One way to keep momentum going is to have
constantly greater goals.
One of thing we learned as small children and teens with bicycles, sleds, and other instruments of destruction was the power of momentum. When we raced our friends on our bikes, we knew that the best way to do better and use less energy in the long run was to pedal very, very fast and powerfully to start with, give it everything you could pour in to get up to speed, and then you could simply maintain a good even cadence. This technique proved to be the best way to save energy and get ahead faster.
This same technique applies to getting your adult-sized projects and tasks done. You will find that if you can simply start the project quickly, you can often use the momentum to carry you through to its completion. So the key is to get started fast. Here are a few techniques that will help:
1 – Ask someone to help you start. Often just having someone else around help gets things moving.
2 – Know when your high energy times are and start projects with a burst during one of those periods.
3 – Get rid of your distractions. Focus 100% of your energy and time on the task or priority that you are trying to get started. Turn off your email and silence your smart-phone. Close your door. Get rid of the extraneous papers on your desk.
4 – Know from the beginning what your outcome is to be. The clearer you understand what you want to accomplish, the more likely you are to accomplish it.
5 – Set a time limit. Most of us can do almost anything for a short period of time. By setting a time limit like 15 or 20 or 30 minutes to work diligently on a project then giving yourself permission to quit, will often develop momentum.
6 – Be prepared. It is easier to develop and maintain momentum if you have all the tools and information you need at the ready.
7 – Finally, just do it!!! Dig in deep. Push hard. Remember your bicycle. A few hard pushes at the beginning to get started helps make things move much more easily to the finish with less energy.
Using these techniques for gaining momentum can help you move any project forward faster and more easily.
How do you keep your momentum going?
Photo Credit: Paul L Dineen via Compfight cc
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