Cover photo by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
Motivation has been the name of the game for far too long—in reality, it’s a fickle and unreliable fuel for productivity at work. You probably know of a colleague or friend who seemingly has a bottomless reservoir of motivation for work. In truth, that endless motivation is just a byproduct of momentum and a lack of friction. Wouldn’t you love to be that person? Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. So today, let’s explore momentum: what it is, how to increase it, and roadblocks to avoid.
Momentum in a Nutshell: Understanding Forward Motion
Before we offer any advice, let’s clarify momentum as a principle. Momentum refers to ongoing forward movement, often confused with discipline.
In physics, momentum can be defined simply as mass in motion. Newton’s first law of motion states that an object in motion remains in motion, unless outside forces (like friction) slow it down.
When we talk about momentum from a work perspective, the metaphor remains the same. Even when all motivation and enthusiasm disappear, momentum is the engine that keeps you moving forward.
So, how can you build momentum at work? And similarly, what traps should you avoid in your day-to-day processes?
7 Tips and Tricks for Building Momentum at Work
1. Conserve Your Activation Energy
What is the first source of friction most people come across in their workday? Funnily enough, it’s often the very act of starting work. Starting work requires activation energy, and the more you use at the beginning, the less you’ll have for the rest of the day.
Conserving your activation energy is all about picking your battles wisely. Some will advise that you start with your most undesirable task, while others will tell you to start with the biggest. We’re here to tell you to start small.
Here are a few ways to conserve activation energy:
- Start with small, easily achievable tasks.
- Pick tasks that are almost too small to resist.
- Decide on tomorrow’s first steps today.
- Avoid starting with large tasks that increase friction and procrastination.
2. Focus on Progress, Not Just Performance
Have you been setting goals for years and still feel slow at work? While many people focus on achievements, real momentum is gained by focusing on progress. Goal-setting alone rarely sustains day-to-day motivation. Building momentum is all about focusing on movement over milestones. The problem is, milestones are much more tangible than movement. So what can you do to feel your progress?
Here are a few options:
- Create daily activity logs.
- Celebrate progression as well as goal completion.
- Track tasks as “to do,” “working on,” and “almost finished,” instead of just “completed” and “not completed.”
3. Manage Dopamine Instead of Chasing It
Dopamine is the buzzword of the 2020s, but most people misunderstand it. While dopamine is linked to pleasure, that’s not all it handles. Dopamine is the driving force behind momentum at work. In a world filled with constant stimulation, momentum has become difficult to generate. How can work compete with the ultra-rewarding stimuli we consume every day? The simple answer is: it can’t.
The only way to harness your dopamine system for momentum is by managing your inputs. Highly rewarding distractions (e.g., Netflix, Facebook, etc.) need to be minimized, and novelty should be avoided entirely before deep work sessions. After a while, effort itself can become a source of dopamine if you manage your stimuli.
4. Reduce the Cost of Context Switching
Throughout any given workday, you may need to switch tasks countless times. When work performance and motivation dip, you’ll likely say you’re “just not that good at multitasking.” The truth is, context switching can potentially cost up to 40% of productive time.
While you think you’re simply multitasking, you’re really dividing your attention between objectives—never using your whole focus for any one objective. Additionally, every single time you switch from one context to another, it requires a mental reset, which burns through cognitive energy and slows momentum.
There are a few ways to reduce the re-entry cost of context switching at work:
- Closed work sessions to prevent resets.
- Batching work by the mental mode required.
- Fewer tasks and inputs per day.
5. Cut Friction from Your Work Environment
Momentum isn’t initiated by motivation; it starts with simple cues. A frictionless work environment signals to the brain that “it’s time to work,” reducing the need for activation energy almost entirely. This applies to both your digital and physical work environments. A comfortable and uncluttered work setup reduces decision-making before work. Similarly, your digital space should be free of all noise and distractions.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Clean browser layouts.
- Minimal open tabs.
- Notifications turned off.
- An ad blocker to stop personalized pop-ups and a VPN to limit data tracking.
The goal here isn’t to create the perfect work setup, but a consistent one. When your environment fosters focus and concentration, momentum is a side effect.
6. Shorten Feedback Loops
Feedback is a necessary aspect in sustaining momentum at work. Long feedback cycles lead to lowered motivation, while quick, natural feedback often serves as rocket fuel for workers.
This is especially important for those performing knowledge-based work, where feedback is often slow, unsatisfactory, and unnatural. The good news is that feedback loops can be shortened and performed alone.
An individual worker can perform regular self-reviews, as well as share early versions of work for quick feedback. Fast feedback stabilizes momentum, avoiding possible friction caused by self-doubt.
7. Align Work With Your Sleep Rhythm
Aligning your work with your unique sleep rhythm optimizes energy availability and output throughout the workday.
First, it’s important to identify what sleep chronotype you are. While your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) can be trained, your chronotype is more ingrained. These chronotypes can tell you when your energy peaks and when it’s best to call it a day.
Forcing work during your natural low-energy hours can often backfire, leading to poor output and friction. By aligning your sleep chronotype and circadian rhythm with your work hours (if possible), momentum comes naturally.
This way, productivity can be a byproduct of biological alignment rather than mental processes.
3 Momentum Killers to Avoid at Work
While the above-mentioned tricks create movement, the following pitfalls will slow it down. Avoid these traps to minimize friction and allow momentum to flow naturally.
Trap 1: Mistaking Busyness with Momentum
Productivity is not always momentum—sometimes shallow work is just shallow. Movement for the sake of movement is just busyness and can’t replace real progress. So don’t ditch goal-setting entirely, as momentum still needs a direction to travel in.
Trap 2: Thinking Momentum Is an Infinite Resource
When you get the hang of it, momentum can feel unstoppable and infinite. However, not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes what feels like momentum is really just forced movement. Introducing strategic rest breaks matters for maintaining momentum over the long term and preventing it from being misdirected.
Trap 3: Riding Momentum All the Way to Burnout
This leads us to the final trap—riding your momentum for too long. Just because it’s moving doesn’t mean it won’t crash. Continuous output without recovery almost always leads to burnout, destroying momentum. Remember, sustainable momentum needs maintenance, not just acceleration.
Letting Your Work Momentum Fly…
The biggest lie ever told in the workplace is that motivation creates momentum, when it’s the other way around. Healthy momentum is the bedrock of long-lasting enthusiasm for work.
Instead of wasting your energy on motivational tricks, focus on the one that matters: momentum.
- Conserve activation energy.
- Focus on movement over milestones.
- Manage dopamine spikes before and during work.
- Create streamlined feedback loops.
- Minimize context switching.
- Remove friction from your work setup.
- Optimize your sleep for work performance.
Are you ready to ramp up your momentum at work? There’s no time like the present!
