Build Up Business Momentum

As anyone who took 10th grade physics knows, momentum is the impetus of mass in motion. It's the resistance of a moving object to come to a stop. We often hear the term momentum used as an analogy in sports: A team on a seemingly unstoppable winning streak is said to have great momentum.

Well, guess what? You can have momentum in business too.

When, in a professional capacity, you take off at a high speed and keep the thrust at max, you set a strong velocity, and soon you'll be blasting your way to success. And you'll feel invincible doing so.

what is business momentum?

You build momentum in business when you accumulate a series of successes, one quickly after the preceding one. If you're in sales, momentum might consist in closing rapid-fire deals. If you run a small business, momentum might produce quick growth, the result of meeting all your goals in a short span of time.

Whatever your field, you build momentum by making sure everything goes as planned, and then riding the ensuing wave of success. If physical momentum = velocity x mass, then business momentum = productivity x motivation.

When you're rolling with good momentum, you're busy, but you're accomplishing a lot. And the sense of achievement that follows pushes you to keep on going. You'll be way ahead of your peers who stick to an easy pace and are content with doing the bare minimum.

how to build momentum

It can take time to build up solid momentum, to establish a steady rhythm of success. But you'll be better prepared to create and maintain it if you follow these tips.

Have a vision and stick to it
You need to set clear goals before you take off on your streak -- how else will you know if you're doing it right? Start with a mission statement. "I will be the best salesman in my department" is a good example. Now spell out how you'll get there: "Every day I will make three sales and work on two leads for future sales." This kind of mission statement ensures that you'll be thinking ahead to the next day, and ensuring future hits.

Take off at full-speed
If you want to move up in your professional life, you'll need maximum thrust from the get-go. Think of yourself as a rocket with a heavy payload. You'll reach cruising speed faster and ram through the initial setbacks if you take off with a blast. That might mean making a massive amount of colds calls, setting up multiple promotional drives, or just sitting down and setting out some long-term strategic plans. Start now, and start big.

Break out of your comfort zone
By going all-out, you'll be leaping out of your comfort zone. This can be scary. Know that you'll be feeling ups and downs that you had never imagined possible. You may even think to yourself, I can't do this. What was I thinking? . This kind of initial reaction is normal; you can't let it discourage you. Whenever you come up with an excuse to give up, quash it before it takes over. Anticipate that your emotions will be taking a roller coaster ride.

Plow through obstacles
No matter how much forethought or strategy you put into your plan, obstacles will arise. Do your best to anticipate and prepare for them, but know that, even then, the unexpected can happen. If it does, don't be surprised and try not to panic. Deal with it quickly so you can get back on track.

Seize opportunities
If an opportunity presents itself, jump on it. Don't wait until you're done with a current project to seize upon a potential future one; instead, do your best to juggle both at the same time. If you earmark something for future reference, the opportunity might be gone by the time you actually get around to it.

Use positive feedback
Positive feedback, a term familiar to engineers and biologists, refers to the steady increase in a variable given a change in the system. For instance, a single species placed in an area with unlimited food will keep on growing -- because there's nothing there to stop it from doing so.

Similarly, motivation and success in a team can only push individuals further, as the good energy is amplified by each member. In order to set this off, however, you have to act as the spark plug. If you're motivated, you'll inspire others to be so as well.

Effective teamwork also helps build momentum. Delegate wisely; apply people to the most appropriate tasks on the basis of their skill sets. Don't micromanage -- a well-oiled machine doesn't need constant tweaking.

Remind yourself of your goals
You have to keep your mission in mind at all times. This can be hard when you're wrapped up in the daily grind. So leave yourself reminders of your goals. Write down your mission in different colors and fonts, and post them all over your workspace.

Always take your mission with you, whether carried in a sample case or set up as the greeting note when you turn on your PDA. Sign up for daily motivational e-mails that will help you keep a clear mind in the midst of the hustle.

Look for the positives
If you start your day with a sigh and spend it watching the clock, you'll never achieve momentum. Pessimism and dissatisfaction have no place in growth and success. Seek out the fun in your work. Do you love the feeling of having persuaded a skeptical client? Do you like adding animations to your sales presentations? Whatever makes you smile will motivate you to keep going. Focus on it.

Find outside inspiration
Turn to the people or things that push you to strive for the best. Attend seminars and meet successful people. Read the stories of men who have achieved great things. Pick the brains of the relentless. It's unreasonable to summon all your stimulation from within, so seek some from the outside.

Build upon success
Once you achieve one goal, move on to the next one right away. Most people like to take a break between projects to reward themselves. Resist that urge. Use the momentum you've built and ride the high from your recent success. You'll have plenty of time to reward yourself later -- and in a bigger way -- when all your ambitions have been realized.

Assess yourself
Every month or so, take the time to do self-inventory. See if you're meeting your goals, and if not, discern what you could be doing differently. Fine-tune your daily schedule to get even more done and to eliminate nagging barriers.

like a speeding train

Once you have your momentum going, you'll be unstoppable, like a bullet train speeding toward a slab of dry wall. Your hard work and dedication will pay off. But, like everything high-performance, you'll also need to relax and recharge your batteries. You don't want to burn out and lose all that steam in a fatal crash.

Resources:
www.powerhomebiz.com
www.ksinclair.com