Got momentum?

Sometimes things feel like they are flowing easily (maybe even effortlessly). Maybe you are experiencing delightful flow in your life, or as you work on a project, or as you generate new ideas.

And starting or advancing some things may feel sluggish, or you may feel stuck. Frustration, doubt and even fear can show up, which only leads to more difficulty when you want to move ahead.

The key to getting into flow — and sustaining flow — is momentum.

The magic of momentum

Before we look at how amazing momentum can be in your life, let’s get clear about what it really is.

Understanding momentum

I don’t know about my readers who are scientists and more left-brained than I am, but I expect I’m not alone in recollecting that high school physics was not a favorite subject.

Yet physics has a lot to offer us outside the lab, and momentum is a great and useful concept that can support us to live our best lives.

Momentum is defined as the amount of motion occurring in something that is moving, or the force that drives something forward to keep it moving.

While you can think about how quickly a car moves down a hill (which is likely to have been discussed in your physics classes), consider the concept of momentum in terms of the energy you bring to everything you do.

Who does not want to have more momentum to make things move forward with ease?

My guess is that we all want momentum, and lots of it.

How to build momentum — whether you feel stuck or sluggish

When you yearn for flow, the key to getting momentum underway is to be in motion.

Getting back to my memories of physics class: If there is no velocity there can not be momentum.

Now this is where things get subtle. Velocity means rapid motion, speed. And that's a great thing to aim for.

But to get from not being in motion (stuck) to building momentum, you need to begin moving.

And for those times when you are in motion but feel like you are far from flow, you want to be able to get more movement underway to build momentum.

How? Inspiration can give you the boost you desire.

How to get inspired

To generate inspiration when you want to get started or ward off sluggishness — whether you want to create new habits for a life that is not overwrought; or want to enhance your health by eating more fresh foods and getting more active; or you want to launch a new initiative in your work — ask yourself why this matters to you.

Having a strong WHY is a key way to get and stay inspired.

To get clear about your WHY, do some writing about it. Dig into all the reasons this thing matters to you. Make a list of what you bring to light, and keep that list handy for times when you need a boost to sustain your inspiration.

And then take action.

Whether you start with small steps (which is fine!) or you choose to take some bigger action steps at first, you’ll begin to be in motion or accelerate the pace you had before!

How to keep momentum growing

Hooray! You are in action. Or you have propelled yourself into feeling more energized, inspired and taking more action.

Getting into motion is crucial, but it’s easy to slack off without some strategies to help you.

This is the time to build velocity, so your momentum can not only be sustained, but grow for the duration of the project at hand.

Here are some things to keep in mind that will help you:

1. Stay focused and positive.
   Keep your attention on what you are aiming for and why it is important to you. Surround yourself with positive people. Don’t get discouraged when you hit a snag (after all, setbacks are inevitable). Positive energy helps you build and sustain momentum!

2. Be flexible.
   As you review your progress, be open to new approaches, new ideas, and make smart adjustments to the original plan you had in mind. Consider inviting others to help and support you, too. Maybe you will ask someone to be an accountability partner.

3. Celebrate yourself.
   Take note of each small success and acknowledge yourself for staying committed and building momentum. This practice goes a long way to keeping you moving ahead.

The more momentum you build the better everything gets

Positive energy you bring to one thing is certain to spread more generally. That’s how building momentum in one area of your life will impact all of your life.

The potential to build momentum is available to all of us, and is truly exciting.

Where can you focus on building momentum today?

Start where you are now and see what happens.