Get Moving! 6 Questions to Help You Create Momentum
My neighborhood is a walker’s paradise. The views are inspiring and the steep hills make for a worthwhile workout. Initially the hills were an effort – I’m not going to lie! They left me a bit breathless and my muscles let me know I’d worked them the next day! Thankfully, navigating the hills has gotten easier, and I have learned a few things in the process: In order to climb a steep hill, you have to start moving, and once you’ve started, don’t stop! Keep the momentum going – it makes a difference!
Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, or in everyday language, size and speed. When it comes to traversing hills, the size of the hill and the pace I climb it all contribute to the momentum that will get me to the top. The steeper the hill, the more effort is required and in order to not collapse in a heap, I need to slow down the pace.
That same principal applies to life! Big goals, even “big hairy audacious goals” (BHAG), are like steep hills and take more effort to climb. The bigger the goals, the easier it is to tempted to give up along the way before I reach my goals. And stopping has a way of killing my momentum! It also makes it that much harder to begin again or want to pursue big goals in the future. If I slowed down, took smaller steps, I’d have a better chance of reaching my goals.
What does it take to create momentum and get moving towards your goals big or small? Here are a few things to consider:
1. How Compelling Is Your Goal?
In order to reach a goal, it has to be very compelling! It has to be something worth the sweat and tears, right? Otherwise you will give up! After all, there are sure to be setbacks, challenges, and you have to have enough motivation to face those head on!
I know that if a healthy lifestyle wasn’t a priority to me, trudging up steep hills would not get me out of bed in the morning!
Ask yourself…
- How passionate am I about my goals?
- How well do my goals align with my purpose?
- What are my values and are my goals in sync with them?
2. Are Your Goals Big Enough?
People tend to set goals or targets that are too small – barely a stretch, when in reality they are capable of so much more! Then, they attempt to take steps that are too big, too fast, and get discouraged when their efforts don’t pan out the way they had hoped.
It’s surprising how much momentum is created by simply taking consistent small steps; doing a little something towards your goal every day.
Fear tempts you to set goals you know you can reach. Accomplishing big things, and making a difference requires bigger goals; goals that scare you a little. Then you need to steadily take lots of baby steps, towards that big goal.
3. What Factors Do You Need To Consider?
In the pursuit of a goal, dream, or vision there are outside factors that are beyond my control that impact the process.
When I’m traversing the hills in my neighborhood, there are a variety of factors that come into play. Factors like the amount of sleep I’ve had, my level of energy, the temperature, and humidity (it is sweaty where I live) all factor into the pace I’m able to walk. They don’t prevent me from navigating the hills, but they do affect the pace. There are some things I can control like getting more sleep and guarding my energy level, but I have yet to figure out how to control the weather!
You may have responsibilities, relationships, or even competing goals that might affect the pursuit of your goals. Outside factors can easily become excuses and destroy your momentum. Making the choice to keep going, regardless of the pace, is essential. Don’t stop!
4. How Sustainable Is Your Pace?
People tend to go all in – 110%, and then fizzle. Or they tend to hold off on pursuing their goal until…but that “until” never happens and they find themselves in serious procrastination mode. How will you go after your goal in a sustainable way?
Trust me, if decided to run the hills in my neighborhood, I would be too tired to keep that up for long! I walk at a very brisk pace that gets my heart thumping and that I am able to successfully complete.
Your rhythms or routines are a great way to ensure that you make the time needed to consistently pursue your goals. Just like working out is a part of my morning routine, you have to find space in your day where you will consistently do what needs to be done to reach your goal. If I waited for there to be space in my day to exercise it probably wouldn’t happen – my life is full!
5. How Does Your Mindset Need To Change?
When traveling, the walking routes are rarely as intense as the hills at home. After walking flat routes while I’m away, my hills at home often seem daunting again. How I chose to think about these hills matters. If I believe the hills are too big or too hard, I will not be motivated to get out there and conquer them. Yet, when I remind myself that I’ve successfully tackled the hills before and I choose to believe I am able to take on the big hills, it makes a difference.
Pay attention to your inner dialogue. Are telling yourself the truth? Are your mindsets and beliefs sabotaging you?
It’s handy to blame others when we fail to accomplish our goals, but most of the time, we are our own worst enemy! Ugh!
6. Where Is God In The Process?
If the goals I’m chasing are not the goals God has in mind for me in this season of life, I am exerting a whole lot of effort in vain.
If I am putting my efforts into the goals He has in mind for me, following His lead, and depending on Him, knowing that He’s with me every step of the way, then God has ways of taking my small obedient steps and compounding them so that I make greater strides towards my goals – steps brimming with supernatural momentum!
As long as I stand at the bottom of a hill and stare up at it, I will never get to the top. Sadly, waiting has a way of making fear grow making it even harder to start. Everything changes with the first step! What’s really exciting is that with each step not only do you gain momentum, but your confidence grows!
Do share! When it comes to your goals, what halts your momentum? How do you get yourself going again?
This blog was originally posted on 7/15/14 and has been revised and updated just for you!
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / prawny
I absolutely love this analogy! The part that stun my soul the most (that’s a good thing btw) was “fear tempts me to set goals I know I can reach.”
I never looked at it as fear. But you are absolutely right. I set the small goal because I’m really too afraid to set the big one!
Hmmmmm thanks for this encouragement.
Thanks for sharing Julia! Pleased to hear you were encouraged. I can’t wait to hear what BHAG goal you set and all that follows. Keep me posted!
These questions are so helpful! Considering them causes me to be more deliberate about my routines –patterns that may have been borne from my values, but somehow over time became relegated to little more than “the daily grind” in my thinking.
A big factor that plays into maintaining momentum for me is the presence of measureable results. It motivates me if I can somehow create a sense of accomplishment in the short-term while I wait for the “full harvest” that comes when the goal is met. I struggle in a big way with follow-through if I don’t have this. I’ve made a crazy number of charts over the years to track my daily progress so I have that sense of accomplishment that keeps momentum going to the next day, and the next…
Great point! Many accomplishments are intangible so charts can be an effective way to make them more visible, especially if you are disciplined and good about keeping up with the chart.
Another way to urge yourself forward is to have an accountability partner that you check in with when you have completed whatever task you want to be doing. Often times knowing they will ask you about it if you don’t check in is a little more “pressure” to keep going than paper. I experienced the value of an accountability partner just this week. Had I not had that in place I confess I would have been tempted to slack. Because I had committed to checking in I actually stepped things up!
Regarding your 6 questions… as a small home base business owner am very passionate about what I do. Although, I am not sure if the size of my goals matters as long as the goals that I set for myself are realistic and obtainable. I think some of the outside factors for me is time management in how I leverage my time spent in building a business from home. I believe some of the steps I’ve incorporated so far is believing in the beauty of my dreams, passions, and or desires towards accomplishing each goal I’ve sat out for myself with the “mindset” that I will succeed while believing in God in keeping faith that I will. -Stacey, E-Consultant
Thrilled to hear that you are pursing things that you are passionate about, Stacey! That is a great place to start. Sounds like you are well on your way with an intentional mindset, and faith in God. What would “stretch goals” look like for you?
My stretch goals in terms of long term would be to continue to educate myself in learning ways of being a better Business Owner.
What areas would you like to grow in? How will you go about educating yourself?
I am looking to improve myself in the area of my profession as a Business Owner. So, far I’ve watched a few coaching webinars and read a few free reports from various professionals on how to elevate my life.