My new favorite concept and word is momentum.

I looked up the word and one definition that appeals to me is this one: “strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.”

I do think it is an interesting idea, that once in movement you get more movement.  Momentum is at play in all areas of our lives, from our smallest tasks to our largest dreams.  I noticed this yesterday when I was writing my last blog post.  Although I had a clear idea of what I wanted to say generally, when I started writing, the words came out in fits and starts and I didn’t feel confident that I would be able to make my ideas work in the post.  I also wasn’t sure I had it in me yesterday to finish it.

But then I pushed forward.  I kept laying sentence after sentence down and tried not to worry about coherence, weight, or depth.  This is just typing, after all.  After a bit more editing and fussing, the post was done.  Whew.  The uneasy tension of creating the post gave way to the feelings of pleasure and gratitude that it was done.

I write this as if I struggled with just this last post.  But really, what I just described could be applied to the creative process of 95% of my posts.  I start slow, then push forward, then benefit from the force of having pushed forward.  Then I get to be done.  Not exactly easy-peasy, but it is becoming a reliable system of writing for me.

For Procrastinators, momentum can be a daunting idea.

• First of all, many Procrastinators have a difficult time initiating movement at all.  And when people are at a standstill for long periods of time, the payoffs of gaining momentum are forgotten.  Momentum seems improbable and feels impossible.
• Secondly, many Procrastinators who do get to a point of experiencing momentum feel overwhelmed by the energy that is involved in having made headway.  All of a sudden it seems like our work is increasing and intensifying and we still have to keep churning out the creativity at the same time.  It can feel as if momentum is a dangerous force, not an exciting one.

If you are currently grappling with whether to get a move on or not, consider the concept of momentum in your deliberations.  Try to remember you are fully capable of movement. Then remember when you begin moving you will be assisted by the force of your initial movement to move forward even further.  If you experience dread, frustration, or anxiety along the way, you can also remember you have the capacity to tailor your reactions to your needs.  On a final note, which may be an obvious one, you should remember momentum never comes from standing still.