How can walking a Tightrope be easier?
Can walking a tightrope be easier than it is to simply stand in place? Yes. Why? Because forward momentum creates stability. This concept may be difficult to embrace using a tightrope example, so I’ll utilize one that may help you understand the physics behind the concept. Sitting on a bike that isn’t moving can only be accomplished with an additional point of contact to the ground beside the two wheels. Yet, you can have complete control over where the bike is going without that additional point of contact when you begin to pedal and move forward.
Granted, you initially need to achieve enough forward momentum to gain, and then retain, balance which has a learning curve associated with it that typically includes training wheels. This allows the third point of contact to gradually become unnecessary due to the stability created by the physics of forward momentum. Your life, and your future, can utilize this same perspective to achieve your dreams and goals when you choose to embrace the concept of forward momentum creating stability in all the important areas of your day-to-day being.
So, how would one go about pursuing the benefits of this perspective? Well, you may want to start with a set of training wheels mentality. For a “forward momentum creates stability” mindset to work efficiently and effectively, you’ll need to create some new habits and routines. Data suggests it takes about 21 consecutive days to create a new habit which can be the training wheels that’ll get you started. Once you get up to a maintainable speed, you can take the training wheels off and be in near complete control of how you’ll react and respond to any hills, bumps, change of terrain, or inclement weather you may encounter as you’re riding down the path of life.
What’s day 1 look like? Two things; first you have to choose to embrace the concept that “forward momentum creates stability” will make your life easier and allow you to advance quicker in the pursuit of your dreams and goals. Second, you have to look at the most important areas of your life and identify the things that will generate forward momentum in each specific area.
A few decades ago, after performing a lot of research, I developed a personal wheel of life that reflected what I felt were the eight most important areas of a person’s life. My personal wheel of life contains eight spokes that I constantly manage and attempt each day to create forward momentum in. The eight spokes in no particular order consist of: Financial, Community, Health, Family, Professional, Spiritual, Self-Improvement, and Give Back (the positive impact I attempt to consistently have on society and the world).
What do days 2 through 22 look like? You begin “checking in” with yourself first thing in the morning briefly considering what you could do to either create, maintain, or further pursue some type of forward momentum in each of the most important areas of your life. By day 23 you’ve achieved creating a new habit, or routine, allowing you to remove the training wheels you that served you through the habit development period. You’re cruising now and have achieved enough speed to power you up any hills, bumps, change of terrain, or inclement weather you may encounter.
But Paul, what if I lose the stability generated by the forward momentum I created because I get tired, don’t have the motivation, or fall off the bike? Great question and I guarantee it will happen from time to time. This is where my number one takeaway from reading James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits” can come into play. I achieved ongoing success by focusing on the “power of streaks.”
To explain it simply, when you’ve created a habit that is serving you well, you’re living a streak of forward momentum that’s created stability. Something comes along and interrupts or ends that particular streak. Rather than lament that what was working just blew up, you simply begin a new streak of what was previously working.
Prior to embracing the power of streaks, I admit to sometimes struggling with the whole start-stop-struggle to start againmentality because I’d focus of the failure of my attempt, or even worse, not want to face the pain of failure accompanied by self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or heaven forbid, not believing in myself. Since utilizing the power of streaks, I’ve eliminated the time wasted in those mental downward spirals and created a mentality of hope that helps me maintain the stability provided by the forward momentum I’ve created.
So, is walking a tightrope easier than standing still? Consider that standing still (doing nothing) gets you nowhere. Not a single step closer to your dreams and goals. Walking a tightrope may be scary at first, but at least it creates forward momentum that results in improved stability. And remember, momentum feeds off momentum which creates even more momentum until you’re riding your bike down the path of life “no handed.”
Yes, I know this thought process of forward momentum creating stability may not work for everyone, but I believe it can work for YOU! I’ve eliminated your ability to say “It’s too hard” by providing you with a functional bike, training wheels to get started with, eight of the most important areas that impact your life, a clear path to success allowing you to confidently pursue your dreams and goals, and a solution for the times you might hit a wall or get bogged down. All you have to do it give it a try. Or better yet, embrace Yoda’s words “Do, or do not. There is no try.” C’mon…Just Do It!
Hey…I really do Believe In YOU! GiddyUp!