Momentum is a powerful force when it’s unleashed and doing its job. Once it’s chugging away, it will sweep you up and carry you towards your goal in surprising ways.
Getting momentum started, however, is a lot like pushing a boulder up hill. It requires a whole lot of work without much visible progress.
For me, the first few days of a new project are move-the-rock days. They’re just plain hard work. I spend entirely too much time pacing, eating chocolate and drumming my fingers on the desk. (Incidentally, none of those things, except chocolate, help at all.)
But if I keep at it and push that boulder one word, one sentence at a time, things get easier. Slowly, gradually, I find my rhythm, a pace that keeps me putting words on paper and checking progress off on my handy-dandy word-count chart.
Hills above Margau, Romania
And then, wham. Everything stops. Some life situation shows up and takes my momentum hostage. Suddenly I’m managing a family crisis, fighting illness, juggling too much. Whatever the cause, all that lovely momentum stops dead and the boulder sinks down into the sand. Thankfully, it doesn’t bounce back down to where I started, but I worry that I’ll never have the energy to get it moving again.
I felt the Baltimore Ravens’ frustration when circumstances stole their momentum during the Super Bowl. They were on a roll when half the stadium lights went out and the game stopped. Both teams sat around for half an hour, waiting.
Commentators speculated what that loss of momentum would do to the Ravens. For a while it looked like it would cost them the game, but they got their momentum back.
It didn’t come easy, though.
I’ve been struggling with momentum interrupted for a while now, but things are finally, slowly moving forward and momentum—and excitement—are building.
- My newly re-designed blog/website is finally up. What do you think of the new look?
- I should be done with the rough draft of my pirate treasure story this week. Very fun.
- Angel Falls will release on March 1st. I’m beyond thrilled that RT Book Reviews gave it a fabulous 4-star review. (If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of the book, you can pre-order it through my Bookstore.)
I’m planning fun things here to celebrate Angel Falls’ release, so I hope you’ll stop back by often. So many of you have walked this journey with me–I’m excited about celebrating with you!
But if you’re stuck today, if your momentum got derailed a while back and you’re having trouble getting back on track, here are Three Steps to Get Your Momentum Back:
- Go back to basics. Carve out time for your project every day. Ideally, do that FIRST. Before you get the kids ready for school, before you check email (I’m still working on that one), or get sucked into Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Pay yourself first, as they say in financial circles.
- Stay the course. Keep inching your way up that big old mountain, one painful step at a time. Pretty soon, you’ll have passed the summit and momentum and gravity will carry you down the other side and across the finish line.
- Adjust expectations. Things always take far longer than I think they should. Always. Make adjustments, recalculate as needed, but keep moving forward. Trust the process.
What steps do you take when your momentum gets stalled?
Looks great, Connie. You are.amazing……thank you for the encouragement and great reminders to keep things in perspective 🙂
Thanks so much, Doris. I think you’re pretty amazing, too! I appreciate you stopping by–and am so glad the post encouraged you!
I want your post can encourage me too, because I have lost my momentum to be better than yesterday. thank you very much for your post.
So glad you found the post helpful.
The site looks nice, Connie. I totally know where you’re coming from with losing momentum. Great tips for getting it back. Thanks.
Momentum is so easy to lose and so hard to get back, isn’t it? Thanks so much for stopping by, Calisa. Glad the tips will help. I’m glad you like the site, too. 🙂
I love the look of your website. Very cleand sophisticated and very easy to navigate! I do a lot of pacing and chocolate eating, too, when I start a project and am in that “move the rocks” stage, as you call it 🙂 Great analogy!
Thanks so much, Niecey! I so appreciate you stopping by. It’s always good to know I’m not the only one pacing and eating chocolate while I move rocks!!
I love this new website, and I can’t wait to read ‘Angel Falls’.
Oh, thanks so much, Ruth! Can’t wait to hear what you think of Angel Falls, too!
Great look, Connie.
I know all about the momentum gremlins. When they come along I fall back on a good whine and an even better wine. Then I pull on my big girl panties and get back to work. 🙂 Great post.
Mac
I like the way you think, Mac!! Whine and wine…that’ll work. 🙂
I love the new look of your site, Connie.
Those Momentum Stealers have been at my house this month. 🙁 I’m tired of their lousy guest behavior though so I’m about to kick them to the curb-or would if we had a curb.
Diana –from CAN
Diana–could kick out the Mometum Stealers camped out in my house, too??? Around here, I’m going to have to put on my big girl panties, as Mac said, and keep pushing that boulder uphill till the momentum starts rolling again! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Love everything about this site. Best of luck with it Connie.
Thanks so much, Diane!! I appreciate it so much!
I always struggle with momentum. I think it is hard to sustain a strong momentum. Usually the culprit for me is life simply getting in my way. When this happens I take a few steps to be good to me-take a bubble bath, go have coffee with a friend-and then I make a to do list.
Great post!
Hi Cheri, it’s a constant struggle, isn’t it? I hadn’t thought of being good to myself as a way to help me get back on track, but you’re right! Great ideas. Thanks so much!
This is gorgeous. Congrats! Connie. Now I’m off to catch up on your prior blog posts. ; )
Thanks so much, Robena! Cohesive Ideas did a wonderful job for me!
Hope you enjoy the other posts and leave inspired and encouraged!
Great post, great steps. Love the new web site! I would add, forgive yourself. Stop beating yourself up. Figure out why you’re stopped in the water, fix it, and then you can move on. Usually, the why is the hardest part to decipher…
Jan
Ooh, great step, Jan, and one I hadn’t thought of. Here’s hoping this next week your momentum gets rolling along smoothly. 🙂
Thanks for saying things always take longer than expected. Sometimes I feel I’m the only person that happens to.
Terri, you are SO not the only one. I regularly try to schedule enough things in an afternoon that it would take a team of 4 three days to complete. Then I get frustrated, because I always underestimate how long a project will take. 🙂 I’m learning to plan better–and cut myself some slack.