Welcome to another episode of BL NK Pges!

In this episode, we continue our four-part series on momentum by delving into the intricacies of building momentum, a fundamental force that propels us toward our goals and aligns with our core beliefs.

We pick up where we left off in "The Magic of Momentum," focusing on how to build momentum constructively. As we've discovered, momentum is not just a force but a catalyst for exaggeration, improvement, and change.

Through the story of Esther, a dedicated mother, and aspiring entrepreneur, we explore an eight-point framework that anyone can apply to start building momentum in their life.

Key Sections and Takeaways

1. Understanding Core Values

• Identifying what truly matters to you is the foundation for building momentum. Align your goals with your core values for genuine progress.

2. Setting Clear, Achievable Goals

• Goals should be specific, measurable, and aligned with your values to ensure they propel you forward effectively.

3. Creating Actionable Steps

• Break your goals into manageable, actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to maintain a clear path forward.

4. Building a Supportive Network

• Surround yourself with people who share your values and can offer motivation, advice, and accountability.

5. Embracing Continuous Learning

• Lifelong learning and applying knowledge is key to momentum, providing the tools for innovation and improvement.

6. Cultivating Resilience

• Prepare for setbacks and view them as opportunities to learn and adapt, rather than failures.

7. Celebrating Progress

• Acknowledge every win, big or small, to reinforce positive behavior and stay motivated.

8. Reflecting and Adjusting

• Regularly assess if your actions align with your values and be ready to make necessary adjustments.

Building momentum is an integral part of achieving personal and professional fulfillment. You can move forward with confidence and purpose by embracing today's principles, such as setting clear goals, creating actionable steps, and cultivating resilience.

Connect with Me

If you're feeling stuck or seeking guidance on building momentum, reach out via Instagram (@TimPecoraro). Your journey matters, and I'm here to support you.

Thank you for tuning in, and don't forget to subscribe, like, and review the show. Stay tuned for our next episode on maintaining momentum.

Well, hello, and welcome to this week's episode of blank pages, the podcast. I'm your host, Tim Pecoraro, and I am so glad you are joining me today. We're gonna be doing part 2 of this 4 part series, and it's all around momentum. I just thank you for listening. And if you haven't done so yet, please subscribe to the show, like the show, rate, review the show. You can go to Instagram, and find me there at Tim Pecoraro. And, you can find them in the in the bio there. You'd find the link to be able to sign up for the newsletter even that I have that's gonna be going out monthly that gives you a summary of everything that's going on and even some things that are coming forward.

And once again, it's monthly. I promise not to overwhelm your inbox. Okay? And, that's what I'll do. I promise you that. So please, sign up for it. There's gonna be some good stuff coming. I have some really cool things I'm gonna be launching, that I'd like to include you in, and be another resource for you to have, in your day to fuel your journey and things that, that you would like to accomplish or see happen in your life. I'd like to help if I can.

So this momentum thing is it's all about whether it's your work, your family, your family life, Relationships, personal growth, gaining momentum is key to achieving your goals and also to be able to live in harmony with core beliefs. So You wanna make sure you achieve goals, but it's also aligned with core beliefs. So I'm gonna share with you a concrete framework for you, to be able to use that hopefully will guide you in building the momentum that you need in your life. Okay? Momentum is to build it up though in today's episode talking about the buildup. It's hard work, and this is where this comes into play. So let me review briefly what last week was, episode 8, which was the magic of momentum. And nothing moves without momentum. I just wanna remind you that.

But I wanna give you a a couple of truths that I shared, and you can go back and relisten to the episode. I'm not going to go too far into it. But A truth about momentum is when you have momentum, it can it's a great exaggerator. It can make things look better. So like a team that's just all of a sudden, playing well. And even though they're just average, but they really work well together. Like, they're no one is a superstar, but They get together. They work, and they because of it, and they do it well, they communicate, and they have that build up towards that momentum.

It can make them look better than they actually are. And equally so when a team doesn't have it, they don't look good. It can make you look better as a leader, and that's a big one. Okay? So leaders, when you have things and you're leading and you're doing stuff and and and and you you've got momentum on your side, it makes you look great. It's like a great exaggerator even for you. Okay? And so even when you make little mistakes because you have momentum, people tend to not be so upset over little things. The third thing is it'll help followers perform better. Even average People can perform far above average in an organization or in relationships that have great momentum.

People are motivated and inspired to perform at higher levels when that momentum is there. And then the 4th 1 is most powerful change agent to me. It is like it is this is like the most. It's it's huge. This is it's a change agent. Momentum, as soon as you get it and it's on your side, It will, like, basically, put success and victory right in your sights. And and people also because of that wanna hitch They're themselves to the success of people and whatever the efforts are that they're doing. And then when you have that, that change agent, a change Change agent of momentum.

