play for a moment.
Pick some area of your life. When you think of the idea of momentum in that area, what image or visual comes to mind? Before reading further, close your eyes and visualize that image (bonus points for drawing it on paper!), noting the details.
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How would you describe the image? Is there color? Movement? In what direction?
How does your image inform you about momentum in that area of your life?
We did a version of this exercise in my coaching program about the concept of momentum as a metaphor, and I drew a very abstract, but very colorful, picture. Words I associated with the image included movement, expansion, power, and excitement. I would love to have this sense about all the areas I’m working on, but momentum has been difficult to create in most areas over the past year. Here’s what I’ve learned about building it when it seems to be missing.
Know the What and the Why
What are you working towards, and why? Knowing both is a key starting point to help you stay with the process through whatever comes. Make sure your why is big enough: if it helps, ask “why” five times to drill down to the one reason that makes your heart sing.
Focus on Small Steps and Small Wins
Action leads to more action, and at the beginning simply taking steps can be counted as a win. At the start of something new, it helps to break things down into the small things you can do and consider your success to be simply taking action consistently. Get into the habit of action-orientation, and allow the rest to flow from there.
Create Structures and Systems that build Habits
Choose the actions that you want to make into habits, and then ask yourself: “What do I need to put in place to support this action?” And “How can I set up my environment to support my success with this action?”
Manage Your Mindset
Think of your journey as a road stretched out in front of you; your mindset is like the weather that impacts your experience of the road. Creating sunny weather can come through visualizing your success, having a growth mindset, learning from whatever happens, managing stress, and finding a way back to positivity if you get thrown off.
Connect
Don’t go it alone! Find people who can support you, whether they are on a similar journey and serve as peer support, or those who have walked the path already and can provide feedback and encouragement.
Celebrate
You will only support building momentum by celebrating everything: celebrating when you take action (give yourself a pat on the back!), when you get a result, or when you don’t get a result but learn from it and try again. Anything can be turned into a celebration.
Remember that building momentum might be a gradual process, or it might happen quickly. Notice what helps you feel a greater sense of momentum as you take action, and keep going!
What are you trying to accomplish that could benefit from building some momentum? What is one thing from above that you would like to implement?
Reach out if you would like support as you build momentum in any area of your life!