Gaining and Sustaining Success Momentum

The first million is the hardest to make. Once you make it, you will find a lot more doors opening up for you. World class actors such as Angelina Jolie or Keanu Reeves will not star alongside a nobody. Fellow actors have to first accumulate a few box office hits before they can even be considered. In one of my favorite movies staring Al Pacino, actor Simone suddenly got fellow actors wanting to star alongside her as soon as “she” made a hit.

It takes 10 years of focused effort, steady determination and hard work to achieve world class expert status. It takes at least a few years of running a business for it to pick up. The early years are full of sweat and tears but with time things get easier. Many people give up before they gain momentum. I hope to inspire you to get ahead in life, by gaining and sustaining the momentum for success.

Gaining Momentum

Momentum = Mass x Velocity.

As we have seen above, momentum is a product of mass and velocity. It therefore follows that gaining some mass can increase your momentum. It is easier to stop a cow than it is to stop an elephant if they are running at the same speed. Take your time before speeding. Take some time to gain some mass, otherwise you may be blown by the wind. Accumulate some assets, experiences and resources before you increase your velocity.

Ok Daniel, slow down, let us start at the beginning…

To gain the momentum for success, you have to get off your backside and take some action. Last year I was busy planning this blog, checking out the competition, carrying out endless research before I launched this blog. I contacted fellow Kenyan blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. He was already running a successful blog called “the Displaced African”.

His blog is focused on providing new and prospective migrants with information about studying or settling in Australia. His name is Mwangi. I asked him for advice on how to launch and run a successful blog. He gave me lots of tips but the advice that has stuck with me and made a big impact on this blog is to take action. It is easy to get into “paralysis analysis”, if you do not have a bias for action.

This blog was bigger than it is but that was only in my mind. I had lofty dreams of the millions upon millions of people who would be coming here to listen to a young man who grew up in a small farm near the Kenyan Capital, Nairobi. I was busy fantasizing about the rave reviews the blog would be getting. All that and more before even having written a single blog post! Mwangi saved me from self delusion by triggering me into action and once again I say thank you Mwangi!

To gain the momentum for success requires one to do proper homework. You might not have liked the term “homework” in school but you have no choice when it comes to success. I advocate having a bias for action, but I am quick to note that it is better to “aim, fire, aim”, rather than “fire fire fire” or “aim aim aim”. You have to strike a balance between research and action.

You would not set out to sea without a compass. Likewise, do not set out to succeed without direction, without clarity and a plan. Take your time to determine where you want to be, do your homework on what is required of you, and then take action in the right direction.

Identify areas of our life that could do with some momentum. Gain some mass in the form of resources, experiences, facts and knowledge. Then take action in the correct direction.

Sustaining Momentum

• We are creatures of habit. Consciously set up the right habits in order to sustain your momentum. If you succeeded because of waking up early and putting in more time when your competition slept, do not slacken when things start moving along nicely. Think of all the habits that led to your initial success and keep doing what works.

• Find leverage. Find something that will push you ahead. There is a limit on how far you can grow your business if you work alone. Leverage the resources, money, time and ideas of others to create win-win situations.

• Automate and Delegate – The human body is faint. To be able to sustain your momentum for success may call upon you to automate or delegate responsibilities to ensure that things keep getting done even when you get big. Plan for automation and delegation when you start a new venture.

• Avoid distraction. Identify people or things that keep you from your chosen path and learn how to manage them. Do not let anyone or anything stand in the way of making progress, if you want to sustain your momentum.

• Put controls in place. You can sustain momentum by knowing when to turn, brake or accelerate. Success is a journey, momentum will keep you moving.

In Conclusion

Proper planning and taking action are the first steps of gaining the momentum for success. The first steps (or years) are the hardest but as you gain more experience and resources, the journey becomes easier. There are various ways that you can sustain the momentum of your success including leverage, delegation and avoiding distractions.

If you like this blog post, please share it with your friends, invite them to have a look. I would love to hear from you through your comments. Have a good day.

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