9 Brilliant Ways to Keep Momentum Alive – The Ultimate Plan for Life!

Your future is built upon the choices you make today. However, we may forget that ‘where we are right now’ can be one of our strongest stability points. Remembering to stop, breathe, and regroup or simply slowing down and acknowledging that you’re okay can keep your momentum alive. 

Part of my personal POWER routine is to use my Best Year Yet Tool. I find a quiet space and ask a series of searching questions to observe and celebrate everything accomplished during the present year. And from this, I create a plan and momentum for the upcoming year. 

Here’s a sample of the Best Year Yet questions to consider:

1. What did I want this year?
2. What actually happened?
3. How do I want to design next year?
4. What do I want?
5. How do I want to end this year?
6. What did I accomplish?
7. What did I learn?
8. How did I limit myself?
9. What are my personal values?
10. What roles do I play in life?
11. Which role is my major focus for next year?

 If you’d like to copy these questions into a document and spend some time answering them, I’d be honored and thrilled. No matter how you approach your assessment, keep these three priorities in mind:

 Priority #1 Fuel your body, mind and spirit. Every day you expend energy and it’s important to constantly replenish it.

Priority #2 Make restorative sleep, good nutrition and exercise a priority. Your health, mental clarity and ability to be productive depend on it.

Priority #3 Develop systems. Goals are fine, but if you want to create real change, it helps to have supportive systems in your life so that you perform important tasks automatically rather than relying on willpower.

Give attention to these priorities as you implement the following nine suggestions will keep your momentum alive.

1. Deal first with “what is”. As women, we tend to get caught up in worrying about “what ifs”. They’re not real until they happen. And most likely they won’t happen if you deal successfully with what’s in front of you.
2. Remove distractions. Use the end of the year/month/week/day to get rid of the clutter in your house, mind, desk, email inbox or schedule. This makes room for any opportunity that arises.
3. Revisit your original goal. Last year’s goals might not be relevant anymore. Life happens and you may need to refine them to make them fit your present circumstances.
4. Clearly outline your metrics of success. Progress is measurable, even if it’s just one step forward. When you define your goals and break them down into consistent, small changes, according to a yearly, quarterly, monthly, and daily schedule, you’ll maintain your focus and motivation. This connects each day’s activities to your significant life goals.
5. Celebrate every win, small or big. Get up and dance, grab a latte, call a friend, and share it with me on my website, Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin. Use the hashtag #CelebrateYourWins. I want to hear from you! Make each win memorable — that’s how you know, at the end of the year, that you made a difference.
6. Assess your skills and close the gaps. When you focus on nurturing a growth mindset, not on making resolutions, you engage your innate capability to change and develop whatever skills are needed, making you flexible and resilient enough to try Plans A to Z, until you succeed.
7. Hold rest and reflection breaks as sacred. Meditatively and mindfully “hear” what your body is telling you about the choices you’re making right now.
8. Connect with accountability partners, coaches, mentors, and supporters. Common sense tells us that our productivity usually increases when we know someone is watching. When someone holds us accountable, we build more structure into our days, which is so important during these times of physical distancing.
9. Plan for “bad” days. Feeling down, making mistakes, and having setbacks are part of life, so embrace them as your body and mind tell you it’s time to regroup. Rest, learn a lesson from the experience, and re-center yourself. 

Reviewing and planning are indispensable tools for planning your life personally and professionally.  Processes and systems are the best way to keep momentum alive because they create flexibility to mindfully move through the ebbs and flows of life, without judgment. Want monthly reminders that will keep your momentum going? Sign up for my free newsletter and you’ll get my best tips delivered to your inbox.