How to build momentum in 5 minutes flat!

You know, it’s truly easy to get carried away with all the stuff that revolves around our lives. Hell, I know that you have a lot of things to do. I believe, just like I play more than one role in my life. you do too. You may have a job, and perhaps study part time, or maybe you are a parent and need to attend not only your business but your kids. Perhaps you have someone who is sick and needs constant care. I know it’s hard and I won’t try to play it down.

In fact, that is the mistake that many try to do. Play down all their responsibilities, so that it looks easier to achieve everything. The problem is that if for any reason, one tiny mistake makes everything crash down, you feel like a loser. How can someone fail with just couple of small things, right?

I propose a change here, as I usually do. I think your life is not easy. I believe you have some truly hard things that you need to overcome. You have a lot of responsibilities, and that can’t be summed to an easy life. So, here is the idea, instead of playing things down, let’s help you up your game.

As much as I would like to say that my secret is that cats work for me, well it doesn't go that way. Photo by Evan Lovely

It’s a mind game

Sometimes, I amaze people by staying in top of everything and still have some time for either fun or improving the way I do stuff. But I’m no hero, and I don’t have ninja organization skills like Kym does (she is the most organized of us). What I do have is an insane spirit for doing the best I can. And it all starts in your mind.

Every choice you make during the day can either pull you down or lift you up to the Hall of Warriors. As I have said before, it’s all about the small victories, and I always start my day with one simple ritual that helps me focus and unleash the warrior inside, and it’s so simple you will not believe it’s power.

I just get up and immediately I make my bed. That is the ritual, that’s the hidden teaching I learned it can make my day become a moment of achievement instead of a horrible defeat. And before you try to kill me, here is why.

You know how the word on the street goes, slay the baddest dragon first, go and eat the frog, or in other words, just tackle the task you most dislike first. Well, to be honest I’m not a particular fan of making beds. I have nothing against it, but it feels like a very tedious process to tackle when I’m still drowsy and hoping I could go back to my dreams.

So the result once I see that my room looks a lot better is simple: I feel good, I just conquered one beast!

Now, it doesn’t have to be what I do, but the idea here is to tackle one task you don’t like but that you can complete under 5 minutes. I bet you have some in mind already.

Building momentum IS a present task

We usually talk about building momentum over time, but in reality it is a task that has to be completed moment to moment. That’s why one tiny crack in the chain can bring our whole momentum down. And it’s even easier to break it if you play down the stuff you do.

So this is the whole plan. Since you will feel awesome by just completing one small task that you don’t like, you can do the same with whole projects. Stop thinking what you need to do today, and start thinking about what can you do right now.

I spend the day asking myself “what’s the plan?” It doesn’t mean I have planned out my day, in fact I rarely do that. It’s my anchor, it centers me in this moment right now. It forces me to answer myself with the next action I have to take. The secret is to avoid answering with stuff like “I have to build that whole website”, and start answering with something like “I need to get the header working”. That won’t take me an hour or a day as a whole design will take me, it will just be 10 or 20 minutes before I claim a small victory.

Upping your game

Now that you understand my trick to build momentum everyday, it’s time for you to try it. Think of that goal that you wish to complete, it looks big and daunting. But you are even bigger and more powerful, and you are smart. Now instead of tackling one big item of your to-do list, just ask yourself what’s the next action you need to take to get you rolling, and simple go and do it. I can wait here.

That’s the whole secret behind all the stuff I do. That’s the secret behind my 15 to 20 items victory lists in one single day. That’s how I manage to keep writing content, writing a book, designing and coding for several clients, studying to improve my skills and still help around the house.

Now you can do it even better than I do. You can also add great organization skills, develop a powerful passion for what you do, save the world and archive a victory each day, all on the same day. And by night, just before you go to bed, pause for a moment and realize that it’s not easy what you do, but you still complete it, you have done a great job. There is no reason to say it otherwise.

One micro action to get your momentum rolling

Simple and easy. Nothing hard. Help me encourage another soul, just share this post with a one of the buttons on the left. Now you have helped another warrior unlock their power, that is a huge victory in itself my friend. Thank you for your kindness. Now let’s go and claim a victory!