Momentum is one of those concepts that people always seem to be chasing, probably because it feels so good when you find it. It can be quite complex because often it’s tied up in many other things; identity, clarity, goals, dreams, lifestyle, responsibilities. So many factors can affect whether you are able to create and build momentum.

what is momentum.

I love a good dictionary definition; it can help to set the scene and make sure you are thinking about a word in the right way. The general definition is ‘the strength, force, or speed that an object or a process has when it is moving or developing.’ When applied to everyday life it refers to the ‘power or drive that keeps an event, plan, or project growing and moving forward after it starts’. That’s what we are looking at. The start of something, not getting back on track or finding new ways to sustain something.

So, if momentum is power or drive to keep going, growing or moving forward, where do we find it in the first place?

finding momentum.

Momentum only comes with action. You can’t create momentum from something that doesn’t exist. That idea in your head, the one you’ve been meaning to start, you might feel like you are creating momentum as the idea gets bigger and, hopefully, more exciting. The key part of the definition is ‘after it starts’. While it is in your head, arguably it hasn’t started yet.

Once you start taking action consistently, you can start to find momentum. And yes, I did say ‘consistently’. Another word you might feel is overused. But let’s stop and think about it for a moment.

consistency isn’t the only way.

I used to think consistency was essential to creating momentum. It’s certainly a valid solution and it works. There are other ways. Consider my journey to self-employed coach.

My qualification had deadlines, tasks to be completed and practice sessions to deliver. I mapped my deadlines and got started completing tasks. Along the way, I built pace and found momentum. Some of my colleagues didn’t set an end date but still worked through everything one task at a time. When one was delivered, they started on the next one. Both approaches created momentum because something triggered the next step. The end date kept me focused, but not everyone needs that. Other people I met had stopped for various reasons, some personal circumstances and others because they hadn’t found momentum. I discovered this was because they were just picking up a task when they had the time to do it. Then, the next opportunity they had to work on it, they looked for the next task. They still achieved their qualification, but they never spoke about feeling momentum.

Once qualified, my coaching business became my side hustle. I had a vague sense of what I wanted to create and an unclear idea of when. I knew I wanted to transition out of my career and the sooner I could achieve that, the better. And I knew the type of coach I wanted to be and who I could help. But I didn’t have a task list or deadlines, I just worked on it when I had time. There was no focus or purpose to my work.  

This doesn’t mean that consistency is the only way. Consistency creates momentum, but in some of these examples, each task triggered the next one. That’s what I believe creates momentum. That, and clarity.

find the triggers.

If you use a task to trigger the next one, you aren’t dependent on consistency. A missed day or task won’t break your momentum because you didn’t build it on that. I find it helpful to create a deadline for each task as that keeps you moving forward rather than circling round each task hoping for the time or motivation to complete it.

Think of something you want to complete as a series of dominoes you are trying to knock down in some crazy pattern. Each domino is a task. You knock down the first one, then the second, then the third, and, if set up well, they will continue until the last domino falls. That is a visual description of momentum. Think how satisfying that can be. The dominoes don’t always have to land perfectly; they just need to keep falling towards the next one so it can fall too.

Projects are the same. They are a series of interconnected tasks. Some need to happen in order, others don’t. The trick? Each time you complete one, you pick up the next one.

other things that can help.

Trackers, for me, are the perfect way to create momentum. Going back to consistency, it is well-known that this is key to building a solid presence on social media. But it is so hard. It is easily the thing that people tell me they struggle with the most. I finally cracked it when I created a tracker. I set a publishing schedule and created a grid with the weeks along the top, the channels and publishing day and time on the left. Then, when each piece is created, I can tick the box. At a glance I can see what I need to do and what’s already been done.

At the moment I am re-building my website, I have a diagram of all the pages and how they interact, so I can see what needs to be built or written first. I colour in each box on the diagram when it’s done, so I have something colourful to look at as I go. Some parts of this project are easy and I enjoy them. Other parts are difficult and I procrastinate and put them off. So, I’ve put a final deadline that I want it done by and I’ve circled the tasks that will create bottlenecks or bring the project to a halt.

build your own momentum.

If this is something you struggle with, consider the idea of the dominoes and how satisfying it is to watch them all fall one at a time. How could you create a similar feeling in the project you are working on right now? Is it a tracker you need, a series of tasks, a diagram to colour in? What works for me isn’t necessarily going to work for you. But the principle will.

If you want to create momentum but aren’t sure how, book a free introductory call and we’ll talk about what will work for you.