Momentum Energy

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Aicila: Is it a discipline problem or is it a momentum problem? . If you feel like you just can't get moving, it's likely not because you're lazy or undisciplined. It's more likely that your momentum energy is depleted. In this episode, I wanna talk a little bit about reframing procrastination stall projects, and decision fatigue as symptoms of deeper energy misalignment.

Sometimes the most strategic move is learning how to start gently again. So what is momentum Energy, exactly. Momentum energy is the internal fuel for initiation and follow through.

And. It helps us connect to our emotional readiness, clarity, and dopamine. For example, if you have satisfaction in completing things. Or you can get excited about starting them. It's, it's often confused with motivation, but it's not really the same. Motivation is a feeling, and momentum is more of a rhythm. It's a state of being.

[00:01:00] Burnout can look like procrastination. What happens is you get depleted. Maybe you over lean on one of your energies without refreshing them or just get hit with a lot of things at once. I think burnout sort of was a world global issue during the pandemic. That depletion can lead to para paralysis. I

and that can lead to shame. Which then kind of digs you more into that burnout. One of the things around that shame is also that judgment. People will look at themselves, I certainly have, and said, oh gosh, I'm being so lazy. When actually what it is is I'm depleted. And it, it's, in some ways it's a very important protective system or a protective mechanism.

You're keeping your nervous system from getting even more overloaded. Let's talk about what are the hidden friction points in your business that sabotage your momentum? One over complicated systems. Things that require too many steps. So all of your momentum, [00:02:00] energy, your initiation energy is going into getting eight things done to be able to start.

Now I'm not talking about essential critical aspects of your system. I'm talking about over complication. And if you are like many of us trying to cobble together multiple systems to make something work, you might find yourself having to duplicate or move things. And or you may have tried to automate things that creates more complex complexity. If there's not a simple solution to it, other than to say, if you notice that consistently you don't wanna deal with X, Y, or Z. Step back and ask yourself, is it because the system itself is blocking my ability to do the work? If it is, then see what you can change, remove, or, or just let go of .

Another hidden friction point is decision fatigue from unclear priorities.

It can be [00:03:00] very difficult to get going or feel satisfied when you are unclear about what your priorities are. And that can mean that you don't know them, that you haven't articulated them or they aren't concrete. Find more clients is not a concrete priority. You need to develop a priority that really is concrete, clear, uh, mission and values aligned and be specific. And that's gonna help you both feel clear about what to do next, where you're going and when you've achieved it.

Another hidden friction point can be invisible energy leaks from people pleasing.

Over-delivering or lack of clarity, why is over-delivering bad? Well, because a lot of times when we're over-delivering, it's because we feel guilty or unworthy. And that is an energy leak. So we need to really look at what are our goals here.

Now, do I think that occasionally we should put a little extra into things? [00:04:00] Absolutely. And if your pattern is to overdeliver, examine that. It's probably costing you a lot more than you think. When your tech or tools or workflow do not match how you actually think or operate. And this is a huge one for me.

I'll talk about it a lot. It can absolutely stall you out in a variety of ways. I see. It's part of why I named the podcast. It's part of why I named the podcast business as unusual is because I saw so many people who defaulted to business as usual when they left corporate America or left a certain job or situation because business as usual just didn't work for them.

It, they didn't feel good about it or it didn't allow them to, to really lean into the things that they were really good at it. It didn't support the product that they wanna create or provide. The number one thing is notice how you work. Notice what does work for you. And start from there.

If you are someone who [00:05:00] thrives at night, and maybe it's because you have kids, and the only time you can get quiet time is between eight and midnight. I mean, it can be situational as well as internal. Notice that and plan your work schedule around that. Ask for what you need and prioritize it so that you can actually be successful and thrive.

How to build energy aware accountability. One, redefined productivity with your energy in mind. Ask yourself questions like, what can I do today that honors my energy and moves me forward? And really think about the order you do things in. If there's something that just drains you, make sure that you do something before it that really peaks your energy, that just fills your cup.

