Momentum: The Importance of Making Progress

In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up the first quarter of 2025. If your life and schedule have been anything like mine, then the first few months of this year have been a bit chaotic for you. I have found myself having to prioritize at a different level, set stronger boundaries, and I have had to practice saying no a lot more. It is a good time to evaluate where you are and to hold yourself accountable. If you are not pleased with your results so far, then the great thing is that it is still early in the year, and you can make the necessary adjustments. I wanted to share these insights with you because momentum is the key to manifesting your goals and living your dreams in 2025 and beyond.

1. You cannot entertain excuses and elevate your life. I am sure you have heard me say this before. However, I think it is worth repeating. Excuses are the monuments that we build to mediocre living. I cannot tell you the number of people I talk to consistently who are filled with excuses about why they are not further in life. At the end of the day, you can make excuses, or you can make adjustments. However, you cannot do both. If this year is going to be different for you, then you are going to have to stop making excuses, and you are going to have to start making adjustments in your life. Stop pointing the finger at other people. Stop blaming your circumstances. Understand that nothing will change about your life until you change it. Essentially, you are the driving force for all change that will occur in your life. Your excuses make you comfortable but they ultimately cripple your potential. Every excuse you make distances you further away from the life you desire.
2. You have to take responsibility for your life. As a highly respected thought leader and leadership specialist, I think the thing that people do not like about me is my honesty. In this era of self-help gurus and inspirational messages, everyone is looking for something to make them feel good. On the other hand, few people are willing to take responsibility for their lives. If your choices have brought you here, then you can always make a different choice and take a different course. The failure to take responsibility for your life is what restricts you to cycles of frustration, failure, and defeat. Most of all, the failure to take responsibility for your life results in regrets. Nobody can live your life but you. Nobody else can be responsible for your choices but you. Ultimately, nobody can determine how far you go in life but you. It is only when we take responsibility for our lives that the journey to a more empowered existence begins.
3. You must prioritize your life. Honestly, most people started 2025 with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. However, by mid-January, most people abandoned their goals, stopped adhering to certain disciplines, and reverted to the same bad habits. Many of these same individuals will play the role of a victim and tell you all the reasons why they cannot succeed. One thing I know to be true is that living up to your potential begins with prioritizing your life. As someone who consults and advises leaders around the world, I am constantly presented with shiny opportunities and convenient distractions. However, I am wise enough to know that not every opportunity is right for me. In addition, I know that every distraction I entertain distances me from the goals that I have set for myself. Therefore, I have to live every day of my life with clear priorities and strategic intentions. If you cannot prioritize your life, you will become powerless and motionless. In other words, you will live victimized by circumstances, and you will be prohibited from making progress. Clearly defined priorities determine what you eliminate and what you embrace. Moreover, your priorities determine where you make deposits and where you divest your time and energy. Your ability to define your priorities will determine the peace and productivity that you experience in your life.
4. You have to be intentional about your progress. As I said before, distractions are all around us, and they abound. You have to give meaning to your moments, specificity to your schedule, and direction to your days. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am very strategic about my calendar and my time. Why? I know better than anyone that if I do not have a plan, I cannot make progress. You cannot afford to fill your days with worthless endeavors and trivial pursuits. You must structure your days and schedule your time around completing the tasks and following through on the objectives that will move your life forward. If you are not intentional about your progress, then you will live a life defined by struggle and stagnation. You cannot afford to involve yourself in things that do not improve your life. Make a decision that every single day you will take action on the things that will empower you to actualize your goals and realize your dreams. Progress begins with a simple step. Progress is maintained through strategic action and intentional execution. Momentum is always on the side of the person with a clear vision, disciplined mind, and consistent action. Momentum does not favor the dreamer. Momentum favors the doer. Inaction will stop momentum in your life. Intentional progress means beginning every day with clarity, compelling vision, conscious investments, and courageous effort.