Week 11 of quarantine is happening right now here in Canada. It is time to check in on how you are all doing? It feels like forever since we have all been out in the world. I know everyone is probably feeling it by now. Although I am sure some people do not mind it. It is all in how you pivot to the circumstances right? We are all so different and yet, there is one thing that we all need in order to keep moving forward, momentum.
Momentum, can be defined as “mass in motion.” All objects or humans have mass; so if an object is moving, then it has momentum – it has it’s mass in motion. The amount of momentum that an object has is dependent upon two variables: how much stuff is moving and how fast the stuff is moving. So there you have it. Like I said earlier, we all need momentum no matter who we are.
Momentum is something that we all crave. The hard part is finding it and then keeping it. Being in quarantine, you might find that it is much harder to get moving because of so many things that are happening around you. I get this! Everyone has a story and you know what, your story is real and it is hard. However, if we don’t find a momentum, our story gets a whole lot more difficult. If your story is living in more of a difficult plot right now, then it is more important than ever to find momentum to propel you through the storm instead of sitting in the puddles. It will feel like the second set of three. You know, it is like when you are working out, the second set always feels the hardest. Or maybe it is that unending road in the marathon. Whatever your story is, it is hard, it is a slog, and it is long. You know what the best part of the second set is? The third set. That is where momentum starts to build because you are in it, you are present, it feels closer to being finished and you how you will feel once it is. This all happens because you have found your momentum and it helped to give you strength to carry you through. So let’s talk about how you find that momentum in the second set.
Jessie Itzler has a saying. He is one of my favs by the way. If you haven’t heard or listened to him, check him out. He will help you to build momentum times ten! He states that we are all on our own bus ride. No matter what, that bus ride keeps going. Until someday, it stops. It ends. He asks the very important question, “Will you be happy with your ride?” Remember, you are the only one that can drive your own bus.
I want you to think about, how will you maximize your ride? Because it keeps moving until one day it stops.
How will you make it as impactful, successful, adventurous, and full of soul as you can?
How will you build connection, deep meaningful relationships and will it put you in a place where people will root for you?
Now is the time to build momentum, not lose it. Especially because it is hard. We have to make our own stories. You can choose to be the victim who feels like the world is against you and there is nothing you can do. The heroine is another character you can choose. The hero is saviour who does it all him or herself and tries to save everyone. Or maybe you choose to be the villain who is always trying to go against the system or be that negative nelly in the crowd where nothing that anyone says or does will ever be enough. Lastly, you can choose the guide. The guide is the person who doesn’t just save people but he or she serves him or herself and others. They build others up while trying to help them. They share their expertise with the world in order to give it their gifts and continue the momentum.
Momentum requires story. It requires opportunity and response. Keep in mind, opportunity is never visual it is always hidden. There is so much opportunity in this time that we never had but it is hidden maybe more than it ever has been, but it is there. Leaders have to carry the momentum and build the momentum. Next, you have to inspire the momentum to grow and build in others. No longer are leaders the hero in the story, they have now become the guide. In our homes, we guide our kids. In our work, we guide our colleagues and our community. In our relationships, we work together with our spouses. Everything needs momentum all of the time. That is why leaders become the guides because they are the ones who generate momentum in others. That is when the storm clouds begin to clear.
Momentum requires clarity in your values. Don’t lose your values in hard times. Values hold true in hard times too. Remind people of that and then invite them to join you on their own bus ride.
Another way to build momentum is to always do the right thing. Think about what is best for people and the momentum will pick up speed. It will take courage. Courage is required on a daily basis. It will take courage to stand away from the crowd, not above it. There is a space for you aside from the crowd that needs to be filled with your expertise and knowledge. It will take courage to step away. It will take courage to not lean into the negative that might be living within the crowd. Instead cultivate the positive. What you focus on expands. There are two things that we tend to focus on Faith or fear. The dominant emotion always wins – so focus on the emotion that you want and that is what will gain momentum, especially in the hard times.
Taking care of yourself is another essential way to build that momentum we are looking for in our homes, our health, our business, and our family. Stress is huge right now, don’t let them see you stressed. Create that hopeful environment and soon you will see it come to fruition all because that was what you chose to focus on with your community.
Develop winning habits – don’t negotiate these habits – they have to be unwavering, not dictated by other people, not to seek validation, but to bless your body and mind and to inspire others to do it as well. Soul purpose matters. Habits can be anything that generates energy for you but they have to happen every single day. Move, journal, meditate, read, and dream big and make stuff happen for yourself. What we do matters, not the medium of doing it. Clarity is so important and so we need to find clarity with our soul purpose and why we have these habits in the first place.
Routines are another very important player in building momentum. Make space and time to invest in yourself and respect the process. Open your calendar and take a good hard look at what fills it. As the saying goes, how you do anything is how you do everything. Go all in, all the time. Inventory your routines and time. Set goals for the day and make it happen. Ed Mylett talks about cutting his day into four mini days where he sets priorities to get done within those days. He checks in with himself after each mini day, resets, and goes again. Imagine that! He has four times the momentum that us one dayers have!
Momentum also builds with Mindset. Handle the lows and realize it is just a moment in time – move in a relentless, constant forward motion. What are you hungry for? What sets your heart on fire? Once you find that ‘light up’ fire, there are three things to do in order to keep momentum. The first is commitment -inconvenience exposes commitment. Do it even when it is hard. The second thing is discipline – if it’s not moving you forward, get rid of it. Choose your hard. The third thing is consistency – give your best and show up when you don’t feel like it. If you can be consistent for the things you hate, why can’t you be consistent for the things we love? The fourth thing is Faith – believe the odds are beatable. Finally you have to have heart. Be brave and do things that set your heart on fire. Care for others and see how that momentum picks up.
Building momentum takes bravery. As Dr. Jodi Carrington states, being brave means you go all in without knowing the outcome and you do it no matter what. That, my friends, builds momentum.
Want more? Check out my freebie, “A Guide to Cultivating A Thriving Culture, Using the Three Bucket System.”
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Another freebie! Check out my guide on “How To Assess Students In A Distance Learning World.”
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My students and I have a podcast on wellness by kids for kids!
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