And, um. I'm gonna introduce a concept called Minimum viable Movement A. It's a little bit of a mouthful. I'm not sure if this is the best name for it. I'm still workshopping some of these things. [00:06:00] Think about, so for example, what can you do in 10 minutes? There's a woman I had on the podcast who talks about that.

Really say, you know, like if you had this task that you've been avoiding and you have it on your calendar that you're gonna do it. And you sit down and you're like, oh, I can't even deal with it. Say, all right, I'm just gonna spend 10 minutes, set a timer and see what happens. And a lot of times just doing that, giving yourself a little bit of a break, I don't have to spend a whole hour on it, but I'm just gonna give it a start, that'll push you past that. I used to, when I was a runner, I used to do long distance running. It was very difficult for me to wake up at six in the morning and go for a five mile run. But I knew I felt so much better after I did it. So my rule for myself was I had to get outta bed when my alarm went off and put on my running clothes and walk out the door.

If, after I did that, I don't wanted to turn around and go back inside. No problem. Totally could do that. Most days I didn't go back inside. Once I was out there, I was like, oh, I might as well run to the [00:07:00] end of the block. And then I'd run a little further. And the next thing you know, I had done three to five miles.

So really think about, what is it that overwhelms you, shuts you down, makes it feel too big. And drop back to a small piece. The other part of that though, is on those days when I did wanna turn around and go back home, I did do it. You have to keep your promises to yourself. You have to know that you trust yourself to sometimes take that out. .

You could have, uh, you know, something like one decision a day or, you know, like come up with your thing that helps you to really think about what is it, what would be your minimum viable movement to get you past some of those blocks and barriers that keep you from moving forward or feeling satisfied. And that don't seem to be substantive and yet seem to be consistent, more like molasses, [00:08:00] right?

And then find ways to rebuild your rhythm? I, I think regular reviews can be really helpful. Uh, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, uh, find a process that helps you to get really clear on which of these are, are right for you. I'm actually working on some worksheets and checklists, uh, that I think might be helpful. I have some, but they're really complicated. You remember that over complicated systems that require too many steps isn't a good idea. It's because it's in my head in such a detailed way. I'm trying to figure out how do I give you something that will help you,

that isn't all of that. But um, but there's also a lot of things out there. So do some review of what, what has. What? What is working, what isn't working? Notice what your goals are and how close you are to them or not. Do daily momentum, energy check-ins. Rebuild your trust with yourself through small [00:09:00] wins. Use patterns, and not discipline to design a momentum friendly workflow.

What does that mean exactly? Well, uh, discipline is kind of an external force. It's business as usual. I gonna get this done right? Patterns are more, you create almost a call response in yourself. Because the less thing you think about it, the more that you let it just flow, the more likely it is to happen.

I find that like if I look at my schedule the night before and I say to myself, this is what I'm doing when I'm getting up. This is next. This is next. When I wake up, I just sort of automatically follow that structure. I don't have to make any decisions or think about it. And that gets me to my next step a lot more quickly.

Create rituals for yourself that let you know you're moving again, even if you're moving slowly. And also like me with the, I can turn around and go back home. Do not punish yourself if you decide to take a [00:10:00] break. If you real, if you feel like, Nope, today's not the day. Unless you have something mission critical that other people are a part of, there are of course, occasionally times when you have to push. If pushing becomes a default behavior, you are moving in an you are moving in an energy negative direction, and it will come back to bite you in the butt.

Don't do it. If your business feels stalled, it might be time to stop trying to push harder and start learning to work with your momentum. If you want help figuring out your next right step, book an energy boost session, or join my next workshop.

Next week on business as unusual. Discover how optimizing your biological age, not just your mindset, can become your ultimate superpower for entrepreneurial success. longevity expert Ines [00:11:00] T.

Thank you for tuning into business as unusual, remember, in this ever evolving world of modern business, it's not about fitting in,

it's about standing out. See you next time. Stay curious, stay innovative, and always keep it unusual.