Your Goals Are Stuck Because You're Doing This One Thing Wrong
How to Make It Stick
That burst of intense energy, right?
You get a new idea for your online venture, jump into a new strategy, and you’re ALL IN.
Working day and night, fueled by coffee and pure adrenaline.
For a week, maybe two. You feel like you’re finally "crushing it."
Sound familiar?
And then… the fizzle. The crash.
Suddenly, it’s like dragging a boulder uphill, and your motivation is nowhere to be found.
You're back to square one, waiting for the next wave of "hustle" to hit.
It's a cycle SO many of us get caught in, especially when the online world seems to glorify those intense, short sprints.
“Guru” Speak
You see the "gurus" out there, don’t you?
Talking about their "insane work ethic" or the "non-stop grind" that got them to six figures.
And look, of course, hard work is part of the equation. I’m not here to tell you otherwise.
But what I do KNOW FOR SURE, what feels like a missing piece in so much of that advice, is the conversation about what happens after the burst.
How do you build something that LASTS? That doesn't require you to live perpetually on the edge of burnout?
Because here’s the thing: Those short, frantic bursts of "hustle"?
They’re UNSUSTAINABLE!
The REAL superpower, the one that builds empires while everyone else is recovering from their last sprint, is sustained MOMENTUM.
Why Sustained Momentum Beats "Hustle" Hands Down
Think about it. "Hustle" often feels frantic, reactive, driven by external pressures or that nagging fear of missing out.
It can be great for a quick surge, but it rarely builds deep roots. Sustained MOMENTUM, on the other hand, is different. It’s a quieter, steadier force.
It’s built on consistency, not just intensity.
It’s about clarity and purpose, not just adrenaline.
It creates a positive feedback loop: progress breeds more progress, making it easier to keep going. As the saying goes, an object in motion STAYS in motion. This isn't just physics; it's human psychology, too. Small, consistent wins are incredibly motivating - a concept well-established in behavioral science, sometimes called the "progress principle."
It allows for deeper work, higher quality output, and more thoughtful decisions because you’re not constantly rushing or depleted.
And CRUCIALLY for your online income, it builds trust and reliability with your audience over time.
They see you showing up, consistently delivering value, and that’s what turns casual followers into loyal customers.
I’ve been on my online journey for over 15 years, and if there's one thing I've learned the hard way, it's that my periods of greatest burnout and frustration came from trying to live up to that "always be hustling" image.
My periods of REAL, solid growth?
They came from cultivating that steadier, more sustainable momentum.
So, How Do You Keep That Precious Momentum From Stalling?
Alright, so I hope you agree, sustained momentum is GOLD.
But how do you build it and, just as importantly, keep it from vanishing when life throws a curveball or that initial excitement wears thin?
There’s NO"hack"; it's building a supportive ecosystem for your efforts:
Anchor to Your DEEPER "Why" (Not Just a To-Do List): Momentum needs direction. Why are you really doing this online thing? Is it for freedom? Impact? Creative expression? When your daily actions are connected to a core value or a mission that genuinely lights you up (something far beyond just "make more money"), you’ve got a much more resilient fuel source. As Dr. Viktor Frankl highlighted in his work on logotherapy, a sense of meaning is a POWERFUL human motivator. Get clear on yours.
Actionable Step: Write down your top 3 core reasons for building your online presence/income. Keep them visible. When motivation dips, revisit them.
Embrace Realistic Pacing & Strategic REST (Yes, REST!): You are NOT a machine. The online world often forgets that fundamental truth. Trying to operate at 110% all the time is a guaranteed recipe for momentum collapse. Performance psychology, and even common sense, tells us that rest and recovery are VITAL for sustained effort and peak performance.
Actionable Step: Schedule short breaks throughout your workday (think Pomodoro Technique - 25 mins work, 5 mins break). And more importantly, schedule ACTUAL downtime - evenings, weekends, days off, where you truly disconnect. Your brain needs it to process, create, and recharge. This isn't lazy; it's STRATEGIC.
Break It Down: The Power of Small, Consistent Wins: Big, audacious online goals can feel overwhelming, and overwhelm is a momentum killer. The antidote? Break those giants down into tiny, almost laughably small, actionable steps. The kind of steps you can achieve consistently. This is a core principle in habit formation, popularized by folks like James Clear with "Atomic Habits." Each small completion gives you a little dopamine hit and builds that feeling of "I CAN do this."
Actionable Step: For your biggest online goal, identify the VERY next, smallest possible action you can take. Do just that. Then repeat tomorrow.
Create Your "Momentum Routines" & Supportive Systems: Relying purely on willpower or fleeting motivation to maintain momentum is a risky game. Instead, build routines and systems that make consistent action the path of LEAST resistance. This could be a morning routine that gets you into a focused headspace, a weekly content planning session, or templates that streamline repetitive tasks.
Actionable Step: Identify ONE repetitive task in your online work that often causes friction. Can you create a simple system or checklist for it this week?
Track Your Progress & Celebrate Milestones (No Matter How Small!): Momentum thrives when you can SEE it. It’s easy to feel like you’re not getting anywhere if you don’t acknowledge how far you’ve come. Keep a simple log of your actions or small achievements.
Actionable Step: At the end of each week, write down 1-3 things you accomplished towards your online goals, however small. Give yourself a mental (or actual!) high-five. This reinforces your positive behavior.
Mindset for Setbacks: The "Pause, Not Stop" Approach: Life will happen. You’ll have off days, tech will fail, and a launch might not meet expectations. These things can feel like they’ve shattered your momentum. This is where the Cognitive Behavioral perspective comes in SUPER handy: challenge the thought that a setback means TOTAL failure or that all momentum is lost. It’s often just a temporary dip.
Actionable Step: When you hit a snag, consciously tell yourself: "This is a PAUSE, not a full stop. What can I learn? What's the ONE small thing I can do to get back on track tomorrow?"
There’s no magic bullet for this. No point in looking for one either.
Sustained momentum is an internal game, built on smart strategies, self-awareness, and a deep respect for your energy and well-being.
Move past exhausting bursts of “hustle culture” to a more enduring, powerful, and REWARDING way of achieving your GOALS.