David J.
Pollay
Read David's bio and previous columns
December 31, 2007
The Map to Your Own
Momentum for Success
“How can I create momentum in my life? I’ve had good momentum
in the past, but I lost it. And now I don’t know how to get it back.”
This is a question I hear a lot. People want momentum in
their lives and they are surprised when they lose it.
The challenge for most of us is to discover and understand
what contributes to our personal momentum. One key to finding the answer
is to create what I call a “Momentum Map” of your life. Here’s how it
works.
Grab a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. In the bottom left corner of
the page draw a small circle. In the top right corner of the paper draw
another small circle. Now draw a line between them. This line represents
your life to date. The left circle marks your birth and the right circle
represents where you are today.
Turn the page over and think about your major successes in your life.
What have you achieved? What times in your life were the most gratifying
and meaningful? Spend 10 minutes listing these accomplishments and
experiences.
Turn the page back over and plot on your timeline all of these important
events and experiences in your life. Place a mark and the approximate
date on the timeline when the events occurred, and just below them write
a two-to-three word description of each achievement.
Then look at the timeline. Choose any period of time when you felt that
you were really “on a roll” – when you were experiencing momentum.
Now identify what I call your “Momentum Accelerators.” Grab another
sheet of paper. Think back to this time of achievement and satisfaction.
What did you do back then that helped you succeed? What practices did
you employ every day? How did you learn? Who was around to help you? How
did you use your strengths? Write all these things down. These are the
actions that fueled your success.
Here’s the last step in the Momentum Map process. Get a new sheet of
paper. Write out the major goals you plan to achieve over the next nine
years. What are you going to do and when? Then turn over your page and
draw a line just as you did before, from the bottom left corner to the
top right corner of the page. This new line represents the next nine
years of your life. Place marks along your new timeline when you expect
that you will reach your objectives. Write two-to-three word
descriptions for each of these achievements below the marks.
For the purpose of this exercise, write down the first accomplishment
you expect to realize in your future. Your task is to answer this
question: “How will I ensure that I create enough momentum in my life to
achieve this goal?” The answer can be found in your past. Look at your
list of Momentum Accelerators. Are you tapping them fully now? If not,
put them back into use. You know how to succeed. You have before. Write
down what you’re going to do now.
Most people look to others for motivation. Momentum builders
do the opposite. They first look inside themselves for the excellence
that is within. This is their foundation. Then they go outside to build
the support they need to achieve their goals.
Your Momentum Map will help you create and sustain your exciting future
by first leveraging your successful past. Your momentum is yours to
create. Enjoy it! And remember to tell me about it.
© 2007
David J. Pollay. Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be
republished without permission.
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