Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. Hey, hey, hey, y'all. We are deep into March. 2024 is almost over. And I've got a question for you.

Erica: How are we doing on those New Year's resolutions? How are we doing on those big, massive goals that we were once all in on when we were back in January? Are y'all doing okay? Or have you fallen behind? Either way, it is okay.

Erica: Because if I have learned one thing since I started chasing big dreams, it's that it is not a picture perfect straight shot. When you have big goals and dreams, it's not like all of a sudden your path is just illuminated and you know exactly where to go, exactly what steps to take, and when. No. No. No, my friend.

Erica: What I have learned is that once you have established those big and bold dreams and you start chasing after, it is actually quite messy. It is filled with twists and turns and roadblocks, some smooth sailing from time to time, but lots and lots of mess. Today, we are diving into a topic that's been on my mind as we hit mid March, and that is how do we keep the momentum going?

Erica: Now if you are anything like me, you started the year off with a bang, with a burst of energy, ready to go, and ready to tackle those big goals. Maybe you did a vision board and you spent hours cutting and gluing inspirational quotes and images to a poster board, or maybe you mapped out milestones. But let's be real. As the time passes, as life gets in the way, as kids get sick and work goes to shit, that initial spark can start to fade. And what used to be super exciting, it starts to feel like a big wet blanket.

Erica: But no worries, my friend. You are not alone. And most importantly, there is a way through this. And what I tell all of my clients and my kids, quite frankly, is that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. But when you have these big and bold dreams, it's not easy.

Erica: It is not. So, truthfully, knowing and accepting that this is going to be work and sometimes hard and grueling work, that is the first step to keep going when momentum starts to fade. When you have that expectation already set in your mind, already clear that you will need to put in the work, that you will need to do what others will not do so that you can achieve these big dreams, that's step one. You are already prepping your mind to do the work. But let's talk about what momentum really is.

Erica: In the simplest of terms, momentum is that feeling of forward motion. It's the feeling of progress that makes things seem easier as you go along. And I say seem because that's the keyword here. Now I always imagine a boulder rolling down a dirt hill. Don't ask me why.

Erica: But it's slow at first. It takes a lot of effort to get it going, and then it picks up speed. Or maybe you imagine riding a bike down a hill. Right? Once you've got the speed, you need less and less effort to keep it moving, and then you're just coasting y'all.

Erica: But you know that when you are chasing after big dreams that it is not that downhill coast. The truth is momentum is about building and maintaining speed even when it gets tough, and I know that you know I got the science to back it up. Research into habit formation and goal achievement emphasize the importance of consistency, the power of small wins, and the need for resilience. So in order to keep that momentum going, I've got six actionable steps for you. And if you're ready, let's jump on in.

Erica: Step one is to set clear and achievable goals. Y'all, I know this sounds basic and simple, but it is foundational. You cannot build a solid house on rocky ground. So make sure that you have your goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and have that time stamp. And, yes, I just gave you the recipe for SMART goals.

Erica: But the science shows that when your goal is clear, you know exactly what you're working towards, and all of that helps with momentum. Step two is to break it down. Now when I set out to write my book, Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, that was my overarching goal. And it took me a long time to even get started on it because it felt so overwhelming. It felt impossible.

Erica: A whole damn book? How does one even do it? But after months of feeling stalled and overwhelmed by this just seemingly impossible task, I decided that I would give myself the target of one chapter a week. Just one. Now if you've ever written a book, that can seem both easy and hard all at the same time because some weeks, I was able to knock out two or three chapters when the creativity hit, but others, I fell behind.

Erica: But when I broke it down, those small wins of achieving the chapters week by week really helped to build my confidence. Because with each chapter, I started to feel more and more like an author, which I never felt like that before. And as time passed, the writing became easier and easier, just like riding that damn bike. Now the third step is to establish routine. Consistency is key, and here is why.

Erica: Establishing a routine turns those goal related activities, the things that we have to do to hit our goals, into habits. And when we have a habit, what does that do? It reduces decision fatigue. Alright. We are all high powered people here.

Erica: Otherwise, you wouldn't be listening to this podcast. And we already have so much on our plate. We are already making so many daily decisions. So constantly having to remember when and how to do things, it's more like riding that bike up the hill. Routines and rhythms are key.

