I’ve never been much of a science person – it’s just so concrete.
I don’t like concrete.
Free and amazing trainings!
Free Podcast Course: Learn how to create and launch your podcast!
Your Big Idea: Discover Your Big Idea in less than an hour!
What physics never taught you about momentum
For me, the subjects that are most appealing are those that allow me to inject my own opinions and potentially extract a different meaning than what is being taught as the absolute truth. I prefer context around my definitions – the events and causes that contribute to something happening versus “it just does”.
Subjects I don’t prefer: physics, math, biology
Subjects I do prefer: writing, literature, technology
Define momentum
I actually remember sitting in physics class one day when I was in college and learning about momentum, the thing my teacher (and Merriam-Webster) define as the property that a moving object has due to its mass and motion.
Sure, it made sense after seeing pictures and drawing a million graphs, but what I didn’t appreciate about the physics definition of momentum is that it didn’t account for everything that came before it. Rather, it just focused on something that is already moving.
Where was the force in this equation?
Oh yes – in an entirely different lesson.
I couldn’t help but wonder how such a big thing – momentum – could have a definition that left out all the things that had to take place beforehand so that it could actually exist.
How do I get momentum?
It’s no wonder so many of us start something – a blog, a website, a podcast, a YouTube channel, a social media profile – and then grow incredibly impatient wondering where our momentum is.
Physics teaches us that momentum is just that: a mass in motion. Nevermind how it got started in the first place, or why the velocity might be stronger in some cases versus others.
What physics never taught us about momentum is all the work that comes before the motion: the force.
Building momentum takes time
Momentum is not a single event. Instead, momentum is something that is built over time – the result of several things coming together to create a movement that is powerful, and in some contexts, difficult to stop.
When looked at in a business sense, momentum might refer to any number of things, including:
- The growth of your email list;
- Your brand awareness;
- The number of website visitors you have per month; or
- The amount of downloads your podcast receives each day.
I’m sure you can agree that the amount of work (or the force) – the several separate tasks and the consistency with which those tasks are performed – greatly contributes to the momentum you might see in any of the business-related examples I’ve just mentioned above.
Because growing an email list doesn’t start and end with someone signing up. Just as your brand awareness doesn’t increase simultaneously with the creation of your logo.
While physics has taught us that momentum simply exists, its definition tends to leave out what’s involved in order to actually put a mass in motion.
In other words, knowing what the definition of momentum is won’t help you figure out how to create it.
Creating momentum for yourself
Momentum is not only something you must create yourself, it’s also something that will determine the strength and growth of your business.
Is it easy to create momentum?
No. It takes a ton of hard work and dedication and practice and all that other good stuff to create it.
It takes force.
I really want you to experience what momentum feels like, because I’ll be honest: it feels incredible. You’ve felt it at some point in your life – whether it be in a relationship, during a basketball game, or even in the classroom.
Momentum feels great because once you have the force behind it to actually continue building it, it’s hard to stop: 12 email signups per week becomes 112; 140 website visits per month becomes 1,140; 25 listens per episode becomes 225.
And just like a snowball that is rolling down a steep hill, momentum will continue to build on itself – it multiplies – all the while, the amount of force you have to actually continue applying becomes easier, either due to the systems you’ve built, the audience you’ve grown, or the ease with which the task at hand comes to you because of how often you do it.
What it takes: F.O.R.C.E.
Just like in physics, having momentum requires that you create force first.
Here’s what it takes:
Focus
Focus on your goals, and stop allowing yourself to be distracted by things that aren’t bringing you closer to them.
Ongoing patience
Practice ongoing patience. Without it, you will never last long enough to perform the several separate tasks that, when brought together, will help you create and build momentum.
Rehearse
Rehearse the things that contribute to building momentum; the more you rehearse these actions, the easier they will become and the more traction you will gain.
Consistency
Be consistent. Momentum will not create itself – you have to be the one to create it, and without consistency, momentum will never have the chance to get started. Give it the force it needs.
Effort
It takes a lot of effort and hard work to create and build momentum. No one will ever hand you momentum – it is earned.
I promise you that momentum doesn’t just start. It requires FORCE – from you – over time.
If you don’t believe me, then maybe taking a look at this post will help you understand that growing your business doesn’t happen overnight.
Send your frustrations and impatience packing. There is no place for these emotions when trying to create and build momentum for your business.
