5 Ways to Keep Your Momentum Going in 2021

Have you ever seen a train start moving? As the wheels turn and the engine fires up there’s a lot of sound, commotion and energy being tossed around. It takes a LOT of power and effort to go from 0 to 5 MPH and yet it could be stopped *relatively* easy.

 

Why?

Because it has very little momentum.

 

Think about a train moving at 80 MPH instead. On average, a train going that fast needs at least a mile to fully stop. A mile! That’s because it has momentum coming out of its tracks and is almost unstoppable. Do you feel unstoppable?

 

 

New Year = New Momentum (but it won’t last forever)

 

A new year can bring new momentum (especially after getting through the infamous 2020). However, this momentum won’t last forever unless you have an engine that is consistently pushing forward.

 

Easier said than done, I know. But to help make it a bit easier, we came up with a list of 5 simple but effective ways to keep your momentum going through 2021. Whether you are trying to lose weight, spend more time with your kiddos, or just be the best you that you can be — these 5 tips will help you get through it and become unstoppable.

 

 

 

1. Check Your Goals

This one is especially important for all of our chronic over and under-achievers out there – and everyone in between. The thrill of “resolution season” is dying down, so it may be a good time to check your goals. We all remember the age old adage of creating SMART goals: 

-Specific

-Measurable

-Attainable

-Realistic

-Timely

 

Essentially, make sure your goals can check all of those boxes. Rather than saying “I want to lose weight” (because who doesn’t) you can say “I want to lose 5lbs this month through regular exercise 5x a week”. It’s infinitely easier to track if you exercised 5x a week and lost 5lbs, rather than if you lost weight once and now gained it all back…plus some. 

 

It also helps to set mini-goals along the way. Since we are focusing on momentum, you may need to break your goal down to keep the momentum going. Each week or each day, check in to see how you are doing and if you are actively working towards your goal. If not, get back on track and keep moving forward. 

 

Lastly, don’t let yourself forget your goal. Go to the store, get yourself some sticky notes (I will forever wish I would have thought to invent sticky notes) and write your goal everywhere so you see it all the time. The bathroom mirror, your car, your desk at work, the background on your phone. EVERYWHERE! Those subtle reminders will help you stay focused on what you want and keep you motivated to get there.

 

 

2. Seek Accountability 

I’ll be the first to admit that it is super easy to let myself down. I’ll cancel my plans or bail on my commitments with myself (like not getting Taco Bell for the third time this week because I’m trying to save money). Because it’s easy to do when you are doing it alone. 

 

What happens when you throw in an accountability partner or group? Suddenly, things get hard. It’s not as easy to let someone else down, is it? If you have plans to go to Zumba with your friend, you’re gonna go (unless you both decide to go to Taco Bell instead). Either way, you are both committing to each other and holding each other accountable. 

 

Did you know that you are 95% more likely to stick to a goal when you have set meetings or check-ins with an accountability partner? NINETY-FIVE PERCENT. 

 

That should sell itself right there, but if you want extra info on accountability partners, check out this in-depth article that shares all about it. 

 

 

3. Embrace the Suck

Fun fact: life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Take 2020 for example – enough said? 

 

There are going to be days when it sucks. Days when you don’t see or feel any results and you want to give up. But, that’s where the momentum comes in handy. If your train is moving 80 MPH it’s going to be a lot harder to stop and give up. So, embrace the suck. Accept the fact that not every little thing will go perfectly and you won’t feel fantastic after every single day. But, you can rest easy knowing you are still working towards your goal, and still chugging forward rather than giving up.

 

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever”

Lance Armstrong

 

 

 

 

4. Pat Your Own Back

 

Crushing goals should be a fun experience. You are setting goals and standards to make yourself a better person – so working towards those should be filled with positivity and good vibes. While not everyday will be fun, there should be some fun in everyday. 

 

So, find a way to incorporate fun or positivity into your daily routine. That might be a mantra you recite every morning. Or it could be a motivational podcast you listen to on your drive to work (my favorite is The Quote of the Day Show). It could even be a fun activity you plan to do every evening. Whatever you find, be sure it is positive and uplifting to keep your momentum going and remind yourself of why you are doing it in the first place. 

 

 

 

5. Progress Not Perfection

 

Last but definitely not least, celebrate the gosh darn small wins. Did you wake up 10 minutes earlier to eat a healthy breakfast? Did you do some lunges during the commercial breaks instead of continuing to sit on the couch? Did you do something for yourself for once instead of always trying to help the people around you? 

 

THEN YOU DID SOMETHING WORTH CELEBRATING.

 

It’s key to celebrate those small wins, because it makes the moments of slight weakness (like when you cave in and have ice cream) seem less like the end of the world. In turn, they won’t set you as far back as they otherwise would. It’s all about consistency and baby steps. You aren’t going to save 100k in a day, but you could save 5 bucks. Not every single decision you make is going to be the perfect decision. But, if roughly 80% of them align with your goals then the other 20% will naturally start to fall in line over time. 

 

YOU GOT THIS

 

I wish you the absolute best of luck this year and hope these tips will help you gain momentum and crush your 2021 vision for where you want your life to go! Don’t waste your life wishing you could do this or be that. After all, you only live once….right?

 

“You only live once? False. You live every day. You only die once.” 

DWIGHT SCHRUTE

 

 

All the best,

Bonny

 

 

Check out our latest blogs on trust in tech today, the new normal, and 20/21 vision.