When this happens, it makes the ability to change or transform that much more possible. So I just want you to use those 4 things to to start off, you know, or to have in your mind as we move into This topic of how do you build it? What's the buildup for momentum, and what framework could we use? And, And I'm not bringing you anything new. There's nothing really new here other than I'm trying to focus it into a framework to where you will concentrate Your attention and take the time with that attention to invest in doing these things to generate to get the magic of momentum, but to build that momentum, to build it up. So I'm not gonna give you a whole lot. I'm just gonna give you some things that I want you to look at, and there's, like, this framework of 8 that I want you to think about. Okay? So what's the first one? In order to to to build momentum, you have to begin understanding BL understanding your core values. What are they? Identify them. Identify your core values.

What truly matters to you in family? Right? So in family, integrity, and the creativity or perhaps in community. Your momentum should be guided by those values. So anything else is misguided Because you will always find yourself where you don't wanna be, and then you're gonna question how you got there. Well, go back to the original intent. What is your why? I I you know, Simon Sinek, great book. Sinek, he, the the start with why is a great book. I love how wow why takes you to what and what can help you with how. Right? So that's a simple way of saying it.

Why is purpose? And a lot of people start off with what to do, and so they wanna generate momentum from what? What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? Well, that's not gonna work. You gotta get to why. That's where the real fuel is. That's where you can ignite something. That's where, like, a gas engine in a car, You know? And and if you're an electric car person, I get it. You know? But I'm gonna talk about gas for a minute. You need you have to have fuel, and you have to have fire. You have to have a spark.

Something has to light something to get that moving, and that's what gets that engine pumping to give you what you need to really move forward. It's the fuel, where you got out of Spark. And you bring those together, and then you can really get the momentum you need. Makes the engine pump. Right? So identify your core values. That's that's framework post number 1 to build momentum. The second is is setting clear, achievable goals. Now this is huge.

So in each area of your life or each one of those areas where you said that you want that momentum, so family, whatever it is, work, However you wanna do it, right, or look at it. Set clear and achievable goals. Now did you hear the thing is clear and achievable? Okay? You have to make sure it's clear you understand what your goal is and that you can actually achieve it. So whether it's in improving a relationship, Learning a new skill or advancing in your career, your goal should be specific and measurable. What do they look like? Okay? Like, Say to yourself, am I gonna set this goal that who knows if I could ever reach it or get there? That's probably not that good. I wanna set a clear achievable goal because the whole point is is I want to experience victories and wins and small things. I'll talk about that more towards the end of this podcast. Okay? So let me get to the third thing.

The third is to create actionable steps now. So you identify your core values. Secondly, you set the clear achievable goals. 3rd, you're gonna create actionable steps. So you're gonna break these down into small actionable steps, and this is gonna make the process less overwhelming, and it's gonna help you get that clear path. Right? So you're gonna say, so if I wanna have an actionable step to build a better, relationship with my brother. Okay? So, obviously, one of the things I have to do to get momentum in that is maybe to start off by sending a text every now and again. Right? If we haven't been talking or hanging out much, like, just checking in.

How's your day? How are things going? That's something that I can do that's actionable for me. It's something that I can literally Help me to start moving, and then I can bring in, like, a belief hypothesis that if I take these steps daily and if I can follow-up If my brother or when he responds to me, and then I can keep that going, then the next step is that maybe we can maybe have lunch together or meet for some coffee in our in our very, different lives and where we're living and just making the time and prioritizing it because it's important. And then and then from there, That belief hypothesis will help me to say that. And if I do that enough, then then from there, hopefully, I can build momentum to building a stronger relationship with my brother. You know, what's funny is all of this is very elementary. And most of the people I could talk with, some I mean, some of you listening right now go, oh, I know all of this. This is so simple. You're right.

But the thing is that a lot of times, we're not doing the thing that we know. So one of the questions when I'm coaching people sometimes is they'll we'll be talking about Something that I go, oh, I know this and I know that, and they tell me all that stuff. And then all my next question is, so what are you doing with all that knowledge? How are you applying all of that knowledge? And for someone that knows all of that, and you're talking to me about this thing in your life that you wanna change, Why is your life still on the same spot? And it the probably the answer is is because it has not been employed or put to work. Okay. And that can be a big difference maker, obviously. Now the 4th thing for this framework, So is is you wanna build a supportive network. Okay? So in this supportive network, you wanna connect with people who support and share your values. So once again, you gotta get back to alignment.

Don't invite everybody into this. Okay? I'm one of those that, it's like when my when when my wife and I when we, with all of our kids, typically within that 1st trimester, You you know, you kinda keep things to yourself. You don't say anything because, you know, that that's a tough time. And, you know, we've experienced some things, with pregnancies in the past before, and And you're so excited, and then things don't go the way you want. And it's very it's very sad. Right? It's very tough. It's hard to go through. And when you're throwing all that stuff out into the whole world, that can even exacerbate that situation and make it harder.

