How Taking Action Creates Momentum in Your Business
Don’t wait for inspiration to hit. Instead, hijack the system and create your own inspiration, motivation and momentum to move your business forward.
TL;DR
By taking steps every day (even really small ones) to work toward a goal, project or developing a new skill, motivation will follow and create momentum for you in your work and business.
Continue reading below…
Hi there and welcome to my blog article or wherever you are reading this. I’m sort of new to writing for the internet and am certainly not using any kind of SEO strategy or, well, any other strategy with my words here. This article is inspired by a post-it note my friend keeps on her computer that reads the famous quote said by Robert McKain, “Action precedes motivation.”
I am so inspired by this quote now that I even made a TikTok video about it (which I am also new at and use zero strategies with, be nice).
As a creative entrepreneur, motivation, and hell, even inspiration, can be hard to spark sometimes, especially if you are a creative person coupled with any sort of mental diagnosis like anxiety, depression, or ADHD (hi 👋). Let’s remove the stigma around mental health and allow this article to be a safe space for those who have a different mental or cognitive experience from you. Instead, let’s learn more about who we are, how we function best, and leverage that information to create a life that supports the full expression of who we are. Yes? Okay, rant over.
So, as someone who is very creative and relies on inspiration often to create my work, I needed to learn how to hijack inspiration (and motivation) in order to create momentum in my business. After all, clients have paid me for a service and my job pays me to fulfill my creative responsibilities, so being able to create on-demand is a huge skill that is necessary to continue to thread the needle forward in my business.
Let’s take the quote from my friend’s post-it note: “Action precedes motivation.” It is clear when readings this quote, and thoughtfully digesting it, that it implies the need for intention and action in order to create motivation, thus creating momentum. An article from psychologytoday.com states, “You can't wait until you feel inspired to act. Motivation doesn't just happen; instead, it is a reaction to intention and integrity. When you begin taking small steps in the right direction, motivation, and momentum immediately kick in.” I like to think of the almighty Nike brand here and think to myself, “Just do it.”
By taking even the smallest steps every day toward your goals, completing a project, or developing a new skill, you will look back in a year and feel a massive sense of accomplishment. For some tips on tangible ways to implement this into your life and schedule, check out the incredible book The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, or just start by employing 15 minutes each day to your craft as one of my favorite artists, Thomas Evans (Detour) advises in his commencement speech at the University of Denver this year.
It’s important to not get hung up on the details with this here – whatever process works best for you will work best for you. When I am feeling in a slump and unmotivate or uninspired, I allow myself a few minutes to sit quietly and sip my coffee. Then, I stand up and begin working regardless of the emotions I feel inside. By taking even this small act of standing up and moving over to my workspace, I immediately create motivation to get the job done.
Huge thanks to my friend Molly of Chinook Endeavors for sharing this quote with me. Love you, girl.
I hope you enjoyed this article. Maybe I’ll write more.
Cheers,
Sam
