This Issue: Momentum is something you have to work at to maintain

The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms.

-- Socrates

Just as negotiation takes practice, so does momentum. You don’t do one great deal and then assume that every deal you subsequently make will automatically be great. You don’t get a great rhythm going once and then think it will always be there. Even the greatest jazz musicians know there’s a “zone” they’re aiming for, and hopefully they’ll get there. But they don’t take it for granted that they will. They work at it every time they play.

Momentum comes in different forms, but its common denominator is energy. Some synonyms are power, force, strength, impetus, and drive--all good things for accomplishments of any sort. We’ve all heard of biorhythms and how we have high days and low days, but my approach to that is to design your own chart and then work at maintaining it. My biorhythms are always on full speed ahead. I’ve developed my stamina to keep up to that level, and the results are apparent at this point.

Many things become easier with practice and experience, and momentum is one of them. You can take advantage of this great energy source just by being aware that it exists. It’s like swimming with the current versus being dragged down and out by a riptide. Find your own current and then go with it! Don’t allow for distractions. Do everything you can to maintain your energy flow.

There was a hugely successful real estate developer that I admired very much, who went into a decline. We saw each other at a party, and I asked him what caused this to happen. He said “Donald, I lost my momentum, and I couldn’t get it back.” When this guy fell, he fell hard. I learned a great lesson from him that night. Since then, I have devoted a lot of time to studying and applying the power of momentum to my own life and business. I don't ever want that to lose my momentum. The lesson applies whether you’re in real estate or not.

In order to keep your energy where it should be, realize the power of inertia. Inertia is like a gravitational force that can pull you down and keep you there. Don’t let that happen. Fight back! It’s like negative thinking--you have to zap it when it starts descending on you. I remember when I had had some setbacks and how easy it could have been to become discouraged or negative. I just refused to give in. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again because it’s an important point: you have to concentrate on the solution, not the problem. Putting your energy where it should be will give your momentum a chance to get going.

I see people who get in their own way when it comes to momentum. I knew a guy who would take ten big fast steps forward and then sit there, like he’d reached a plateau, and would expect things just to keep moving forward. It doesn’t work that way! Maybe he liked the rollercoaster approach to business, but he literally wore himself out before he had enough substantial success to see him through, and his ups and downs didn’t work out on the balance sheet in the long run. Watch out for streaks of momentum that you can’t sustain. Keep your equilibrium in all things, even in your energy output.

There’s a Newsweek ad from the late ‘80s in which they have a photograph of me with the caption “Few things in life are as brash as Newsweek.” I don’t mind being called brash because to me it’s being bold, it’s having energy, it’s getting things done. But there are constraints to be considered, and my momentum is carefully monitored. I’m not exactly brash in that sense, but I know you can’t get things done if you’re too timid. I'll never be a wallflower--I’d rather build walls than cling to them.

Here’s another take on the Socrates quote that opened this essay. Maybe he’s advising us to define our own terms. Maybe he’s suggesting that we start thinking for ourselves. In that case, my advice to you regarding momentum is definitive--get going, and get going now!

Momentum is not a complicated concept. You simply take small steps every day to reach your dream.

In my years as a journalist, I have interviewed dozens of people who made their dreams come true--famous coaches like Duke basketball’s Mike Krzyzewski, noted authors like Stephen R. Covey, and legendary entrepreneurs like Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s. I have also interviewed people who climbed Mount Everest, tamed lions, won Olympic medals, and performed leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera.

You would think that people from such different walks of life would have very little in common, wouldn’t you? But if you believed that, you would be wrong, because all those people share a vital success trait called momentum.

Momentum is not a complicated concept. To put it to work for you, you simply take steps every day to reach your dream. The steps you take can actually be quite small, because a little progress every day really adds up. (In contrast, if you fall into the habit of doing nothing every day to reach your dream, it dies a lot faster than you might expect.)

You can do these things today to get momentum working for you:

• Start building files about your dream. If you come across an article with information that can help you reach your goal, file it in a “dream file” for later review. When you get an idea that can help you, write it down and file it away. Don’t judge your own ideas harshly and toss them, because an idea that seems less-than-promising today might be priceless when you really need it someday. Documenting your dream this way keeps it vital and growing.

• Tell the people you love about your dream. They will then ask you about it each time they talk to you. They will provide resources and ideas. They will also harass you if you lose sight of your dream. That kind of pestering is good. It keeps you on track.

• Find a way to keep your dream physically before your eyes. Put a meaningful object on your desktop - it could be a picture of your kids, a pebble from your favorite trout stream or any object that has meaning for you. Make that object a symbol of your dream. Then every time you look at it, it will anchor you back into what you are trying to accomplish in your life.

• Learn and grow every day. The American system of education encourages us to discover our strengths and build on them. That’s important, but it isn’t everything. Success-oriented people do something else too. They admit their weaknesses and strengthen them. Remember, you can’t hide from your limitations, because they will come looking for you sooner or later and block your path to your dream. So put your ego aside, admit areas where you need work and eliminate them through education. Seek out courses at learning centers - both online and in classroom settings - and do the hard work that equips you to triumph where others have failed.

Momentum is something you have to work at to maintain, especially if you’re managing people in a business environment and are accountable for results. No matter what you are managing, don’t assume you can glide by on experience or smarts. You have to stay on top of your field, including the latest research and procedures. In the high stakes, high speed world of business, maintaining your momentum is paramount.

Successful management is like auto racing; it requires focus. You can be aggressive, but to win, you have to maintain the momentum, while using every bit of horsepower you have to get around the track.

When novice managers encounter problems, they often slow down or freeze altogether. It’s as if they are concentrating so hard that they forget to move. They become paralyzed. Then they lose momentum and stall out, losing any chance of getting through the difficult time. When you get into a difficult stretch, don't let off the accelerator. You have to maintain momentum. If you don’t move forward, you’ll soon find yourself far behind. Momentum is your friend.

So how do you handle the traps that competitors and circumstances are likely to spring on you? Your goal is to help the wheel of enterprise turning. If you dig in too deep, you’ll grind to a stop. Keep the pedal to the metal and shift to a higher gear. When you learn how to maintain momentum, you become a better manager because you're forced to rely on skill as well as power.

To keep a project moving and pushing forward you have to keep your team motivated. Building momentum initially is a lot easier than rebuilding it once it has been lost.

Business, of course, is not a machine. The human dimension has an impact on momentum, and, ultimately, your success. Momentum can be subjective: one person’s idea of fast may be another’s idea of haste. But consistent forward motion leads to substantial progress and is necessary to stay in the race. In the end, progress is essential to success.