David J.

Pollay

Read David's bio and previous columns

December 17, 2007

How’s Your Momentum?

Recently, many of you asked, “Why is it so hard to maintain positive momentum in our lives?” Others asked me more specifically, “How can we create and keep momentum in our careers?” 

Positive momentum is the key to success in business and to happiness in life. Most of us say that we want momentum; we want to be “on a roll” in life. The problem is that many of us struggle with momentum once we experience it.

I remember skiing for the first time. I was 17 years old. I was in Wisconsin at one of the state’s two hills. 

I had just finished my first ski lesson with a group of first-graders. I thought, “If they can do it, I can do it.” I was ready to take on the hill. I jumped on the chair lift and rode to the top. I hopped off the ride and looked down. My goal was to ski the hill without falling. And off I went.

Ten feet, 20 feet, 40 feet, 80 feet, and I was still on my skis! One hundred feet, 200 feet, 400 feet, and I was still standing.  Seconds later I was one quarter of the way down the mountain and I was still going!

And then all of a sudden I started to worry. I started thinking, “What if I hit someone, what if I veer off the path, what if I go too fast, what if I can’t stop, what if, what if . . . ?” And before I knew it I had decided I’d had enough.

Unfortunately, I forgot how to stop, so I dove into the snow like a B-Movie stuntman. I landed face first and my skis went flying. Even though my face was freezing, my knees were hurting, my skis were sliding down the hill and the first-graders were sailing past me, I was relieved. I no longer had to worry about what could have happened as a result of all my momentum. I had stopped it all together. Most of us have experienced something like this in our lives. 

Momentum can be scary. It not only moves us more quickly to our goals, it often carries us past our goals. It launches us into a new world of possibilities, many of which are unfamiliar to us. 

We are initially excited about the abundance that comes with momentum, but then we begin to fear our increasing level of performance. We are afraid that it could lead us to something for which we may not be prepared, or that we are not expecting, or that we may not like when we get there.

The good news is that achieving and experiencing momentum in our lives does not have to be threatening. The power of positive momentum can help us achieve our goals more efficiently, with less effort, and without negative stress. We will be challenged, but not anxious. We will have people and processes set up to help us stay on a roll. When we have the right support and focus, positive momentum will lead us to realize our dreams.

Next week I will share with you “THE KEY TEST™” of Momentum, a guide for building and maintaining momentum in your career. I will then teach you how to build a Momentum Map™ of Success. 

Thank you for all your questions and stories. Keep them coming!

David J. Pollay is a syndicated columnist with North Star Writers Group, creator and host of “The Happiness Answer™” television program, an internationally sought-after speaker and seminar leader, and the author of “Beware of Garbage Trucks!™ - The Law of the Garbage Truck™.” Mr. Pollay is the founder and president of TheMomentumProject.com, a strengths-based training and consulting organization with offices in Delray Beach, Florida and Washington D.C. Mr. Pollay is also the associate executive director of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). Email him at david@themomentumproject.com.

© 2007 David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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