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Cheetah Know How Network



Become Unstoppable with Momentum

By Michelle LaBrosse, PMP®, Chief Cheetah and Founder of Cheetah Learning, and Kristen Medina, CAPM®, Co-Author

Momentum is a very powerful thing. In physics, momentum = mass x velocity. The cool thing about momentum is that the faster an object is moving, the harder it is to stop. This is also true for any project that you are working on. Accomplishing project tasks (gaining “mass”) in a quick and efficient manner (gaining “velocity”) can create momentum for your project that can bear through the toughest problems and bring your project to completion.

Consider this – just one brick can stop a train from beginning its journey down the tracks. But once a train has gained momentum, it can crash through an entire brick wall.  The same is true for projects that you work on in life. Momentum is key, and here is how you can achieve it.   

Remove the Bricks

What is stopping you from getting started on your lingering project? We’ve all heard the saying that “the hardest part is getting started, “ by why is that? Fear is one of the most common “bricks” that needs to be dealt with in order to get your project in motion. This can be fear of failure, fear of incompetence, fear of the unknown, or even fear of success.

This is a tricky obstacle to remove because fear can hide in so many shapes, and we tend to make excuses for our fear. We say “I’m too busy to get started, that is why I haven’t.” Or, “I don’t have the appropriate resources to start.” To overcome this obstacle you need to stop making excuses, face your fear, and start moving.  

Building Mass

Once you have removed the bricks are ready to get moving, it is now time to build the mass of your project in terms of resources and plans. In the beginning this includes a Project Charter, Project Agreement, and obtaining buy-in from the key stakeholders in your project.  When building mass, you are bringing the concept of the project to life and giving substance and direction to your project.

Gaining Velocity

Parkinson’s law states that: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”  This means the more time you give yourself, the slower your train will move. Speed things up by creating a sense of urgency for your project tasks, and practice setting fast-paced goals that keep everyone on your project team on-the-move while remaining accountable. 

One way to do this is to Timebox. Timeboxing is a practice used in Agile where you set a small chunk of time aside (1-2 hours) and focus completely at the task at hand without any distractions. While this might seem counterintuitive to the multitasking masters out there, this has been proven time and time again to be the most efficient way to work through project tasks. By utilizing Timeboxing, your team can gain velocity in achieving your project’s goals.

Stay the Course

While mass and velocity are important, if you don’t know where you are going you could be moving in the wrong direction – FAST! Throughout your project you need to stop and see – is your project headed in the direction that you anticipated? Is the momentum that you are achieving brining you closer to your goals, or further away? While trains have the luxury of running on autopilot and can stay on real tracks, you need to pull your head up out of the day-to-day project tasks to make sure that you are not veering off course.

Toot Your Horn

Trains have horns to communicate to those around them – “Danger! Stay away, we can’t stop and we are coming closer!” In your project team, make sure you toot your horn at the first sign up trouble. Instead of avoiding or hiding problems, run to them and make them known so they can be fixed fast.

You have the ability to gain momentum and create an unstoppable force with whatever projects you tackle  – you just need to get started.  When you are able to reach a high level of momentum quickly and consistently with your projects, you will find yourself on the gravy train to success.

Find out how you can find your momentum on any project with Cheetah’s 60 PDU Cheetah Action Project.

About the Author:

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Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is an entrepreneurial powerhouse with a penchant for making success easy, fun, and fast. She is the founder of Cheetah Learning, the author of the Cheetah Success Series, and a prolific blogger whose mission is to bring Project Management to the masses.

Cheetah Learning is a virtual company with 100 employees, contractors, and licensees worldwide. To date, more than 50,000 people have become “Cheetahs” using Cheetah Learning’s innovative Project Management and accelerated learning techniques.  

Recently honored by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), Cheetah Learning was named Professional Development Provider of the Year at the 2008 PMI® Global Congress. A dynamic keynote speaker and industry thought leader, Michelle was previously recognized by PMI as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the world.

Michelle’s articles have appeared in more than 100 publications and websites around the world. Her monthly column, the Know How Network, is carried by over 400 publications.

She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management (OPM) program and holds engineering degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Dayton.