The Power of Momentum

I’m going to take a wild guess that physics was not your favorite class in high school or college. However, if you want to shift your life or business into high gear, then you absolutely, positively must understand at least one important Law of Physics.

 

 

 

There are two important concepts found in this law that affect your life and business. If you are unaware of them, they are most likely what hold you back from success.

 

#1 – Inertia

Inertia is the word most often used to describe the first part of this law – an object at rest tends to stay at rest. Do you feel stuck? Are you or your business going nowhere? If so, you are experiencing inertia and must shake yourself from the inaction.

To break free of inertia and begin creating momentum in your life follow these 3 simple steps.

1. Define what you want.
2. Ask for it.
3. Get into action!

 

#2 – Momentum

Momentum applies to the second part of the law – an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum is like a superpower when you possess it. And once you have it, you seem unstoppable and achieve goals and milestones rather effortlessly.

 

It is important to note that momentum is created the INSTANT you break free from inertia, and it will continue as long as you steer clear of friction in your life. Equally important is realizing that the hardest part of creating momentum is taking that first step or action.

 

If you are challenged by creating momentum in some area of your life or business, consider this simple process.

1. Take a small step.
2. Don’t worry about the ultimate goal, just worry about the next step.
3. Repeat Step 1 two more times.

If you can master this one Law of Physics, you will undoubtedly find your future filled with more success and satisfaction.

 

Sometimes being pushed to the wall gives you the momentum necessary to get over it!

- Peter de Jager

 

It’s not always easy to break free of inertia and create momentum. That is the beauty of working with a coach. They help you get unstuck and move you toward your goals.

 

Often, when my clients are stuck, I mean really stuck, I advise them to take action. Any action . . . even if it isn’t aligned with their goal. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what they do as long as they do something and break the inertia. Once that is done, we can correct course, but it is impossible to correct the course of a ship that is dead in the water.

 

To see the true brilliance of Sir Isaac Newton, the father of physics, check out the video below and see the discovery that has helped millions of children across the globe achieve their class-trip dreams.
 

Change Your Perspective, Change Your Life

If I asked you to find the United States on the map below, you would most likely be able to do that. Similarly, if I asked you to find India, you would succeed as well. We all grew up staring at this map on the wall while our teacher stood in front of the classroom imparting knowledge. The map is part of our ingrained belief about how the world looks.

 

 
But what if I told you it was all wrong? What if I told you that the world actually looks like this?
 

 

Surprising, right? In fact, I bet some of you would say that this second map is just plain wrong. And perhaps, like myself, even after seeing this map and reading this newsletter, you will still think and relate to the world according to the first map. It’s as if the first map is part of our DNA.

 

We all grew up thinking Greenland is as large as Africa, when in fact Africa is 14 times larger. We think Europe and South America are roughly the same size, when in fact South America is 60% larger. We think Alaska is much larger than Mexico, when in fact Mexico is larger by 100,000 square miles.

 
Why is this important? Because it is a beautiful demonstration of the power of beliefs.
 

We interact with the world based on our beliefs – what we think and believe about ourselves, what we think and believe about others, what we think and believe about our life. These beliefs live as truths for us, form who we are, and guide our actions.

 
But as you can see, they are not always true. They are just true for us.
 

If you are stuck or unhappy with something in your life or business, take a moment to consider the beliefs that lie underneath that unhappiness. Chances are, those beliefs are forming your thinking and are the reason for being stuck or unhappy. Thus, to change your situation in life, you must change your beliefs.

 

If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?

- W. Somerset Maugham

 

The first step to changing a belief is to become aware of it. If you don’t know what your beliefs are, then chances are they are running you like a robot. You have no choice in life and simply carry on like a machine. But once you can see your beliefs, you can be at choice about them. You can decide which ones serve you and which ones do not. And in that moment, your life becomes yours to change.

 

To further understand the social impacts this particular perspective of the world might have, watch the fun clip below of one of my favorite TV shows, The West Wing.  As a writer, I always admired the dialogue of this Emmy winning show.

