Our brains are like a web browser with 40 tabs and five windows open at once. There’s one worry about being judged. Another flashy wildly reminding us that we aren’t doing enough. Another telling us we’re not good enough; everyone is better. Four are for shopping sites, as we distract ourselves from the task at hand because it’s all too overwhelming. Distraction from feeling stuck is a safe harbour.
When we have that much going on in our heads and around us, the momentum needed to move forward seems flimsy and out of reach. That feeling of never hitting goals, because all those web browsers distract us from focusing on the actions for forward motion.
Momentum is the force that drives us, moving us on our current trajectory at the speed of our past, present, and future lives. It’s all about harnessing energy, because energy is a habit, and its power is remarkable. Coupled with authenticity - being you, unapologetically, you, you have a recipe for forward motion.
True power is to focus on the stuff worth focusing on, and realising that life is, or at least can be, a lot simpler than we want to admit. A powerful way to get moving, build momentum, is to focus on two things - how you show up, and why you do what you do and these five tips:
1. Practise makes progress
It is not fear that stops you from doing the brave and ‘right’ things in your daily life. Instead, the problem is avoidance. Think back to all those things you’ve held off doing and pushed under the rug.
As humans, we want to feel comfortable, so we avoid doing or saying anything that will evoke fear or other challenging emotions. We avoid discomfort. Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short term, but it will never make you feel less afraid. We may not even realise that we are scared of success, failure, rejection, criticism, conflict, competition, intimacy, or adventure, because we rarely test the limits of our competence and creativity. We avoid anxiety by avoiding risk and change. It’s important not to let the desire for perfection get in the way of possible progress. Not getting something right straight away is an integral part of development.
2. Stop worrying about what other people think
Other people will always judge you, but, frankly, other people’s opinions are none of your business. Caring about what other people think is robbing you of your potential momentum. Now is the perfect time to stop watching other people’s views, because they perpetually prevent you from becoming your best self. Harnessing the power of not caring what other people think is life-changing.
it’s okay to be scared; sometimes, it just means you are about to do something courageous. It’s just a matter of understanding that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Feel the fear and do it anyway, and all that.
In life, a healthy and positive self-image is the best possible preparation we can give ourselves for success. Believe in yourself. Even if you don’t right now, eventually you will.
Do something everyday where you can regularly step outside your comfort zone – the flow-on effect is incredible. Realistically, most people will never be confident to try something this challenging, because we are all scared of rejection to some degree. It’s your choice to throw away the mask and wear your soul. Or not. But it’s your decision.
Don’t be afraid to get lost or head in the wrong direction, because you may discover a route to something even more significant.
3. Leave comparison behind
Comparison is the death of joy and the end of pleasure. There’s no momentum in comparing our beginnings with someone else’s middle. It’s possible to love what you are doing with comparing your business to anyone else’s. When we compare our unique journey to another’s, we distract ourselves from the actual comparison. Instead, be captivated by the inspiration of others to help you find your purpose? It’s time to give up being embarrassed about who you are, and beating yourself up about how others perceive you. People will judge you no matter what, so the less you give a damn, the happier you will ultimately be. In the end, the inauthentic people have an image to maintain. Real people don’t have to care. Stop asking permission to break free of the toxicity of the world. Start making your own rules.
4. Just be you
Embrace your individuality. The world needs you to show up for your own life and not apologise. If you try to fit in, you will never stand out. Now is the time to love your life unapologetically for yourself.
Behind the app-enhanced beauty and staged photographs, many social media influencers would fade into the crowd if we strip away the facade to expose their unaltered nakedness. So much of what we see on social media is fake, filtered, and far from authentic and genuine.
Unfortunately, due to the veil of digital manipulation, many may never experience the happiness that comes with vulnerability. True beauty comes from within. The moral of the story is to let your unbridled passion for whatever you love continue to define you as a person without fear of judgement from others.
Owning our story and loving ourselves through our journey is the bravest thing we can ever do. Let yourself be flawed – it makes for a much more exciting story.
5. Momentum is the secret key to change
Momentum keeps you moving in a single direction, but it may or may not be the direction you want to head in. If you run in a downward spiral, the momentum energy will keep you down unless you act to reverse the direction. This misguided momentum often happens when you allow your fears instead of your goals to motivate you, which is inherently counterproductive.
Sometimes the only difference between winning in life and being kicked by life is a few positive thoughts followed by a few positive words, all perfectly aimed in a beautifully positive direction. It’s all about having your ducks in a row. If you do the best you can and come from a place of integrity, you should be proud of yourself. If people aren’t in the arena with you getting their arse kicked, don’t be interested in their advice on fighting. When you feel like giving up, remind yourself that winners focus on winning, and losers focus on winners.