Momentum. A powerful force.
One that we don’t possess when we’re starting from a dead stop, but that we generate through action and consistency.
The first time we do anything is hard.
The second time is a little easier.
The tenth time is easier still.
Bit by bit, repetition by repetition, and second by second, we get better.
We grow more skilled at doing the thing, yes. More importantly… we become the kind of people who do it.
It’s a shift in identity that takes us from trying to make a change, to changed.
Each action is a vote for a new expression of self.
No matter how embedded we are in our old ways of being, this force holds true.
It doesn’t always happen in a flash. But this reinforcement of character compounds.
Over time, we stop needing to compel ourselves quite so much into action.
Our need for consistency with our past choices and present identity begins to trump our inertia.
Soon, we’re not pushing ourselves any more. Instead, we’re being pulled forward.
And because we sense that momentum is on our side, we start to coast.
We exert less effort than we did before.
Like a cyclist freewheeling downhill, we’ve earned our rest. Now is the time to enjoy the fruits of our engagement.
But the slope which carries us downhill doesn’t continue forever. Eventually, it comes to an end, giving way to flat ground (or an uphill climb) all over again.
If we’re lucky – or wise, or just paying attention – we might see this shift in the landscape before we hit it.
Maybe. Or maybe not.
Rather than relying on hope to guide us through, it might be best to take a more resilient approach:
One where we recognise the role of momentum as an aid or an obstacle (depending on where we are), not the be-all, end-all of our progress.
It’s a tougher proposition. But it’s one that puts the power back in your hands.
Just as momentum can be a powerful force for keeping us on track when times are good, it can just as easily keep us stuck when things aren’t going our way…
Or prevent us from stopping in time when our current course is taking us somewhere we don’t want to be.
If your success depends on you getting an easy ride wherever you’re going – you’re at the mercy of the environment.
Good times will make you overconfident. Hard times will deflate you.
The solution isn’t to avoid an uphill climb. It’s to recognise your role: your ability to propel yourself forward, even when times are tough.
Momentum is wonderful when it’s on our side. But we don’t need it.
All we need to do is keep going. Persist. Push forward, despite what the urge to give in might whisper in your ear.