So sometimes it's better to keep those things to yourself and let them grow. Let them nurture. So and only share with a few people who you know are aligned with you. People that, you know you can walk with and you're doing this life with. Keep those things that you're working on to yourself. Right? When you're doing it, when they're in that that seed stage of growing. Because You want to make sure that those they they share in your values, but also this this group of people, this network of people are they're a source of motivation, Advice and accountability for you as you're moving forward. The 5th one is you wanna embrace continuous learning.

Now I love to learn. I love reading books and listening to things. I love listening to podcasts. I love also not just absorbing and consuming the material, but I like sitting down and and documenting what I'm learning. And then I try to figure out where can I apply that learning and put it to work? Because, guys, listen. The world is full of knowledge. And we can become so knowledgeable that we can literally become no earthly good sometimes, I think. We have so much knowledge, but we're not applying anything.

And so we're running around like our like we're Encyclopedia Britannica, And we can dump information and dump information. But the thing is is what are you putting to work? Just because knowledge in and of itself Isn't what your goal should BL? So, yes, acquire knowledge, but in all you're getting, you wanna get understanding. And wisdom, if you want wisdom, it needs a tool to work with, and that is understanding. So if it so take a Problem like a simple math. Right? Simple math addition, whatever. You know? And I don't know if people know this, but, you know, majority of the people that you think are, you know, the most Wealthy or they do these great innovative things. They're very smart people, but not all of them are like, the majority of them aren't really college degree and, Like advanced studies in some certain, discipline or some P special field or whatever, or they're not some, you know, mathematician or whatever. But they just do basic things, and they do them very, very well.

And they they really become a person that gains the necessary knowledge for the things that they wanna learn or do. And then with that information, they get understanding in how to use it. And then from there, now They are able to because they have that foundational stuff under underneath their belt, now they're able to free themselves To be available to now employ new ideas and to grab ahold of innovative ways of doing it because The understanding is there, and now wisdom will say, I'm gonna take you to a whole another level, and I'm gonna 10 x this thing with you. And that happens because wisdom now has a tool to work with, which is understanding. And understanding is available because you get the knowledge. But in all you're getting, get the understanding. Okay? So learn. Be a lifelong learner.

This means reading, take courses, seek mentorship, get a coach in your life, and that's a whole another topic. Coaches and mentors are not the same. Okay? So I just want you to understand that, and I'll talk about that some other time. But knowledge, when you get this learning, you get this understanding and stuff, It's a key driver for the momentum that you need to change your life or to build the things that you want in your life. The 6th thing that I wanna share with you is is cultivate a resilience. So in the buildup of momentum, you have to understand part of it is you have to be aware for setbacks. Because if not, you're gonna get hit like you're unaware of it. Now you can't prepare for everything, but be prepared for something.

Meaning, things are gonna go wrong. Don't be surprised. It's not something that should knock you off your now it may it may jar you, bump you, Like, make you feel like you got pushed back on your heels a little bit. You might even get knocked down, but you've gotta get back up and get back to the building process. The reason I started the company uphill strategies that I had, I learned from my lifelong mentor, John Maxwell. And one of the things that he taught was That if it's worth it, you gotta go up high for it. You gotta go uphill. Anything worth having is uphill, and you cannot go uphill with a downhill habit.

And so that's why I started uphill strategies. If it's worth it, it's on the hill, and you're gonna get tired, but you're gonna have to cultivate resilience. You gotta keep going. So you have to prepare for setbacks. Building momentum is not about constant success. That's not sustainable, But it's about resilience and the ability to keep moving forward. Now 7th, are you ready? Celebrate progress, man. Celebrate the wins, the things that happen.

When you win, celebrate it. Even the little ones, celebrate. But even when you don't and you have a setback, you have to learn to celebrate the progress in the learning from the setback because that is gonna reinforce positive behavior and keeps you motivated. That's it. The reason we want to acknowledge acknowledge and celebrate the progress, the wins, the learning from the success, And from when you don't succeed and it's a setback, you still learn. And this reinforces the positive behavior, and it's gonna keep you motivated. The internal motivation. And number 8, reflect and adjust.

Regularly reflect on your journey. Are are your actions aligning with your values? Are you prepared to adjust? Like, what's the simple math, the plus or the minus? What should you add? What you should you subtract? And and is it necessary? What you're doing like, do you are you just throwing things in the mix because you think it's what you need? You know, don't it's okay to make a drastic change or do things that have to be drastic in your decision, But don't do them out of desperation because you're going to use different ways of thinking for desperate in drastic. So you may be in desperation and do something drastic, but I would prefer you just know that I'm gonna have to make a drastic change here, something different. Right? But I'm not doing it from desperation. I'm doing it out of what's a deeper drive. It's from my purpose. It's something that says, this is gonna make the family better, the community better, the organization better. This has to be a drastic change.

