Building Inevitable Momentum

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Building Inevitable Momentum

What do Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, Richard Branson, Michael Phelps, Warren Buffett, Madonna, David Beckham and Lady Gaga have all in common? A review of their individual biographies will reveal that they all make use of the same core principle I’m going to talk about here. To put one with the same perspective, let’s look at dominoes. A domino can knock another domino. If this other domino is 1.5 times larger than itself, you have a chain of dominoes of increasing size that makes a mechanical chain reaction that starts with a tiny push and knocks down an impressively large domino. Starting with the smallest domino within five millimeters high and one millimeter thick and thirteen dominoes with increasing sizes. All of this will knock down the final domino that will be about one meter high and 100 pounds. With 29 dominoes in the sequence, the last one would be as high as the Empire State Building. A tiny domino starts a chain reaction that pushes over a domino that’s a thousand times larger. As soon as the smallest domino tipped over, it pushes the next one, which is 1.5 times larger over, then that one pushes another domino that’s 1.5 times larger and so on. Eventually, the momentum was so strong that it pushed over a big domino at the end that is a thousand times larger than the first domino.

I want you to reflect on this. What does it mean for you? What’s the lesson here? Start small and use that momentum to make bigger changes in your life. The key is to keep that momentum going. When you kill momentum, then you have to start all over again and it takes a lot of energy and motivation that we don’t always have. That’s why it’s important that once you commit, you keep going no matter what, even if it’s just something small. Over time, all these little changes add up to something big. To put it another way, becoming more productive and successful boils down to doing the little things consistently every day. Now, you’re better compared to yesterday, even if it was just 0.1%. Tomorrow, you will be better than you are now, even if it’s 0.0001%. Do it enough times and the momentum will be in your favor where it will move mountains. Remember, it all started with a tiny bit of change. Typical mistakes that can derail you. No one gets everything right all the time from the start. However, there are certain common challenges that often come up. Do not procrastinate. It will cause you to fall back on your best efforts.

Why would a person spend all that work merely to reverse what they have done? This is what results when they procrastinate. That’s an action that will help you circumvent certain mistakes from taking place. If you’ve been managing time for a fulfilling life for a while, set a little time off to break up any legwork involved. Don’t vacillate. Provided you’re consistent with your duties and see through the preparations that you will be capable of to manage your day at work successfully follow through. It’s important to look at your life and find the things that rob you of energy. In your car, you have a motor. If it’s tuned correctly, it will run in the optimal level of efficiency. If you have a car full of spot blocks and it’s missing some oil and it was supposed to be 500 horsepower motor, now maybe you’ll be lucky to get 200 out of it. Most of us have things in our life that are robbing us of energy and we don’t even realize it. They are parasitic and they suck our energy suddenly like the late fees on the credit card. Instead of paying $50 on late credit card fees, if it’s invested for twenty years, you’ll be a millionaire, but you often don’t recognize this. Even your friends and relationships that drain you dry and leave you feeling exhausted and washed up.

Building Momentum: Most people grossly overestimate what they can do in one year and grossly underestimate what they can do in three or five years.

A shopper was always amazed in the quick wit and intelligence of a fish vendor. You asked them their secret. The fish vendor said, “I wouldn’t tell my secrets to just anyone but since you’re such a loyal customer, I’ll let you in on it. It’s the fishes.” Even if it’s not enough of them, it turns into a certified genius. It could be so simple. The shopper buys four fishes off him at $10 apiece. A week later, the shopper is back complaining that the fishes were disgusting and it’s not getting smarter. The fish vendor tells him that he doesn’t eat enough, so the shopper buys twenty more. Another week later, the shopper comes back and this time he’s angry and said, “You’re selling me all fishes for $10 apiece and I just find out that I can buy the whole fish for $5.” The fish vendor said, “You’re getting smarter already.” Being just a bit smarter can make a huge difference. It’s in human nature to look for the big fish, the one big thing that will propel us to success.

The reality is most success is built by people making one small improvement after the other until building a business momentum over time until it becomes overwhelming provided that they have a big picture in mind. How can you apply this to your life? Let me give you a couple of examples. Are you not exercising at the moment? Start with just walking for five minutes. Are you overwhelmed and paralyzed by email? Just commit to emptying your inbox for ten minutes and call it quits after that. Are you procrastinating right now? Set a timer for three minutes and just do one tiny thing that you’re procrastinating on. Big changes start with small changes. No matter how simple or easy the first step might seem, take it. It’s the start of something big. When you have that gut reaction that the first step seems pointless, that’s a huge indicator that you must take the first step. The voice in your head is holding you back right now. Planning three or five-year chunks would be the key for every routine to move forward. You need to have a big picture of what your ultimate goal is. In that way, you’ll have it and it results keeps growing incrementally and then eventually exponentially.

Most people grossly overestimate what they can do in one year and grossly underestimate what they can do in three or five years. Make a disciplined process and stick to it. It will be all right to take time off now and then, but you need to be fairly tenacious in preparing daily. Planning three or five-year chunks every day will encourage you in a variety of ways. You would even begin to believe differently. You will be prepared for any stumbling blocks because you will be stronger. You will also think more positively about yourself overall. Get into the practice of planning a three or five-year chunk so you know the sequence of what to do next. Remember to share your time to learn the necessary skills for the next phase in your life. Planning for each task in fifteen-minute chunk results in having achievable goals. In this way, you get the best of the different worlds. It is commonly known that planning for each task in fifteen-minute chunk could give you peace of mind since you know in advance what you do in each minute in the fifteen-minute sequence and you will not procrastinate. You will know in advance if the target is achievable.

As you keep experiencing the thrill of victory by planning for each task in fifteen-minute chunks, it creates a positive feedback loop in your brain towards greater success. There are several additional things to keep in mind as you’re planning backward from five years to the present. Be able to break down long-term goals into specific thoughts. Furthermore, planning backward from five years to the present will encourage you to have a clear sense of direction. Just by keeping a favorable outlook, it will serve you on any discouraging moments you might experience. Think about what you can do to enhance your routine and move on from there. An enthusiastic outlook will make a big difference if you implement your managing time program.

One lucky audience that posts a review on iTunes will win a private confidential consultation and coaching with me in discovering your soul’s purpose. I will lead you on a personal journey to discover the unique mind-body psychosomatic map of your life. You will get a detailed report and a personal 45-minute consultation with me that is worth thousands. I’m going to help you design a life that works so you are able to say yes to the things that matter and eliminate everything else that slows you down. The more clear you can be about how to organize your daily life to support your bigger vision, the more you step into your true potential, stay on track, and accomplish all that you want and deserve. Are you ready to make that happen? Feel free to reach out to me and ask questions at AskDrSun.com. Your life is a gift, design it. Do what matter and join me each week as we get closer to designing the life of your dreams.

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• iTunes – Your Life By Design
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