Law of the Big MO!!

"Momentum is a Leader's Best Friend" John C. Maxwell

A business partner once told me that Momentum is the #1 thing he wants when it comes to running a business.
He said he would do whatever it took to gain momentum. He would spend money, change things up, add new people, get rid of others. He would set bonus' and challenges to try and shake things up. He would set targets and quota's to raise standards in the office. To him it didn't matter what it took to get momentum as long as he had it. He told me that people could learn tasks such as public speaking, administration work, sales, preparation, goal setting or pretty well most things in business if a person is willing to apply themselves but that you can't learn momentum, you need to create it. 

The reason he feels momentum is so important is because many times it's the only difference between winning and losing.

Why is momentum such a big deal? John C. Maxwell describes this perfectly in his "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"
"1) Momentum is the Great Exaggerator - Look at sports. You put two teams with very similar skill and assets. The team that usually wins is the team that was able to make momentum and keep it.
2) Momentum makes Leaders Look Better than they Are - When momentum is on your side, people think your a genius. They look past your shortcomings. They forget about mistakes. People like associating themselves with Winners.
3) Momentum helps Followers Perform better than they Are - Even the bench warmer gets to put his name on the Stanley cup if his team wins.
4) Momentum is easier to Steer than to Start - Have you ever tried Water Skiing? It's impossible to do anything in the water when the boat isn't moving. But as soon as the boat starts moving and you are up on the water you can learn to do anything you want.
5) Momentum is the most Powerful Change Agent - Given enough momentum nearly any kind of change is possible. People love to jump on the bandwagon."

So now that we know WHY we want Momentum, How do we achieve it?
"1) Momentum begins inside the leader and spreads from there. Are you passionate about your vision? Are you trying to initiate momentum at all times? Do you work to motivate others?
You must model the attitude and work ethic you would like to see in others.
2) Motivation is a key factor in developing momentum. The first step toward building motivation is removing demotivating elements within your organization. Once you have done that, then you can take the next step towards implementing motivating elements into your business.
3) To encourage momentum, you need to help your people celebrate their accomplishments. Make it a regular practice to honer people who "move the ball forward." You want to continually praise effort but REWARD accomplishments. The more you reward success, the more people will strive for it."

If you have momentum right now enjoy it, use it and keep creating more of it. If your currently standing still then choose to stop standing still, start doing little things to create small success and build off of that. Set goals and push yourself to the top of the mountain. It will take a lot of work to get to the top but the ride down will be worth every step you took.