Momentum is a word that terrifies me. We use it entirely too often to describe an effect that has nothing to do with inertia, in any sense of the word. Building a base, scheduling your day, and growing your business is not momentum, it is work.

I think my problem with the word is that it denotes a kind of ease, a kind of cruise control that we can establish in our day. So many steps to the left, so many sips of coffee, rinse and repeat. It hints at a secret formula that will effortless grow your business without any kind of effort.

That’s not to say that you cannot achieve a kind of rhythm in your day. In fact, it really is necessary. Those steps, those schedules, those rituals to help keep you on track and producing. But it’s not momentum, it’s rowing. There has to be deliberation in what you are doing, teamwork with everyone else on the boat. Yes, it is a lot easier to have that momentum when you are already moving, but do not forget that this really is about the work.

For me, it has not been easy, and I wouldn’t want it to be. I find that every day is a challenge to figure out my best way to write, to work, and to spend time with my family. I have to keep everyone in the boat and to stay balanced. But the waves and tides are unpredictable.

Growth is slow and hard, but meaningful. And yes, as I grow, I hope my techniques help me to row more and more efficiently, that I will hear that drumbeat intrinsically while I row. I look forward to when I can surf the waves and drag the tides more easily. That comes with experience, which we are always building.

At some point, I am sure, I can even make all of that seem effortless, as if gravity itself was just pulling me along.

As if I was traveling under my own momentum.