Preserving Momentum: It’s Time to Stop Driving Like Fred Flintstone

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." - Confucius

The Running (Re)Start

Remember when Fred Flintstone would hop into his car and start driving? He had that wood-framed car with two wheels resembling giant stone rolling pins. Fred would lean forward, vigorously pumping his legs to get the car moving. At first, the car would roll back, but eventually, it gained momentum. Once in motion, it still required effort to keep moving forward.

I recently experienced the full impact of losing momentum. About two years ago, I was an avid runner, consistently doing about 5km each time. Then we moved, and I lost my routine, occasionally running with less frequency. When winter arrived, I used cold weather and snowy conditions as excuses to postpone running until spring. I lost momentum and stopped for nearly a year.

Two weeks ago, I decided to restart my running routine by following a couch-to-5k program. And let me tell you, it's challenging! Like Fred, I'm pushing against the weight of a strained body, retraining muscles I haven't used in years. My feet ache, my hamstrings resist, my quads burn, and my lower back protests. And the mental dialogue is relentless.

I can't undo losing momentum, but it's a reminder of the importance of using inertia to maintain progress with our goals. When we're in motion, we still need to put in effort, but we can rely on the wheels of momentum to carry some of the load.

It’s time for some SPEED

Reflecting on my experience, I believe there are at least five ways we can help ourselves maintain momentum:

Scenery Change:

Boredom can be a momentum killer. Just as running the same trail every day can become tedious, so too can sticking to the same routine in any endeavor. Seek out new experiences, routes, or activities to keep your mind engaged and support your momentum.

Personal Leaderboard:

Setting up your own scoreboard helps you track your progress and serves as a source of motivation and reward. It's like the F1 driver focusing not just on winning each race but also on the larger goal of winning the entire season. By keeping score, you can see your wins adding up and fuel your momentum.

Evict Excuses:

Excuses are like delinquent tenants—they don't contribute, and they only cause problems. Stop allowing excuses to derail your progress and kick them to the curb. When you evict excuses, you make room for progress and momentum to thrive.

Express Yourself:

Keeping your goals to yourself limits your accountability to only yourself. Unless you're Kobe Bryant or Tom Brady, you might need some external motivation to keep your momentum going. Share your goals with others and enlist their support in your journey. Building a support network creates a partnership in momentum, providing you with additional motivation and accountability.

Develop Self-Compassion:

Everyone has off days, especially when building momentum. Be sure to give yourself enough grace to recognize that setbacks are a natural part of the process. Practice self-compassion to avoid becoming your own worst enemy. Momentum can easily be derailed if negative self-talk takes hold, so be kind to yourself and keep pushing forward.

Closing Thoughts

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson

As we conclude, let's not forget the essence of these principles, neatly encapsulated in the acronym SPEED. Momentum isn't just about moving fast; it's about maintaining consistent progress. It demands effort, focus, and support. So, keep the momentum going, and remember: Yabba dabba doooo!