The Remarkable Power of Momentum: Using It to Change Your Life One Small Step at a Time

I’ve always been thrilled by the feeling of a plane taking off. No matter how often I fly I am amazed by the experience of the plane barreling down the runway with increasing velocity until it reaches such speeds that it begins to lift into the sky. That feeling of becoming airborne, of the momentum of takeoff, is nothing short of incredible. But I have to go no farther than the local soccer field or basketball court to witness the power of momentum. As a spectator of many high school sports over the years, I find it fascinating to witness how powerful momentum is on the field. Sometimes all it takes is one goal, or basket, or home run, to completely change the energy of the game and send a team that had been struggling to score, to ultimate victory. Momentum can work in the opposite direction too, the kind that spirals downward and makes you feel stuck in a rut. I have certainly seen this momentum at work in the lives of some of my patients, and at times, in my own life. It can show up in the form of procrastination, anxiety, stress, depression, loss of motivation, hopelessness, or other insidious forms. Momentum of this sort can be quite powerful, too, making it harder and harder to move forward. Sometimes it can feel more difficult to take that one step forward than to do nothing at all. It can be helpful to take inventory of the ways in which momentum has shown up in your own life, creating both downward and upward spirals. Think of a time when you were in a downward ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Habits Personal Psychology Psychotherapy Stories Self-Help Gratitude Momentum Optimism Personal Growth Positive Psychology Self Improvement Source Type: blogs