 

Do You Have the Courage?

I hate the month of March.
 

Here in the northeast United States, March is a schizophrenic month. One moment it is sunny, the next it is gray, cloudy and snowing. The month is cold and windy most of the time, but then gives us teases of spring warmth. The ground is always wet and muddy. The grass and vegetation is mostly brown or gray or some other dull color. The trees are bare and dead leaves litter the ground along with our man-made garbage, which is easily seen. In short, it is bleak, dismal and depressing.

 

March is a perfect depiction of what transitions in life can look like. Just as March is our transition month from winter to spring, transitions in life or business can look equally as bleak and messy, especially if we prolong the transition process and delay whatever it is we must do next.

 

There is a trick to successfully navigating through transitions. The more decisively we act, the less painful and depressing they are. It is only when we are uncertain and hesitant that transitions are less than beautiful or exciting. The secret to graceful transitions is clarity – clarity in knowing where you are, clarity in knowing where you want to go, clarity in knowing what you want. Once you have defined those elements, taking decisive action is the key.

 

You see, the truth is that March is an amazingly beautiful month. It is filled with hope and promise. For the first time in months you can hear songbirds announcing the coming Spring. The sun, while rarely making an appearance, is noticeably warmer when it falls upon your skin or filters through your window. The days grow longer. The air begins to smell fresh as the Spring winds breathe life into it. And the green sprouts of flowers and the buds on the trees announce the life that is about to burst forth.

 

That is the true beauty of March and transitions. They announce a new hope and promise that is about to burst forth in your life. It is exciting, exhilarating and something that should be welcomed with open arms and hearts. All you need to do is define the desired future and act decisively.

 
That which must be done eventually, must be done immediately.

- Unknown

 

Transitions are often hard for people. Whether they are afraid of leaving what they know to be comfortable or are afraid of the unknown that lies ahead, many people tend to delay what they know they must do. More times than not, this delay just leads to greater stress in their lives or business.

 

In the 15 years that I have been coaching, I cannot think of one example where someone regretted the changes they made in their life. What is it that you know you must do in this moment? Don’t delay your life any longer. Do it now.

 
Transitions are often the result of people trying to change their lives. They move, change the color of their hair, change their clothing style, they get a new job, a new boyfriend/girlfriend. But often, all these changes do not create the desired impact. That is because these superficial changes are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. If you want the secret to real change in your life consider the video below, and start there.
 

 
Photo credit: transitionsglobal.com

The Most Important Holiday in February

Most people don’t know, or truly understand, the most important holiday in February. I am sure the lovers among us will proclaim that it’s Valentine’s Day. And the patriots among us would surely put forth Presidents’ Day as the most important holiday. But if you are truly seeking happiness in your life, both of these suggestions would be wrong.

 

The most important holiday in February is Groundhog Day.

 

Groundhog Day? Really? Yes, indeed.

 

If you have seen the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray, you might know where this is going. If you haven’t seen it, then you might want to watch it this weekend and enjoy a fun comedy with an important message.

 

In the movie, the main character lives the same day over and over again, living a life filled with skepticism while continually making the same mistakes until he gets it right. Since the movie came out 20 years ago, the term Groundhog Day has taken on the meaning of living the same mistake over and over again.

 

Many people consider a pattern like this to be a message of some sort and an opportunity to learn a life lesson. In his book Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch wrote, “You will get the message as many times as you need it in as many different forms.” In my coaching, I add one little, but very powerful phrase – “However, each time you don’t get the message, the Universe turns up the volume.”

 

The question you must ask yourself then is, “How loud must that volume be before you get the message, stop making the same mistake, and make the necessary change(s) in your life?”

 

Groundhog Day is a great opportunity to reflect on your life and notice where you are continually making the same mistakes or find yourself being the most skeptical? Is there anything you can do differently to get yourself out of that maddening pattern? Is there any action you can take to break the infinite loop and start living a life you prefer?

