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Momentum is defined as how fast an object moves multiplied by its mass.

P = m * v

where P is the momentum, m is the mass and v is the speed (velocity).

The heavier the object, the more momentum it has. Same with the speed. Given two objects with the same speed, the heavier one has greater momentum than the lighter one.

You can think of the momentum as how difficult it is to stop an object.

What is the momentum when dealing with projects?

Most people, at some point in their lives, abandoned some large project or another. Enthusiastic as we are in the beginning, we jump right into it, full speed ahead. Turns out this approach rarely works. More precisely, it works for those people who are truly, fully committed to the project, and who persevere in stubbornness and eventually they get it going. Most people don’t have that energy, or aren’t so good at channeling it, and will give up after a few days or months, depending on the project.

Suppose you have a large project on your mind. Think of the large projects as some very big boulders that you want to set in motion. You stand back at 100 feet and start running, charging full speed into the boulder. Of course, it will not move, and you will just splash against it. On the other hand, if you stand near the boulder and try to get it moving by pushing it with your shoulder, you’ll have better chance at rolling it for a foot or two, at the cost of some great effort. To move it again, you have to lean against it and again push it with great effort, moving it for a foot or two more. You will tire soon, and you’ll want to give up. Those few who keep at it long enough though will eventually sharpen their skill, and will learn to preserve the boulder’s momentum, that is, to push it while it is still moving. This will make it much easier, but it is difficult to get there, to learn how to keep the momentum and to not give up when the efforts don’t seem to get you anywhere.

Building momentum for big projects - the easier way

Definitely the approach described above isn’t going to work for most people. These days people are in a hurry, stressed out by the job, bored too soon or lacking the energy to keep at it until they see results.

Fortunately there is an easier way to build momentum, and that is to start small and to use the snowball effect.

For example, to start exercising, don’t start by going to the gym for two hours three times a week. You’ll probably become bored or so tired that you won’t renew your subscription after the first month. Instead, start with five or ten minutes each morning. Do stretches, push-ups, whatever works for you. Do it as early as possible, first thing after you get out of bed if you can (wake up a bit earlier so you don’t have to hurry to work). After a week, or a month, when you feel comfortable, increase it by five or ten minutes, and / or make it more intense. And do it again when you are comfortable. You get the point.

Imagine that instead of moving a very large boulder, you only have to move a small pebble. It’s really easy, isn’t it? Keep it moving for a while, to gain some momentum (it should be easy for such a small mass), and then add a bit more mass to it. It will be more difficult to move at first, but not as difficult as it would be if you had started with the new mass from the beginning. As you move it however, it gains more momentum, and it’s easier to keep it moving. Use this momentum to your advantage, and add more mass. And more, until it becomes a big boulder that is practically rolling itself. The momentum helps you, works with you and for you to get the rock moving.

It’s important to remember to take your time. It will take a long time to get a large project going, so even from the start, mentally prepare yourself for the long run. Have a marathon mindset, rather than a sprint mindset. If it takes years, then it takes years. Don’t try to make it months, unless you are positive you can handle it.

Another advantage of using this technique is that it’s easier to learn as you go. If you start by moving the big boulder and you do something wrong, it could backfire and crush you, or hurt much more than a small pebble could. It’s easier to learn from mistakes and handle the backlash when the stake isn’t so high. As your project grows, so does your skill to manage it, and so does the skill of keeping it going by taking advantage of the momentum.

Another way to look at it is driving a manual car. It’s difficult to get it moving if you shift to fourth gear directly. You have to start slow, in the first gear, until it goes fast enough to shift to second gear, and so on. The faster it goes, the faster it can get, but it starts slow and gradually goes faster.

Use this technique when taking on large projects that seem to require a lot of work to get going. Start with a small pebble, with little work, and gradually add mass to it as it gains momentum, as you learn how to keep the momentum and how to deal with the issues that come up. The momentum will work for you and with you to keep the pebble going and eventually turning it into an unstoppable boulder.