It’s cold in Argentina and I have a giant decaf coffee next to me in Starbucks post-carpool as I type about a sticky thing that has been hurting my head and soul for most of 2018. That thing? Forward momentum. If I’m being totally honest (and I am), forward momentum is something I have been really sucky at this year.
There are a lot of reasons for this, and if I get talking fast (cue decaf) I can convince you of a host of reasons I’m not making progress in areas I want to make progress in my life. Too many small children! It’s winter! Construction on my new dream tiny office hasn’t started! My bed is so comfy! I was traveling! (Cue all the things.)
But, as my wise friend in my business mastermind group said yesterday, You just have to GET OUT OF THE MUCK. BECAUSE YOU ARE AWESOME. (Mel Jouwan for President!)
This pep talk, combined with recent tough love from similar wise women, is fueling a fire. Let me be clear, it’s not some overwhelming ROLL ‘EM DOWN fire, but it’s a spark. A something. A thing burning in me saying it’s time to start doing the thing.
And it turns out, I’m not the only one. On the season finale of Billions this week, performance coach to the gods Wendy tells morally corrupt young Taylor, “Forward momentum is the most important thing for you.”
So there’s that.
If you need some forward momentum with a little tough love and a little straight up love thrown in, here are some of my favorite resources this week:
- Why you aren’t taking action (podcast episode): This podcast episode with Brooke Castillo and Amy Porterfield had some good gems in it and was well worth a listen. Brooke is a life coach, and Amy is an online business rockstar and combined they talk the talk about what the heck is holding us back from doing stuff.
- Gather Co-Listeners (podcast): An episode from Emily P Freeman’s The Next Right Thing about which are the good voices to keep around you as you think about taking that next right step. The point isn’t to have ALL the voices, but to have some of them.
- Kitsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing (book): I just finished this book this week, and really enjoyed it. Don’t let forward movement at all costs make you forget self-nourishing. Book here, and good podcast episode about the book here on Being Boss.
- Fire-Starter Sessions: A soulful and practical guide to creating success on your own terms (book): I’ve been rereading this book this week, and am reminded of all the ways it helps kick one in the pants in a gentle loving way that gets results. Highly recommended.
Got some forward movement motivation to spread along? Let me know here what you’ve read, listened to, or watched that has helped.
Claire,
Thank you so much for this article. I feel as though I’m in the same boat with you and with no wind for our sails at the moment. I have looming and missed deadlines for projects for home, work and dissertation research, but I’m utterly in a tailspin as you have depicted in the above picture parachuted out of all of my responsibility and working to find my base, my fire, my spirit, my moxie to get moving forward again. It’s been tough lately and I find myself fighting every day to move forward on things. Something draws me backwards, something sullen, aloof, something eating at me. I need a reboot or a retreat, or perhaps just get smashed, I’m just not sure what the answer is. I’ve been here before, it happens usually during the fall or Christmas time where I long for my childhood home in New England. This plateau I’m holed up on is abnormal for summer months… What I do when I’m in this pickle, is grab my training binder (my, “I love me book”) and grab the stack of accomplishments that haven’t been added yet and prepare to add them to the binder. The binder has most if not all of my professional accomplishments over the years. I’ve added pictures also to each section to help me remember all that I’ve gone through in each stage of my journey. It helps me gain perspective and helps to motivate me to fill out the latest chapter in the binder/book and start brainstorming and motivating myself for the next chapter/section. This is what helps me to start building a way up and off the current plateau I’m on. Once I’ve got my mind back on straight, then I’m back on and committed to the game again…
Thanks again for your articles!
Joe
Look forward never backwards at what you have done. You can get caught up in what’s past. Always think about what needs to be done. Your always grabbing for the moon.
Oh Claire! You are speaking my language! Just know that even when you feel stuck you are still be big impactful to someone – me! Thank you❤️