How to Build Momentum to Achieve Big Goals

We all know it: reaching our goals takes a huge amount of effort, ongoing work, and willpower. We can give ourselves little tricks to help and make it easier. We can put certain actions in place to build momentum and achieve big goals.

What Is Momentum?

At its core, the word momentum refers to a force that keeps an object moving forward. In the context of projects or goals, momentum is what allows us to keep moving, to keep progressing on a project once it's started, so we can actually reach it.

So we want to build momentum to help us keep taking small steps forward, more easily.

How Do You Build Momentum?

There are several ways to build momentum to achieve big goals. Here are a few.

1. Set an Intention, Commit to Achieving the Goal

This is the starting point. You can't build momentum if you don't commit to reaching the goal from the very beginning. You need to define what you want to achieve. It's important to believe the goal is achievable and to commit, mentally and ideally in writing, to doing everything to get there. Even better: commit by telling someone else (I'll come back to this a bit further down, because it's actually the most powerful step of all).

If clearly defining that intention feels fuzzy to you, my article on how to define your priorities can help you see things more clearly before you even start thinking about momentum.

2. Work on Your Mindset Every Day

A lot of our thoughts hold us back. We believe we're incapable, not good enough, that we don't have enough resources, and so on. We also have plenty of fears that love to trip us up, like fear of judgment or failure. You need to work on your thinking to:

believe in yourself and your abilities (and trust me, you really are capable)
realize that if others succeed, you can too (nobody has superpowers)
stop worrying about what other people think (easier said than done, but it's a skill you build; the jealous, frustrated ones, who cares, right?)
realize that the resources are out there, you just have to go find them

This isn't just superficial positive thinking: it's an entire field of psychological research. Psychologist Carol Dweck, of Stanford University, has shown through decades of research that a "growth mindset" (the belief that our abilities can develop, rather than being fixed) leads to better outcomes when facing challenges. A large-scale study conducted in 2019 across 76 American public high schools confirmed that a single 50-minute intervention, designed to build this growth mindset, led to better academic results, particularly among students who were struggling the most to begin with. In other words, changing how you perceive your own abilities isn't just comforting: it has a measurable effect on your actual performance.

Because all of these things are true. It's long, hard work, but by putting in effort and energy, you'll reap the benefits. It all starts with your thoughts and your attitude. Your mindset.

3. Start Small

You can't expect to jump from one extreme to the other in your behaviors and actions and think you'll succeed by magic. You need to start small and gradually increase the effort. Changes that are too big won't last. Be ambitious, but still realistic. Don't ask too much of yourself all at once.

This is actually the exact mechanism behind building momentum. Researcher Teresa Amabile, of Harvard Business School, showed in her research, published in the Harvard Business Review, that simply feeling like you're making progress, even through small wins, has the single biggest measured positive effect on motivation and engagement at work. Every small action you complete literally fuels your motivation to keep going. It's through the accumulation of these small, consistent actions that you'll see your best results in every area of your life. Don't underestimate the impact of small habits.

4. Keep the Next Step Toward Your Goal in Mind

It's okay not to have the entire process mapped out in your head. All you need is to know the next action to take, no matter how small. When you don't know what to do, you can ask yourself: what small action would bring me a little closer to my goal, that I could do today?

If you don't know the answer, be curious, do some research. Information has never been easier to find. Go get the help you need, try things out, learn from what doesn't work.

5. Stop Overthinking, and Act

When you're stuck, don't look too far. Take immediate action, even a small one, to keep moving and avoid getting stuck. It'll be harder to get back into it if you stop completely and let yourself get blocked by a lack of knowledge, your fears, or something else. If you truly don't know what to do, your action should be to go find help or track down the missing information.

If this tendency to overthink sounds more like procrastination for you, my article on the main causes of procrastination digs deeper into what might be blocking you from taking action.

6. Set Aside Dedicated Time for the Goal

If you want to reach a new goal, you absolutely need to plan ahead and set aside time to do what's needed. That time needs to be scheduled and written down.

This is the moment to revisit your priorities and make room for what truly matters to you. A Notion template or a spreadsheet dedicated to your goal can help you concretely visualize that reserved time, rather than leaving it vaguely floating in your head, where it's very likely to get eaten up by something else.

7. Find Yourself Some Partners

Two is always better than one! It's an incredible help to have a success partner who checks in on where you're at, how it's going, gives you their opinion, basically, who holds you accountable for your actions. A partner who makes sure you keep going, that you don't stray off course, that you stay motivated. That can be a friend, a family member, a mentor, or even a stranger. There are plenty of communities of people looking for what's known as "accountability partners," on Facebook, for example.

This step isn't just nice to have, it's probably the most powerful one of all, according to research. In her study, already cited elsewhere on this blog, Professor Gail Matthews of Dominican University of California compared several groups of participants. Those who simply kept their goals in mind, without writing them down, succeeded in 35% of cases. Those who wrote down their goals, developed concrete actions, shared them with a friend, and sent that friend weekly progress updates? Over 70% of them reported having reached their goal, or being more than halfway there. That's double. Not because the partner does the work for you, but because knowing someone is going to ask you where you're at genuinely changes your behavior.

Of course, it's not mandatory, and you can absolutely succeed without it: it really depends on the person. If you do it, make sure to choose someone who genuinely cares about your success.

Do you have a big goal to reach? Start today by putting one action in place to help you build momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which step should I start with to build momentum?

With the smallest possible action that moves you closer to your goal today. Momentum is built through the accumulation of small wins, not one big initial gesture.

Does sharing my goals with someone actually make a difference?

Yes, and the effect is significant according to research: people who share their goals and send regular updates to someone have a success rate roughly twice as high as those who keep their goals to themselves.

Can my mindset really influence my concrete results?

Yes. Psychology research has shown that a growth mindset, believing your abilities can develop, leads to measurably better outcomes when facing challenges.

What should I do if I have no idea where to start?

Your first action doesn't need to be directly tied to the goal itself: it can simply be going to find the information or help you need to figure out what to do next.

Talk soon!