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Regaining Momentum

  • Writer: Christy Denman
    Christy Denman
  • Apr 18, 2023
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jul 5, 2023

Cactus blooms are beautiful! I photographed the one below one morning from the tall, slender cactus that lives on my back patio. The identity of the cactus is unknown to me, but it appears to bloom only at night, for by midday the blossom closes, then fades, lasting only through the morning. The darkness gives it momentum to reveal its beauty and present its purpose. How do you find momentum through the darkness?


Business momentum, cactus bloom, white flower
Momentum blooms!

Many times through the course of starting this business, I’ve lost momentum. The feeling is like stumbling and groping in the darkness of a place I’ve never been, experiencing forces I can’t identify. That’s normal, right? Venturing into the unknown and finding the way cloaked in darkness and riddled with obstacles, halting progress and leaving you searching for the light and the why. The obstacles on my way to building a business have taken many shapes. Fear, lack of confidence, overwhelm, and lack of knowledge are just a few. But, whatever the shape of the shadows, I have discovered that regaining my momentum requires only one thing. Taking action!


Now, that’s no surprise. Doing is how any goal is achieved. But, the surprise for me came with the discovery that the action doesn’t have to be a grand to-do. Even the tiniest step forward, or even left or right, has helped me move toward the light. As long as I move from that stagnant place where I’m groping in the dark, I begin to feel the start of momentum.


Overwhelm was a constant obstacle for me when I started gathering information to build a business. The things to be done seemed endless and unachievable. Sometimes all I could see was the darkness with too many unknown paths ahead of me, and momentum would wane. Fear and perfectionism have also been my constant companions throughout this process. The fear of putting myself out there and failing has delayed my progress more times than I can count, and wanting to achieve the unachievable everything-has-to-be-perfect has done nothing but add to the overwhelm. A vicious circle, indeed.


With experience, however, I’ve learned to break the cycle and overcome the obstacles with the simplest action or slightest movement. Action and movement toward the goal, without a second thought, is the only option. The obstacles will never subside, but like the cactus on its steady course through the night toward a morning bloom, it is in the darkness that we gain the most momentum. It’s the struggles, the mistakes, the things we overcome on our journey through the dark times that allow our beauty to unfold and our purpose to be revealed. So, take the tiniest of steps toward your goal. Ask one person for help or inspiration. Make one mistake and correct it. Ask one question and find the answer. Decide this one time that OK is good enough. Lean toward the light, move forward through the darkness, and discover a revelation. A never-ending supply of momentum that is more useful than motivation. And, don't forget to celebrate each and every bloom!

The most effective way to do it, is to do it. – Amelia Earhart

BOOKS:

Something Happened by Joseph Heller



BRIEFS:

"Action Creates Momentum" by Ken Burke, LinkedIn.com



BROADCASTS:


Artist: Imagine Dragons

Album: Night Visions

Composers: Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee & A. Grant

©2012

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