That means it's all in. And so reflecting and adjusting is gonna be important part of it. So back to the importance of setting up the small wins, I see It's so important, and and I'm a coach. I coach different sports as well, and I do that to give my time. I love investing in young people because, you know, It's better to if we could do more investing in younger people that are up and coming, we'll spend less time having to Be mended as adults. We, because we have to do a lot of mending in ourselves, and it's because we We sometimes just skip a whole bunch of steps. Right? So when I coach in sports, I set the teams up for little things, little wins, Help them accomplish stuff. If it's soccer, one of the things I love to do is making sure that they're getting lots and lots of touches with the ball when they're playing.

I try to put them in, like, what's called small sided games where I have them doing simple things with 1 and 2 touch with the ball. They're not allowed to dribble. Okay? They can only do 1 and 2 touch. That's it. And that means the ball comes to them, and that's a first touch. And then they could either immediately off that 1st touch pass as it's moving, or as they receive that 1st touch, they They set themselves up with receiving the ball and pushing it into the into the direction they're about to pass or into space for that 2nd touch, and then they move. I want movement off the ball. And by doing that over and over with repetition, they get better at a game that can become very, very challenging.

And it's an an amazing beautiful game, but you have to teach them that. So in small things, you have to set a stage to do ges like in soccer. It's a small sided game. So in life, you need to do small sided things that will help you build up some success. So I'm gonna give you a quick story to wrap this up. I'm gonna incorporate this framework into into your life, and this is using a person a character named Esther. This is a great name that Maybe one day, maybe a granddaughter or something or one of my kids will have a a a, yeah, a a little one named Esther. It's I'd love the name.

So I'm gonna illustrate, the power of this framework with a story. Okay? So who is Esther? You ready? Here we go. Esther is a mother of 3 small children who felt a deep desire to make a meaningful impact beyond her immediate family responsibilities. Esther's journey to building momentum in her life began with introspection on her core beliefs and values, which revealed her passion for helping others, her commitment to lifelong learning, and the importance of community. With these guiding principles, Esther set clear BL goals to launch and grow an Online coaching practice tailored to helping individuals navigate life's challenges and to foster a supportive and engaging online community. She outlined a step by step plan that included creating a website, developing coaching programs, and leveraging social media to reach her target audience. Embracing a growth mindset was crucial for Esther though, especially as she was juggling or trying to juggle the demands of motherhood with her entrepreneurial aspirations. Each setback from technical glitches to scheduling conflicts was not as a failure, but as a chance chance, to learn and adapt.

So meaning, every time she went through this, she looked at them. She recognized them not as failures, but as a chance to learn and adapt. That's how she is seeing it. So building supportive relationships It was it was key to Esther's momentum. She connected with other coaching professionals and joined online forums for entrepreneurs. She found both inspiration and practical advice. Her family also played a supportive role, offering encouragement and understanding as she pursued her goals. Celebrating progress.

Esther made it a habit to acknowledge every milestone No matter how small, from her 1st coaching client to each new member joining her online community, these celebrations kept her motivated and underscored or the impact of her efforts. With regular reflection, this allowed Esther to appreciate the growth of her coaching practice and the thriving community she had built. Adjusting her strategies when needed, she continued to expand her reach, Touching more lives with her work. So look at these some some closing thoughts. Look at this on this journey with Esther. For me, Esther's story, it's it's a powerful example of how building momentum grounded in our core beliefs And supported by a structured framework, it can lead to profound personal and professional fulfillment. So as we wrap up today's episode, I hope you'll let Esther's journey inspire you to take the 1st step towards building the momentum you need in your life. I hope you'll embrace your values.

I hope you'll set clear goals and move forward with confidence and purpose. It's so important that you know that you are worth it. There is so much that you were made for. And I know there's a lot of things that we can all sit back and feel like, gosh. It's 1 setback after another and, You know, this doesn't work, or I do this for a while, and this runs out. And there's a world of people out there. And if you're one of those people, I mean, communicate with me. Send me a DM about it.

Jump on Instagram. Shoot me a DM and say, I'm that person. I feel like every time, I feel like something starts to go and then I run into that. I get it. What could it be? Your values, your clear goals, the confidence, the purpose. These are the things that need to be dialed in. So I want you to think about Esther's story. I hope it'll help you motivate yourself, that you'll be motivated to to build a fulfilling life aligned with your deepest beliefs that will create positive waves in in yourself, in your relationships, in your in your work, in your community, and beyond.

Thank you for listening today. And I hope that you'll take some time and work on these things. And I look forward to next week when we talk about maintaining this momentum. But until then,