After almost a full year of work from home, there has been a lot of discussion about mental health and burnout. Earlier, we have shared tips for recognizing and buffering against burnout in our Essential Guide to Burnout e-book. Here we are exploring how to get back into the groove and build up momentum after a slowdown and burnout.

Momentum makes it easier to create change. It’s much harder to find the first client than to find the 10th. If you have to lose 50 pounds, the second 10 are easier to lose than the first 10. It’s just hard to get started when you’re trying to change something in your life. It’s easier to keep a boulder rolling than it is to get it started.

Try these ideas to start your momentum:

• Do something worthwhile as early in the day as possible. Whatever your big goal in life happens to be, do something about it first thing each day. It’s a great way to show yourself that you’re serious about being successful. It’s also a way to build a lot of momentum that can carry you through the day.

  For example, if you are looking to drop a few pounds, get out of the door ASAP in the morning and go for a quick walk. If you want to write a novel, write one page before you even take a shower. Are you interested in speaking Italian? Learn three new vocabulary words before you have your morning coffee.

  A small accomplishment early in the day can motivate you to do even more later in the day. A bad morning usually drains your motivation, so ensure you have a great morning.

• Make your bed each day. It might seem like a trivial act, but it can make a big difference. You’ve barely woken up and you’ve already accomplished something. You’ll also appreciate it when you go to bed. Try it for a week and notice how much better you feel about yourself.

• Find a mentor that’s doing better than you are. Even the most successful people can use a good mentor. If you need to lose weight, find someone that’s lost 100+ lbs. If you want to make 6-figures, find a mentor that’s making seven. A good mentor will push you to be more than you’re currently demonstrating.

• Be consistent. It’s impossible to gain momentum without consistency. Each time you stop, it’s necessary to get started again. That’s the opposite of momentum. Get started and keep going. Consistent action is the key.

• Try a meaningful 30-day challenge. Pick a habit you’d like to create and incentivize yourself to do it each day for the next month. One tactic I use to stick to the new action is habit stacking. I also find creative ways to measure progress even when the result is not visible from the get-go. This is a great way to build momentum. When the 30 days are up, you should be able to continue. You’ve already been doing it for a month after all. What’s another month or decade? Easy.

• Have a vision. A compelling vision for the future can be the motivation needed to get started and to continue until you experience success. Think about what you want to accomplish. Who do you want to become? What type of life do you want to live? Create an attractive vision of a future that fills you with excitement.

  Few people have a long-term plan for their life. Even fewer have a plan that excites them. Be one of the few.

• Practice being action-oriented. Most of us do too much planning and spend too much time gathering more information. The people that accomplish the most are those that take action quickly, consistently, and aggressively. Focus on the actions you can take and actually take them. Momentum is the result.

With momentum, it’s easy to believe that you can accomplish anything. Without it, everything feels impossible. There’s no substitute for work ethic and perseverance, but there are plenty of things that can be done to create momentum. If you’re feeling stuck, work on creating momentum and then fight to keep it going.

Interested in a 30 min no-obligation private consultation call to help you strategize and create momentum in your change journey? I look forward to learning more about your vision and goals.