Motivation

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guaranteed personal manual to success? A road map that says if you do X, Y and Z, you will ‘neatly’ go from point A to point B. There would be no wrong turns, no detours, no unexpected stops.  It can happen, but life throws in curve balls to keep us on our toes.

In truth, building your dreams can include a lot of trial and error — disappointments and successes, roadblocks, starts and false starts. It can be tiring, but you know the work is worth the rewards.

What I think we are looking for is clarity.  A concise picture of what we want with the understanding and realization that yes, we’re on the right path.

Unfortunately, some people get so caught up in the quest for clarity that they never move beyond having ideas. They are constantly gathering information, exploring new possibilities and second-guessing their ideas. Proper preparation is important. However, if you want to be successful, at some point, you have to take a deep breath and jump in.

The Momentum of Forward Motion

Remember Newton’s First Law of Motion?

An object at rest will stay at rest until another force acts upon it.

And an object in motion will stay in motion until another force stops it.

Sir Isaac’s actual language is slightly different, but you get the general idea, right? It’s called inertia. While Newton was talking about physics, it can just as easily be applied to almost any aspect of life.

Think back to a time when you were feeling super productive. You were totally in the zone – once you finished one project, you were on to another. You felt awesome — productive and accomplished. That’s the kind of inertia I’m talking about!

Of course, on the flip side, there is the ‘spend all day on Facebook and Farmville’ type of inertia. The ‘I just can’t get it in gear’ inertia. That’s the type of situation you definitely want to avoid. Before you know it, the entire day has passed you by without a single productive task done. It doesn’t take much for that one day to turn into two days and soon, you could have a whole week of lost time on your hands.

Avoid the mistake of lost time. How? By starting work on something – anything!  As you know, there is no shortage of ideas.  If it’s just not clicking, give yourself a 15 or 30 minute break and try a different task. Soon, you’ll find that sweet spot, and inertia will keep you rolling in the right direction.

Clarity Comes from Forward Motion

Once you start taking action, the next step will become clear. Clarity comes from action.  Every experience is an opportunity to learn, make adjustments, and improve.

As you begin work on a project, you will quickly realize the next step. You may start a project and see that you have a few other loose strings to tie up. Or you will have that wonderfully delicious stroke of genius about how to clear the hurdles in front of you, increase happiness or otherwise create the balance you seek.

These are not things you will find from brainstorming endlessly. They only become apparent when you are in the thick of your authentic life. When you are down in the trenches, you can see the ground in front of you clearly.

What are some of your favorite strategies to create forward momentum and gain clarity?

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