 

Don’t wait until the volume gets so loud that you go deaf! Why not give Groundhog Day its due and finally make the changes you need to make in order to live a happier, more fulfilling life?

 

If you keep making the same mistake; what lesson have you learned? You can’t get through the book of life if you’re always stuck on the same page.

- Unknown

 

Life is never fun when we are living with the frustration that accompanies continually making the same mistakes over and over. Thankfully, the solution to such frustration can be as simple as:

 

• first generate an awareness of the pattern;
• second, understand the costs of that pattern to your vitality;
• third, create some new possibilities;
• and finally, make a conscious choice to live differently from that moment forward.

 

Believe it or not, it can be that simple.

 

If you want a little laugh, click on the Groundhog Day trailer below!

Are You One of the Happy Ones?

If you are happy in your job, or with what you do for a living, then this month’s entry isn’t for you. In fact, you can stop reading now.

 

Unfortunately, that won’t be many of you.

 

A 2011 Gallup survey showed that 71% of workers are “not engaged” or are “actively disengaged” from their work. This surprising statistic was confirmed by a 2012 survey by HR company Jobvite, who found that 75% of working-age Americans are “job seekers” — they’re either “actively seeking” a new job or “open to” a new job.

 

That’s a whole lot of unhappy people.

 

Whether you are an employee or an employer, the implications of this are tremendous. If you are an employee, you are dedicating roughly 40%-50% of your day to a job that leaves you feeling unsatisfied. If you are an employer, you are working with a team that I would hardly call enthusiastic or committed. According to Gallup, people who are “emotionally disconnected from their workplaces are less likely to be productive” and are more likely to leave.

 

That’s a whole lot of wasted talent.

 

Most of these unsatisfied people feel this way because they do not feel challenged, appreciated or they don’t feel as if they are a part of something bigger and more meaningful. Essentially, they feel like they are little more than a cog in a wheel.

 

So what can you do in 2013 to change your situation and begin experiencing a more engaged work life or team? Here are 3 quick steps to begin the transformation.

 

If you are an employer/business owner -

1. Take the temperature of your employees to find out how satisfied they are and what are their areas of discontentment, if any. If you don’t have an understanding of the current condition, then you can’t make appropriate changes. And be sure to look for areas of discontentment. Those are the areas that hold the most potential for positive change if addressed.
2. Assess the level of appreciation you show for your team. Do you do it regularly? Do you do it publicly? Do you acknowledge and recognize both big and small acts that exemplify the behavior, culture and performance you wish to have at your company?
3. Challenge yourself and your team. Status quo equals stale and boring. Get creative! Set a big goal and go for it! Take measured risks! Create adventure! Engaging yourself and your team in this manner keeps things exciting, fresh and moving forward.

 

If you are an employee -

1. Take ownership of your current situation and your future. All too often the finger is pointed at management as the problem. If you are unsatisfied or don’t like the way something is going and have not said anything, then there is only yourself to blame. Do not take on the role of the victim and then blame everybody else for your unhappiness.
2. Ask yourself if you are unhappy with the work you are doing or with the company/management. If it is the latter, it may be time to consider moving to another company. There is most likely something about the company that is not aligned with your core values and beliefs. If it is the former, it might be time to reconsider your line of work and the choices that got you there. There is something about what you do for a living that is not fulfilling.
3. Take the smallest of actions to break the inertia and get your momentum moving in a direction you desire. Don’t wait thinking or hoping things will get better next month or next year. If you have been unsatisfied for a while, then you need to take action. Do not let inertia keep you in your unhappiness. That is a guaranteed path to future unhappiness. Take action.

 

Choose a job you love, and you will never work another day in your life.

- Confucius

 

We spend way too much of our time at work to not enjoy what we do – whether that is because of the work you are doing, the people you are doing it with or the culture and practices that exist at the company. The great news is that it is within your power, whether you are an employee or employer – to change all of that. Do not resign yourself to a life of suffering at work, for life is not intended to be miserable.

 
Here is some great inspiration for doing what you love!

