The Power of Momentum

Books Referenced

Psycho-Cybernetics - Maxwell Maltz

---

If you have been a reader for any amount of time, you may know I have a love/hate relationship with motivation.

Motivation is awesome.

We should be able to summon it on command and leverage it to crush our goals.

Also, it is fickle.

It is not something we should rely on to get s*** done.

Given it is the new year, talk of motivation is everywhere.

Let me guide your attention away from motivation.

Because spoiler alert: motivation doesn’t create change.

Action creates change.

This sounds obvious, I know…. but let’s lean in.

There is a problem with waiting to take action until we feel motivated.

The problem is in the WAITING.

We wait to feel ready, confident, and motivated before taking action.

But while we wait, nothing changes.

We think we need motivation to take action.

While motivation can lead to action, it turns out that motivation actually comes after action.

Action leads to momentum and momentum leads to motivation.

We need momentum.

In this article, I’m going to teach you how to build momentum on demand, even when motivation is low, confidence is shaky, and energy isn’t where you want it to be.

This is crucial to learn, because waiting for motivation is one of the most reliable ways to stay stuck.

Motivation is unreliable. It’s emotional. It is transient.

Momentum builds.

By learning to build momentum (before motivation), you’ll notice:

• More consistency
• Less overthinking
• Faster progress
• A growing sense of confidence and capability

Let’s look at the 4 factors that create momentum and how to use them intentionally.

Step 1: Start before you feel ready

This is the hardest step and the most important.

You do not need to FEEL motivated to take action.

Unless… are you going to be that person who needs to feel good before doing what you should do?

I thought not.

Just start.

So HOW do you do this?

Well, let’s first identify what stops us from taking action.

Imagine this:

You wake up in the morning and think to yourself, “I should go out into the garage and workout, like a planned.”

And then you think, “ugh… but I have work to catch up on, and it’s cold, and I have to get the kids ready, and… and… and… but… but… but.”

See the problem?

You thought.

Instead of taking action, you engaged in a debate with yourself.

Once this happens, the game is over. When you debate with yourself your mind is primed to justify taking the easy path instead of the right path.

The trick is to avoid this emotional self-argument and take action before you get into the debate.

Just start.

When you have the mental nudge that you “should” do something, take action immediately.

Does this require some mental control?

Yes.

Will this be easy at first?

No.

Will this take practice?

Yes.

But you can do this.

Just start.

Start before you are fully ready.

Start before you have full clarity.

Start because you choose to.

Momentum always begins with imperfect action.

And just consider, how often do you regret taking action?

When was the last time you regretted working out?

When was the last time you regretted NOT working out?

Step 2: Make the action small enough to repeat

Step 1 gets you started.

But starting once isn’t enough.

Momentum comes from consistency, not intensity.

Big goals are inspiring, but they often stall action.

This is because big goals require big actions which require big commitments. This can feel daunting and overwhelming.

Small, repeatable actions create rhythm. Rhythm creates momentum.

This is where most people get stuck:

They ask, “What’s the best thing I could do?”

Instead of asking, “What’s the smallest thing I can do consistently?”

The first question keeps us trapped behind a pile of requirements.

The second question gets us to move forward.

This is also known as the MVA: The Minimum Viable Approach.

What is the smallest action I could take that will move me closer to my goals?

THAT is the action to take.

The small one.

You can always level up your effort later. And when your motivation is surging, you can really level up your intensity.

But again, momentum is about consistency.

So, what is the smallest action you should do that will move you toward your goals?

Aside from moving you toward your goals, there are other side-effects to small consistent actions:

• Repetition builds trust with yourself (you say you will do something and you do it, dang it!)
• Consistency compounds confidence
• Progress feels inevitable instead of fragile

These three things lead right into step 3.

Step 3: Update your self-image

As you take small consistent actions, something important happens.

Your identity starts to shift.

You stop saying, “I’m trying to be consistent,” and start thinking, “I’m someone who shows up.”

This is where motivation finally arrives.

Action creates evidence.

Evidence changes your beliefs.

Beliefs fuels motivation.

Not the other way around.

This is why momentum is so powerful. It slowly but surely rewrites the story you tell yourself about who you are and what you’re capable of.

And once identity shifts, behavior follows effortlessly.

This is because all lasting change comes from identity change.

We humans stay aligned with our identity. Maxwell Maltz wrote about this 65 years ago in is timeless book Psycho-Cybernetics.

Knowing this, it helps if you are intentional about your identity upgrade.

As you take consistent action, add in affirmations of your identity.

If you are changing your health routine, say things like, “I care about my health. I prioritize my health.”

If you are leaning into difficult conversations, say things like, “My opinion matters. I care about other people’s growth.”

Whatever your desired identity change is, verbalize it. Feel it. Reinforce it!

There is one more step to help momentum continue.

Step 4: Remove friction

Momentum is fragile early on, so your job is to protect it.

That means removing anything that slows you down:

• Too many choices
• Too much planning
• Too much friction between intention and action

This is one reason why small actions matter… they are simpler to navigate.

But also, make the next step obvious. Make the tools you need easy to access. Make starting the default and not the secondary option.

Momentum thrives in environments that reduce resistance.

If you look through your routine, your environment, and your patterns, seek out areas of potential resistance.

Maybe you need to set out workout clothes the night before.

Maybe you need to block your calendar in the morning.

Maybe you need to send an email request every afternoon.

Where do you foresee obstacles to your (small) routines?

Please, oh please, do no rely on willpower to overcome challenges.

This will be another topic for another day… but build a simple system that helps you succeed.

The Wrap Up

Momentum changes everything.

Instead of asking, “How do I stay motivated?”

Start asking yourself, “What’s the next small action I can take?”

Motivation will come.

But only after you move.

Start small.

Start now.

Let momentum do the rest.

I believe in you.

Clark