“When it’s slow, put your ducks in a row. When it’s fast, kick them in the ass.”-Charles Haddox
John Maxwell’s “21 Laws of Leadership” was a pivotal gift in a strategic moment of decision-making. Several of those laws shaped how I approached the life and the decisions I’ve made and continue to make. One of those laws is the law of momentum.
Some key points around the law of momentum:
- It’s the great exaggerator.
- When you have it, you look more amazing than you are.
- When you don’t, you look worst than you are.
- It’s got a rhythm.
- When you have it, that’s when you should be pressing in even more.
- When you don’t, that’s when you should take time “to put your ducks in a row”. (But the reality is often people do the opposite.)
- When they have it, they take a break.
- When they don’t they go chasing after it.
Another point is it takes more resources to build than to maintain. Which is part of the law of the important (which is my law). To prioritize the important; the cost is upfront and always more than what we want to usually invest. It’s also, the elusive strategic resource that is often overlooked in unlocking our ceilings to the next season of growth and what we can get stuck. You can have everything else healthy and aligned but if you haven’t prioritized the needs of momentum, you won’t get the traction that you are looking for.
Honestly this is part of my secret sauce for the long term strategy of unlocking potential. Understanding where I am at in terms of the timeline of momentum. This year as I turned 49; I am entering the 50th turn around the sun. What I decided was to prioritize health, rest, loving my family practically well which includes extra travel gifts; investing in time with Mackenzie, Liz and Madeline to uplevel my organizational processes and technology for all areas of my life so that next year when momentum comes; I am prepared. I can fly.
