Utilize the Momentum

The CrossFit gym I go to happens to be called Momentum, which lately has felt especially fitting.

I’ve noticed something about myself during workouts: the first half is almost always the hardest.

There’s the initial enthusiasm of getting started, but somewhere between that and the finish line, I hit the point where everything feels hard. I’m tired. I know exactly how much work is still ahead of me. And if I were working out completely on my own, that’s probably the point where I’d be most tempted to call it good.

But I’m not alone.

I’m surrounded by other people who are still moving. There’s encouragement, accountability and, let’s be honest, a healthy dose of social pressure that keeps me from quietly putting down my weights and heading for the door.

So I keep going.

And then something interesting happens.

I get past the halfway point, and suddenly the second half seems to fly by.

The workout hasn’t necessarily gotten easier. I’m probably more tired than I was 15 minutes earlier. But now I can feel the finish line getting closer. I’ve settled into the work. Instead of thinking about how much I still have to do, I start recognizing how much I’ve already accomplished.

Momentum has taken over.

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Business Change Works the Same Way

I see this with businesses all the time.

We decide to implement a new system, change how the team communicates, improve the patient experience, address a long-standing problem or finally tackle something we’ve been avoiding.

At first, there’s usually excitement.

We’re doing this! Things are going to be better!

And then we actually have to do it.

That’s when we hit the uncomfortable middle.

The new system takes more thought than the old one. Team members forget. Someone questions why we’re changing things in the first place. The new script feels awkward coming out of our mouths. We haven’t seen the results yet, and suddenly the old way doesn’t seem quite so bad.

This is often the point when we want to quit.

But it may also be the point when we most need to keep going.

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Hard Doesn’t Always Mean It’s Not Working

There’s an important distinction between something being hard because it’s wrong and something being hard because it’s new.

When we’ve operated one way for years, even an objectively better process can initially feel more difficult. We haven’t built the muscle memory yet.

Think about implementing a new morning huddle, changing how your team handles phone calls, creating better boundaries with clients or patients, introducing a new scheduling protocol, or holding people accountable in a way you haven’t before.

Initially, you have to think about every step.

Eventually, you just do it.

The hard may not completely disappear, but the new way begins to become the normal way.

And that’s when momentum becomes incredibly powerful.

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Don’t Underestimate Who Is Beside You

There’s another lesson I’ve taken from those CrossFit workouts: who you’re doing the hard thing with matters.

If I’m alone, it’s much easier to negotiate with myself.

Maybe that was enough.

Maybe I’ll finish next time.

Maybe I don’t really need to do that last round.

In a group, there’s accountability. I see other people pushing through their own discomfort, and it reminds me that I can push through mine.

Business owners and leaders need that too.

Change is harder in isolation. Sometimes you need a team that’s bought in. Sometimes you need another business owner who understands. Sometimes you need a coach, consultant or trusted advisor who can remind you why you started when you’re standing squarely in the uncomfortable middle.

Not necessarily because they can make the work easy, but because they can help you keep moving long enough to let momentum take over.

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Keep Going Long Enough to Reach the Other Side

We often assume we’ll feel motivated first and then we’ll make progress.

I think it’s frequently the opposite.

We start.

We keep going when it’s uncomfortable.

We repeat the new behavior.

We see a little progress.

And progress creates momentum.

Suddenly, the system that required constant reminders is simply how your team operates. The conversation you used to dread becomes one you know how to navigate. The process that initially felt cumbersome starts making everyone’s job easier.

You’ve created a new normal.

So, if you’re currently in the middle of making a change in your business and wondering why it still feels so hard, don’t automatically assume that’s a sign to stop.

You may simply be in the first half of the workout.

Keep moving.

Lean on the people around you.

Give the new habits time to take hold.

Because sometimes the difference between a change that fizzles and one that transforms your business is simply sticking with it long enough to utilize the momentum.

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