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One of the questions I am frequently asked is how I manage to stay on course with my personal and business goals without losing momentum. Many people start off a new year or season with excitement about the possibility of accomplishing every goal on their list. But somewhere along the line, they lose sight of all possibilities. They become negatively overwhelmed by the same things they once had excitement about. The million dollar question is how do we get smashed by  goals we hoped to smash within the course of the year.

As a coach, I sit across the table from many people with wonderful income generating and result producing ideas. If there is one thing hindering some of us from accomplishing our goals is the FEAR of not knowing how to realize our goals. No fear is valid. All our fears are based on lies. While fear isn’t the focus here, we can’t talk about building momentum without addressing the one thing that interferes with our ability to start things and follow through till the end. Fear is the number one obstacle to success. Many people have not gone to the next level of their lives or careers because they harbor some sort of fear. Fear kills dreams, devalues ideas, stifles creativity and destroys your momentum.

What you overcame in the past year is an indication that you are powerful enough to thrive and outlive crises. Being alive in and of itself is a benefit that we take for granted. Use the breath in your lungs as a strategy against anything that tries to take you off course. Here are some tips for entrepreneurs, other professionals, and leaders on how to sustain momentum throughout this year:

Keep Looking Ahead. If yesterday doesn’t serve as a good reference for what’s possible in the future, don’t look to it for answers. The issue many of us have with sustaining momentum is that we spend time and energy looking back at the things we didn’t do right or that didn’t work out. The only future that’s behind you are the people looking to you for a frame of reference on how to blaze their own trail. It’s exhausting to move forward and backwards at the same time. In fact it’s impossible to move forward if you keep looking at what you left or missed behind. Pick a direction and stick to it. Develop a no matter what attitude towards your purpose, dreams and goals.

Create Biteable Pieces of Your Goals. There is something I say to my clients “don’t worry about what it would take to eat an entire elephant if your assignment is to focus on eating the ears.” When you pay attention to what your target is not, you lose sight of your

Target. This is because your mind becomes crowded with information about what you can’t do. Simplicity is necessary for success. You can’t  complicate things and then wonder why you are unable to make it work for you. Simplify your annual goals into things you can do consistently on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The results you get will boost your passion and esteem to go after bigger things. Remember this, it’s the little things you do on a consistent basis that yield the biggest outcomes.

Maintain Clarity and Focus. It’s hard to accomplish anything when you lack clarity. Clarity is your passcode to not being distracted or sidetracked. Doing more isn’t what determines the true meaning of personal success. Your ability to stay focused will keep you soaring. Some of the things we take upon ourselves end up becoming extra weight. When you travel internationally, you’ll see travellers at the airport who are stressed and almost at the point of missing their flights as a result of being held at the counter for carrying extra weight in their luggage. Be non-negotiable about setting your priorities on what really matters. Not everything requires the same amount of attention. Lack of clarity and focus disrupts momentum, causing unnecessary delays.

Collaborate With Others. We often burn ourselves doing things we don’t have the capacity to do alone. There are gifted people in your life whose relationship you should leverage. Some of them will be willing to assist you in taking your business or idea to the next level, if you ask for their contribution. Why spend time and energy doing something you know you are not good at? For example; if hosting a social media broadcast will be the best way to reach your ideal audience but you struggle with talking in front of the camera, invite a friend who is a pro at it to tag team. After two to three appearances, you will feel more confident to do it on your own. Leveraging the support you have in your network will keep you from feeling overwhelmed and miserable. You will move faster and farther when you allow skilled and reliable people to add value to what you do. Hence, the reason you must be intentional about connecting to and surrounding yourself with the right people. Personally, collaboration is one of secret weapons. Don’t try to go solo when you should go into partnership.

Rest. With living in a “fast-food paced culture,” rest sounds foreign language. But the lack of it is the reason why people are not as efficient and productive as they would like to be. Truth be told, there is not much an unhealthy person can do to effectively serve others. It would interest you to know that rest is a priority not luxury. It is one of the most effective strategies to having steady success and increasing your influence. Failing to carve out time to rest will rob you of what you deserve. At the end of each day, you want to go to bed knowing everything was done in the most excellent way. Getting the job done brings revenue but doing it excellently guarantees retention. The quality of results we produce gives us the credibility we need in our spheres of influence. Rest adds value and quality to your life.

Master the Time Factor. Don’t give up too quickly. People frequently ask me “what’s the next step to take if a series of ideas seem not to work out?” My honest response is: you shouldn’t try to do something new if you haven’t tried other ways of approaching the first thing you attempted. Sometimes, the issue isn’t that what you did is not working. Time is a relevant factor in everything we do. There are ideas and initiatives that only yield results over a period of time, after consistent input. Your ability to master the role of time will be a key strategy to building and  maintaining momentum. If you keep working at it, you will realize the full potential your business or idea carries to impact the world. This is not the season to beat down yourself if something isn’t working. Ask yourself the right questions before making a decision to stop all together ; is there another approach to this? Or is it just a matter of time before I get a return on my investment?

I firmly believe that 2021 is an EXPLOSIVE YEAR. Meaning this is the year your consistent little efforts will yield massive outcomes. Don’t devalue what you have to offer. Continue mastering your craft and bring value to every table you have the opportunity to sit at; whether it’s a table hosted by you or one you are invited to. Whatever is on your schedule, do it knowing you will achieve whatever you believe.

2021 will answer to you if you instruct it in words and actions. In my book “Decree A Thing,” I talked about the power of understanding how to legislate, govern and change the outcome of situations through your words and actions. Your thoughts inform your words, your words inform your actions and your entire life becomes a product of these.

About Favour Ikome: 

Favour is an Oral Roberts University Alumni, a published author, speaker, and mentor. Favour is passionate about helping people know their identity, fulfill their life’s purpose.

To learn more and connect with Favour Ikome, click here.

 

All images courtesy of Natural Eye Photography