We have just entered the second quarter of the year and at this point, the novelty of the New Year has worn off. Hopefully you’re still going strong with your goals. However, if motivation is starting to wane, don’t despair! We don’t always get the satisfaction of seeing immediate results for our actions. Often our hard work doesn’t bear fruit until the very end, long after we thought it should. Our momentum must be maintained until the very end if we’re going to get the satisfaction that we’re looking for. In order to keep momentum going, you must revisit what started it, re-set goals, re-energise and reward yourself and those you are working with. Creating momentum in your life, just like in business, takes increasing the things that move you forward or decreasing those that hold you back.
inspiration with Cynthia C Hakutangwi
Create momentum that lasts
In the sports world, momentum is everything, and can change in the blink of an eye. To have great success, momentum must be created. Just because forward motion is being made, it is not guaranteed to stay. If momentum starts fading, there is a tendency to start going through the motions of complacency. Therefore, not only must momentum be created, but a premium should be placed on making it last.
Can you sustain success?
Every generation has taken on some great cause and left its mark on history. However, throughout the centuries we still have not figured out how to sustain our successes and build on them. Why can’t we set a goal to continually improve our results and maintain positive momentum throughout the year? Why can’t we let go of the idea that we have to fall backward in order to climb higher?
Create your picture of success and make it a reality
If you can’t see your vision of success, you’ll never get there. As you begin working through your planning process, ask yourself the following questions: So what does success look like for you day to day? How do you want to spend your time? How do you want to define success for yourself this year? Make sure that you write your vision down and post it somewhere you will see it every day.
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Revisit your goals
Did you set goals that were specific, with progress measurements along the way? Are you rewarding yourself for your hard work, instead of always beating yourself up if you fall short? Make sure your goals are also meaningful because that helps keep you motivated when times get tough.
Create a support system
When you start making changes, it might feel like you can take on the world all alone. But when things get tough, it’s important to have people you can lean on for support and encouragement. In addition to the support, these people can also help you stay accountable, so that you follow through with what you say you’re going to do.
Learn from your mistakes
Too often, we expect perfection from ourselves. We worry that if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned, we will fail. The truth is, it’s not always so black-and-white. As long as you can refocus, learning from experiences when things go wrong, you’re still on the right track.
Reward yourself
There’s no reason not to celebrate the small milestones you reach each week, or even each day! Although these single accomplishments might not be the secret to reaching all of your goals, they are progress that should not be ignored.
Maintain your integrity
In maintaining your integrity, you can start each day with a clear conscience. That alone can help you to sustain success over the long term. When you lose your integrity, you’re done, and eventually your results will prove it. Before moving into action, ask yourself, “Do I believe this is the right thing for me to do?” For your organisation, ask yourself and others, “Do we believe this is the right thing for us to do?” Pausing in order to maintain integrity can have an enormous upside over the long term.
Take responsibility for your results
If you blame others or something outside of yourself for your results, it may feel good in the short term, but it might keep you from taking hold of your results for the long term. Always take responsibility for your results regardless if they are good or bad. In doing so, you can see what adjustments you need to make in order to steadily improve results.
Do you have a clear purpose?
Without a clear and compelling purpose for doing what you are doing in any aspect of your life, it is unlikely that you will maintain the energy necessary to continually improve your results. The fundamental question you need to answer is, “Why am I doing what I am doing? What is the purpose behind my activity?” If you can’t find a compelling reason for doing what you are doing, you need to move on to an area that fits much better with your purpose. Your strengths and your passions are also a big part of your engine for generating sustainable success. Be sure to be highly aware of what you are good at doing and what you are passionate about. Then spend as much of your time and your energy as you can using your strengths and your passions to fulfill your purpose and drive better results.
Be committed
No matter what your goals are, or how difficult they’ll be to achieve, creating momentum to reach them starts with commitment. Think of achieving sustainable success as a process that has to be carefully watched over and executed with discipline. As you do that, you will steadily get better and better at achieving a result and then finding ways to equal or improve that result in the future. In time, you will be able to increase the momentum of achieving your desired outcomes without falling backward. Whatever you’re working on, you must have a rigorous routine and you must stick with it until the goal is achieved. As you do that, remember to eliminate your energy drains and recharge yourself.
When you have achieved what you want to achieve, from the outside looking in, you’ll be an “overnight success.” Your friends, peers and family, will wonder how you achieved your goals “all of a sudden.” They most likely won’t realise that you’ve been working hard and maintaining your momentum this entire time. Remember that success is a process, not a destination. Maintain your momentum and you will achieve your goals!
Cynthia Hakutangwi is a communications and personal development consultant, life coach, author, and strategist. Wholeness Incorporated Coaching offers you strategies you can implement today to become a critical thinker and pursue a significant life. E-mail: [email protected]. Facebook: Wholeness Incorporated.
