Does this sound familiar?

I’ve wanted to start this kind of effort for years. I’ve seen the potential, validated it and grew more excited every step of the way. I’ve realized the good it could do and envisioned how fulfilling it would be. I determined the need to reinvent myself knowing my current modus operandi was not sustainable so I became driven by necessity as well as desire. I saw the potential for financial stability. I connected with how the skills, talent, and experience I would need almost magically aligned with who I am and what I’ve done. When I envisioned it, I felt wonderful and excited.

Yet, despite all of that I still lacked the two “Mo’s”: Motivation and Momentum.

Are you in a similar situation?

Whether by necessity you must develop a way to earn money because you may be unemployed or soon out of your current job? You want to avoid the challenges of being perceived as “older” and the barriers that imposes? Or by desire, you want to create and develop something to do after your “retire” from your current job and you know the clock is ticking so time for action is now?

In my case, on the one hand, the intervening time between conceptualization and realization was great. It allowed me to develop ideas, my ethos and validate my vision and assumptions. I accumulated information and resources and vetted my ideas to experts and trusted friends and family. My desire, determination, and confidence grew. I always felt good when I thought about it.

But I would also go to bed every night thinking what little I had done towards achieving this and saying to myself “get you butt in gear!!!!”. Only to go to bed the next night repeating the same admonition (see Mel Collins “The Five Second Rule”).

Too often I was too tired or too busy. I was working 12+ hours a day and weekends. I often wondered how I could find the time and energy to push it forward while still doing my “day job”.

Finally (FINALLY!), I took the spark of necessity, the sound of the ticking clock, a burning desire and mixed them with the power of intention and dedicated some early morning time and (here’s the big one) put myself into several commitments to begin manifesting it.

And immediately, the flow started. Immediately I got excited. Immediately it almost became the girlfriend you had as a teenager that you just couldn’t stay away from.

The ideas became a torrent. The connections and links became prolific. And the energy to work on it was abundant.

I got the two “Mo’s”: Motivation and momentum. And you will too.

So….how do you do it?

One method I learned was to create situations that forced my commitments. A big one for me was hiring the firm to create this site. I was committed and paying for it. Suddenly it became a project just like the projects I was doing for clients in my base business. I also had commitments to those who were joining my “tribe”. People were counting on me.

It became so much easier to launch and do so every day. The new morning routine, which is so critical and executed by high performing successful people successful became easier, desirable and worked.

OMG! I get it! It’s psychology! If you’ve ever managed people or children, now you can use those skills (psychology) on yourself.

We often beat ourselves up for lack of discipline or motivation for not going to the gym, cleaning out the garage or launching ourselves into something like this. We’ll stop beating yourself up if you are.

Mind hackers are learning that we are wired against making changes and taking risks. That is why you can use psychology and create situations that make it easier if not automatic to get the momentum going. Then you don’t need self-imposed “motivation” which Mel Collins calls “bullshit” anyway (see what she means here).

Clichés are clichés for a reason. One foot in front of the other. The longest journey begins with a single step. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Just do it! (See Why don’t we just do it?).

Well, while a cliché is a cliché because it’s true, it’s also overly simplistic. Methodologies and some self-psychology will get you launched and once you’re launched the Mo will come (and it’s a glorious thing).

What have you done to get momentum? What worked and what didn’t? Share your ideas in the comments below.