Using Momentum to Achieve Your Desired Outcome

Repeatedly taking action is a powerful choice. There is a strength and force that builds with recurring action, and it’s called momentum. This energy can be unstoppable, and it starts by voicing out loud what it is you truly want to do and be in life. Even better if you can share this goal with a trusted friend or like-minded mentor. By sharing this, you’ve automatically created a way to hold yourself accountable. It also gives you a supportive additional perspective and helps you to be more intentional.

Once you put these wheels in motion, pay attention to what happens next. Like any powerful vehicle that is starting to move, you’ll likely be met with resistance you must overcome. This is completely normal and a sign that you are headed in the right direction.  Lean in and challenge yourself to take small steps that keep you moving forward.

You can use a simple Mind Map to break through any initial resistance. This method uses your creative talents. Start by putting your goal or project name at the center of a piece of paper, and create spokes and circles around each idea that comes from there. The question to ask yourself is: what are some possible action steps I could take to get to this desired outcome? Not the right action, not the perfect sequence of steps, just some potential routes to the end goal.

I notice this is where people become stalled, maybe even frustrated. They’ll tell me, “I know all the things I need to do, I’m simply not doing them.” It’s overwhelming to have it all laid out, but this is where you can diagnose the reason you aren’t taking action. Is it because you don’t feel ready? You don’t have the time? Or you aren’t sure where to start? 

Once you identify this block (reference your questions above), put together a plan to overcome it. Maybe you find a mentor, say no to another time consuming commitment, set a boundary with household responsibilities, or hire someone to help you. When you start to move toward overcoming your blocks, this sets things in motion and shows the universe that you are serious.

Start by choosing a few of the possible action steps from your Mind Map (use your intuition to guide you toward which ones). Ask yourself - what is the smallest action that I can take (think 15-20 minute actions) to move me closer to this goal?  The key is breaking the actions down into bite-sized chunks. One internet search, draft an email, make one phone call, etc. 

Now for accountability. The biggest blocker to accountability is lack of self-trust. You might tell yourself “I never finish what I start”, or “I’m terrible with follow through”. The more you say these things, the more it erodes your own trust, and the more your brain moves to seek evidence of you not finishing. Instead, I want you to create evidence of your wins and action taking! This builds the integrity in yourself which creates an energy of momentum and can cultivate courage.

Before you go to bed each night, choose one half an hour time slot that is open in your calendar for the following day and one action from your Mind Map that you are going to take. Write them down. Bonus points if you tell someone else you are going to do it to hold you accountable. Do this daily for a few weeks.  

What starts to happen when you build this consistency muscle is that the universe picks up on your vibration of doing, and your new identity of a person who has done what you seek to accomplish. A compound effect starts to form with the repetition, and little synchronicities start to unfold. This might look like a phone call from an old boss in the industry you are pursuing, an acquaintance mentions a podcast that ends up describing the perfect next step, or a client referral comes out of nowhere. 

The last step is to celebrate each of these tiny miracles and wins along the way. In the same way that a downward spiral results when we beat ourselves up regularly for not taking action,  an upward cycle creates momentum toward the desired result when we find evidence of successes. So celebrate each email introduction, like on FB, direct message, wink from the universe like a green light, angel numbers, or a check coming in the mail.  The first sign that this is working is that you FEEL GOOD. Once that feeling hits, your evidence comes soon after.