Win the Lottery . . . Guaranteed!

Here in the U.S., we all just suffered from another bout of lottery fever as the Powerball Lottery climbed to an astronomical prize of over half a billion dollars. If you are reading this, chances are you knew someone who bought a ticket. I certainly did, and I began to dream about what I would do with all that money.

 

Not surprisingly, I did not win. The odds of winning are 175,000,000 to 1. To put that in perspective, you literally have a better chance of being struck by lightning or being eaten by a shark than you do of winning the lottery.

 

I always believed that if I could just win the lottery, I would be able to do what I want in life. In fact, I think that is what powers lottery fever – the belief that money is the answer to our dreams, when in fact that is terribly wrong.

 

The truth is, I don’t need money to fulfill my dreams in life. And I bet that is true for most people.

 

The dreams and desires we have do not rely on money, but rather in a belief in ourselves and the courage to take that first step to do what we have always wanted, even if it goes against conventional wisdom.

 

That is the true secret of those we admire with successful, fulfilling lives. They took the risk, sometimes against great odds, and believed in themselves and their dream. They followed their belief, their heart and their passion.

 

And rarely do those people meet with failure. They either succeed in fulfilling their dream, or they feel satisfied that at least they tried. The worst thing we can do in life is go to our grave knowing we didn’t even try.

 

So if you really want to feel like you won the lottery in life, stop waiting for your numbers to come up and simply take that first step you need to take to fulfill the dream you have held in your heart all your life

 

A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.

– Sydney Smith

 
Thankfully, life is not a lottery where all we can do is hope to win against great odds. Life is a culmination of our actions. It is a story that is inspired by our dreams and can be made real simply by believing the story we tell ourselves and having the courage to act upon it. Once that first step is taken the path reveals itself. And step by small step the life you desire miraculously appears.

 
This awesome video celebrates your courage, a belief in yourself and that magnificent first step!!
 

Quit to Win

Here in America we are obsessed with winning. Obsessed with stories about persevering against all odds in order to finally, after great struggle, win the day. These stories are thrilling and inspiring, but they overlook the less glamorous, very un-Hollywood-like path to happiness and satisfaction – quitting to win.
 

A recent Psychology Today magazine published an article about three well-known entrepreneurs and businessmen who quit to win – Steve Jobs, Howard Schultz (Starbucks) and Henry Ford. They all quit and left behind some aspect of their life in order to focus on another more passionate avenue that called to them. The article went on to point out that when faced with “complexity and uncertainty, most people lack the mental acuity to kill pet projects or close doors on distracting opportunities.” Yet, it is this exact quality that often opens the door to greater success for people.

 

Sometimes you have to quit to win in your life.

 

It could be that you are in a bad job, a bad relationship or a bad financial situation. Whatever it is you are suffering through, the true challenge is mustering the courage to quit that path for something you think, feel or believe is more favorable.

 

Often, we feel as if we need to persevere and endure the hardships of life, as if that pain and suffering will be what earns us the reward we seek. But this suffering more likely just gives us great dissatisfaction and stress, which actually begs a much simpler question:

 

Do you want to be a hero, or do you want to be happy?

 

Personally, I like to follow The Rule of Water: When confronted with obstacles in life, water gracefully chooses the path of least resistance and flows around the obstacle, leaving the fight and struggle behind.

 

Some would say this is taking the easy way out. But to those who see the water reach its final destination, they see it as victory.

 

Quitting is letting go of things (or people) that are sucking the life out of you so you can do more things that will bring you strength.

- Osayi Osar-Emokpae, Impossible Is Stupid

 

Too many of us wear struggle and suffering as a badge of honor. It is as if that suffering makes the end result more rewarding. In elementary school, we all learned that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Every time we engage in suffering of some kind, consider it a deviation from that straight line and a detour from the end result you truly wish to achieve in your life.

 
Today, why not take a moment to reach into your heart and find the courage to quit that one thing that is sucking the life from you. There is no doubt that in doing so, tomorrow’s sunrise will seem much brighter!