Learn how to keep moving forward in your goals, hopes, and dreams, no matter what.
How amazing does it feel when you’re making progress in different areas of your life? Whether it’s a short-term goal to drink less caffeine or a long-term goal to switch careers completely, making changes in your life can be exciting. Especially when you’re in the “honeymoon phase,” i.e. you just started out and have all the faith in the world you’ll be able to accomplish what you set out to do. But how do you keep the momentum going when you’re weeks, months, or even years into trying to make a change?
After all, when life gets stressful, it’s easy for our plans and goals to fall by the wayside. Rest assured, though, we’ve got some tips that can help you build momentum and stay on track.
What Is Momentum, Anyway?
Just like a car driving along a highway and picking up speed, momentum in your daily life is that feeling of making progress and getting closer to your hopes and dreams every day. When you have momentum, you feel like you’re heading somewhere, things are finally coming together, and you might even have the finish line in sight.
But it’s important to note that momentum in our personal lives isn’t as clear cut as a car driving a straight path along a highway. After all, how many people do you know who’ve had a direct route to achieving their goals? Instead, the road to success is often filled with bumps, periods of not moving at all, and a lot of re-directing.
With that in mind, here are some tips for keeping the momentum going in your life, even with the ups, downs, twists, and turns.
How to Keep Your Momentum
1. Set smart goals
Creating clear, specific goals is one surefire way to keep the momentum going. For example, instead of challenging yourself to “exercise more,” you can tweak your goal slightly to “walk 10,000 steps every day.” That way it’s less vague, and you’re more likely to do it, which builds momentum. We’re also a big fan of dividing goals into two groups—several small goals that are super achievable and a few “big dreamer” goals that might take some time. For example, a small goal might be to write a personal essay. And a “big dreamer” goal might be to publish a book.
Another key to goal setting? Constantly reassess. That means checking in regularly to see where you are with your short and long-term goals and making any necessary changes to help you on your path to achieving them. We like keeping the goals in a handy place, like a written list or document on your computer, and putting reminders in your calendar to check in on your progress.
2. Document your progress
In addition to regularly checking in with your goals, tracking your progress can give you an extra boost of momentum to keep going. You can get creative with the ways you document goals too. Visible reminders are a great way to keep the goal always top of mind. For instance, if you’re a first-time runner who wants to eventually run a marathon, you can hang a map on your wall that tracks all the miles you’ve run.
There’s also a lot of satisfaction to be had from writing a list of goals and crossing things off every time you achieve something. Or, you can journal about every time you’ve had a high or low in your journey. You can also try this exercise: Whenever you have a small loss or win, email yourself with a recap of the event and be sure to add a catchy subject line, like “Today you got promoted!” or “Today you had a big setback…” Add these emails to a folder in your inbox. Then, whenever you’re in need of a little “momentum inspiration,” read the emails in the folder. Be sure to read the emails about tough days too since they’ll remind you that you can overcome obstacles—the proof is in the emails!
3. Find your pit crew
Even though many of our goals are personal, our journey to achieving them can involve other people. It’s much easier to get things done when you have a support system in place and people who remind you to keep going after your dream.
Choose people who will keep you accountable in a loving way, i.e. they don’t make you feel bad if you lose steam. Think of this support system as your pit crew, helping you in the ups and downs of your journey. And they don’t just have to be family or friends. There are so many ways to find people who’ll keep you accountable and regularly check in with you in an informal way, from faith-based groups and fitness clubs to online professional groups and mentors.
4. Celebrate your victories
Just like it’s important to track your progress, it’s crucial to take time to celebrate each and every win. This will keep your momentum going much longer, especially since you’ll start to look forward to those small wins, and not just the end goal.
For example, if you’re trying to learn Italian, you can set up different celebrations to mark your progress. The first time you’re able to string together a whole sentence in Italian? Treat yourself to gelato! Once you’re fluent in the language? Take a trip to Italy or Little Italy in your favorite city!
5. Embrace missteps
Many of us lose momentum when the going gets tough or the very first time we take a step back in our goals. Instead of losing hope, try to make peace with these low points. It’s completely normal to stumble or take the wrong turn. It might even mean you’re getting closer to your goal or that God is trying to show you something that’ll better prepare you in the end.
So, the next time you lose momentum, reframe it as a sign of progress and trust that it’s all part of the journey.
See Where the Momentum Takes You…
By having fun with your goals and setting realistic expectations, you can keep the momentum going and make small and big changes that add so much to your day-to-day. Stay inspired, embrace mistakes, and see what happens!
