We’re all feeling a little stuck right now, and what makes it so difficult is that it’s harder than usual to get unstuck. Right now life feels like an endless progression of Mondays with no future in sight – the weekend never comes and there’s no real way to rest and reset. Ambition is being put on hold because of uncertainty. But it’s important to keep moving forward no matter the circumstances, so how can you manage your momentum to put you in the best possible position to take off again after the pandemic passes?
It’s All About Antifragility
Shocks to the system expose the system’s weaknesses. In order to learn and grow from those weaknesses, you have to acknowledge them and then work to make those weaknesses strengths. It’s not about being able to withstand stressors as much as it is about getting better when stressors occur and not going back to the old, fragile ways of doing things that was exposed by the stressors.
Managing Momentum
Getting started is always harder than keeping going. Think about it like you are riding a bike – it’s hard to get started, but once you are going it’s not usually that difficult to keep going, and in fact it can be harder to stop especially if you are going downhill and have gained a great deal of momentum.
Sometimes we avoid getting started because we know it’s going to be hard. This actually works against us, though, because in the long run accomplishing nothing takes its toll. Getting started is worth the effort, and the best way to do it is through baby steps. Start with a small, easily accomplished goal, and then move on from there.
Over time, accomplishing those goals becomes a habit and that habit becomes part of our daily lives. We learn to avoid overanalyzing things and instead value the experience we gain from doing, whether it’s through success or failure. We learn to spot road bumps ahead of time and work proactively to avoid them or work around them. We learn to live in the present moment and value our feelings and experiences, knowing it will impact our futures.
After experiencing a setback, it’s important to acknowledge it and learn from it so we can move on without the emotional baggage. Reframe your outlook so that your setback is a learning experience rather than something that completely derails your progress. Get back on track as soon as possible to keep your momentum going.
Getting Going
Create goals and make lists of those goals that are broken down into smaller tasks. Even just thinking through the process of how you want to achieve your goals can help you visualize how to get started. What’s more, creating a list with tasks you can check off gives you a sense of accomplishment and actually helps you to grow your momentum. Start with the first step and build your momentum from there.
Begin with the end in mind and build your momentum until you reach your goals. Learn more about managing momentum below.
