The power of momentum

Some people achieve a fleeting success and in an instant they are gone. Others build on their success and become even more successful.

One singer gets famous but once the hit song dies, their fame dies as well. We call them “One-Hit-Wonders.” But then there is Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett. Why is this so?

Momentum is one thing that many people neglect.

They get a momentary success and celebrate which is not a bad thing at all. From here though they rest and expect that the next round of success will come their way. And that is the problem.

I do trainings and give talks to our OFW communities in many parts of the world. Filipinos are just some of the hardest working people in the world. They earn money the tough way and they save.

And then in an instant they splurge. They go on a big vacation. They spend what they have worked hard to acquire. Then they come back. Their bank account has gone low or even zero. And then they have to work hard all over again.

Some mistakenly accuse them of being mediocre which is an unfair thing to say. Some call them foolhardy but these are people who have actually planned for it.

Others brand them as financial illiterates, which I do not think so, otherwise how could they have accumulated and worked up the amount of money for their spending binges.

Here is my deduction. They are not complacent, they are not foolhardy, they are not financial illiterates; they simply just miss out on or perhaps fail to embrace the power and magnetism of momentum.

We don’t even have to go too far. The young generation has a philosophy for the way they live their lives today. They call it “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and so they live for the moment.

They have things going on right now. They earn good amount of money, establish their skills and are now a lot more confident compared to when they were just starting.

The crucial factor missing here is that they fail to build on the one thing needed to achieve sustainable success.

The truth is that they learn fast. The work is not easy, yet with their youth, energy and enthusiasm equip them to cope. Then the most-awaited “Travel Fair” comes to town. They buy promo-tickets and spend what they have earned. They have actually broken the momentum of earnings and savings.

Others work for a year or two, kite their resumes all over the place, accept a higher pay and move from one company to another thinking that this is a way towards promotions.

What they have actually done is that they have broken the momentum of growing their career inside a company that they have invested time and energy in. And so they start from scratch and pretty soon the years pass them by.

The world continues to change. In a nation that is populated by the young, there will always rise the next generation of hungrier, perhaps more technology savvy kids, waiting to get their jobs.

Momentum is a powerful force. The forward movement enables a person to go to the next level. Momentum provides a person with the opportunity to build on their success and significantly enter another level that is higher and carries more fulfillment.

Momentum is an entrepreneur with one tiny store gathering the network of connections, the trust of suppliers and the interest of the bankers as he or she builds another one rather than putting a brake on the forward motion by building their dream house, traveling abroad or buying a new car.

Momentum is when one degree of success in a training event allows me to build relationships and trust and now the referrals continue as invitations come in and I continue to master my craft, increase my knowledge and carry on the mission to do my job better.

This is the power of momentum. Where there is a force of forward motion then it makes it easier to level up to a higher bar of excellence.

If you are on the roll, do not put on the brakes. Keep up on your momentum. If you are running out of energy or are getting bored, these are the tempting times to break your momentum. DON’T!

(Attend “Stand Out for Outstanding Performance” will be held on Sept. 9, 2015 at the Metro Tent inside Metro Walk along Ortigas Blvd. Be inspired and learn from speakers Chinkee Tan, Bryan Kong and Karen Davila as they share principles on how to become great achievers. For further inquiries contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 or 6310660 for details)