A moment for momentum
The heat of June has arrived here in Richmond this week, and maybe where you are, too.
Longer days, trips to the beach, and baseball games all make me want to slow down, languish, and be here now (as I so often say).
Which is why I’m surprised to be talking about momentum today in this email, and in so many of my conversations with friends and clients.
Lately, I’ve found it meaningful to have what I’m calling poetic momentum — reading poetry and creating my own, and writing fiction again.
I’ve also been prioritizing regular strength training alongside cardio because these joints aren’t getting any younger.
And, I’m hoping to gain momentum on working from the pool again this summer.
I’m not sharing these things as highlights of my flow. Adding in these priorities means others came off my list, and each currently takes effort to maintain.
It’s impossible to have momentum in all things, all the time, for a sustained period, without shifting other priorities.
If we’re always fitting in one more thing and “maxxing” our habits for the ultimate results, momentum becomes the mechanism for missing out on the pleasures of life available to us right now.
However, while I firmly believe in the power of most of the time, and have been known to say that momentum is overrated when it takes precedence over alignment, there is something to be said for showing up consistently in the ways that fuel our energy and lead us toward the progress we deem meaningful for our lives.
If you’re feeling stuck, or it’s been too long since you’ve done something that you know you want to be doing more of, or you have a goal that feels like it’s looming and taunting you, here’s how to start gaining momentum:
Get out of your head and get into action. You don’t need a plan; you need to listen to your intuition and do something for at least 5 minutes. Been putting off meditating and your own peace? Take a short walk and breathe deeply. Have a goal to scroll on your phone less? Put it down, walk away, and notice something around you that gives you energy. Have a long list of to-dos that you are avoiding? Pick the one you’re dreading that can be done quickly, and go do that. Want to be more involved with a community or act for change? Pick one thing that feels natural and easy to start, and do it.
Schedule the time on repeat. Every day, I start my day with a 2-hour block carved out on my calendar to work out. I don’t always work out for 2 hours, nor do I always do it at the same time every day. But, there the appointment sits so that if I have to move it, I have to do so consciously. Momentum may start with a feeling and a burst of energy, but it continues through conscious practice. And it doesn’t have to be daily!
Practice self-compassion to break the cycle. Momentum, like life, is not an all-or-nothing proposition. If you get in your head about “losing momentum,” you’ll spend the time beating yourself up instead of returning to the thing that actually helps you make meaningful progress. The key here is to break the cycle with self-compassion. The cycle many of us have (because we’re human) is that we do the thing and then feel rewarded, but then when we don’t do the thing, we internalize it as shame or judgment of self. Notice it, know you’re worthy no matter what, and get back to your momentum.
Let me know what momentum is driving you lately; I always love hearing from you.
xox,
Michelle
P.S. Want to work together? I’ve got room for one more coaching client right now, let’s chat! I’m also booking tarot sessions if you want to spend a short, focused time exploring your inner knowing.
Loved getting the opportunity to support women at the United Way’s High Tea to raise funds for furthering education and support for single mothers.
And while I didn’t speak here, I am designing new courses & workshops for organizations on Finding & Using Your Authentic Voice in the Age of AI, and How to Communicate More Authentically and Effectively. Interested in developing something meaningful for your org? Let’s connect!
Want to work together?
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Leaders hire me to amplify their brand voice, align strategies to values and goals, and work with their teams to facilitate growth and connection through engaging training, workshops, and speaker-led sessions.
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How we practice is how we change. And how we change is how the world changes. Practice being more you.