Erica: So my friend, if your momentum is stalled, I want you to take this next day, and I want you to write out a new rhythm, a new routine, and I want you to focus on maintaining that. And step four is to celebrate your progress. When you recognize and celebrate, no matter how small, your motivation is boosted, and that positive momentum is reinforced. Now my favorite way to do this is by maintaining what I call the heck yeah journal, and I write in this every single day. Now if you have listened to my previous episode, you know my struggle to own and celebrate my wins, both big and small.

Erica: So this is a goal and an exercise in itself for me. But grab a journal, grab a piece of paper, your notes app, and your iPhone, and write out your daily win. Every day, I want you to do this. Simply acknowledging that win for what it is, that is huge. This is basically gonna be your record of all the amazing things you've done, both big and small.

Erica: And sometimes mine feel so small, and I'll give you an example. The other day, I wrote down that I did a walking meeting on my Peloton treadmill instead of a meeting with my butt in the chair, which sounds silly. Right? But I really wanted to get my steps in, and I had no motivation, no momentum to do so. So getting my butt off the chair and my shoes laced up, that was a big w.

Erica: So make sure that you are taking the w's as they come. And then step five is to find your community. I cannot stress enough how important community is when you are going after big and bold dreams. And community is one of my words of the year, and that is because I really saw this year as the year to lean into my community and have that support system in place and to capitalize on their momentum to help me keep my momentum. When you are surrounded by people who get you and who also have big and bold dreams, they will keep you accountable.

Erica: And this could be a friend. It could be a family member, a colleague, online community, whatever. Share your dreams and your goals and share the journey. They will help you with any step back that you have, and they will actually be there to push you up that hill when you don't feel like you can pedal anymore. But my last step and probably my most favorite step and maybe most important step is to stay flexible.

Erica: Be ready to adjust your plans because life happens. You cannot be so rigid and expect everything to be perfect. Yes, my perfectionist friends. This one is for you. I used to be that person.

Erica: I would write out my perfect workout plan for the week, and I would have an idea of my perfect meal plan. And if on Wednesday, shit hit the fan and something threw me for a loop like a sick kid or maybe I missed my alarm, I would throw the rest of the week in the trash. I would call it a waste, and I would say to myself, Erica, we'll just pick it back up on Monday. It's fine. Y'all, that is not how goal getters act, and that is not how you achieve your goals.

Erica: And the visual that really helped me on this one, and I hope it helps you too, is if you got one flat tire on your car, maybe you ran over a nail. Who knows? Would you slash the other three? Hell no. You would get that one repaired, and you would go about your day.

Erica: So embrace the concept. Shoot. Embrace the fact that obstacles are part of the process, and that is the key to keeping your momentum. Now since I have pivoted my thought process around perfection, I have been able to achieve so much more in my life and achieve it faster. Those obstacles, they are a true redirection.

Erica: They are teachable moments, so do not let them derail you. Life happens and you cannot control every aspect of it. I know. I know it's hard to hear, But what you can control is how you react. So stay flexible, my friends.

Erica: That makes me think of the Dos Equis manual. But okay. So you got the steps, and you know the game plan to achieve big and bold dreams. But if you still feel a little stuck, I got you. Let's touch on resilience for a sec.

Erica: Let's talk about the ability to bounce back and keep moving forward. Yes. Momentum makes things easier, and I wish it came in a pill form. It will come and it will go, but resilience is what gets you through when momentum decides to take a little vacation. Now what I do is I truly capitalize on those momentum moments.

Erica: I will go all in. So for example, with this podcast, when I get a creativity momentum burst, I will work, work, work, work, work as long as I can as much as possible until it subsides because I know that I won't always have it. So I do try to capitalize on that momentum. But, you know, that momentum, it's gonna take a little siesta. It's gonna take a hike.

Erica: And at some point when that happens, I will have to rely on my resilience. And that involves the shift in your mindset. And you know this, you know deep in your bones. But it's about seeing challenges as the opportunities to learn and grow, and it's about self compassion. For more on that topic, I want you to go back to the episode that I dropped last month in February, February 19.

Erica: It's called unlocking self compassion, the key to happiness, success, and resilience, because here is the real deal. You must remember to give yourself the grace to stumble and the courage to stand back up. You must. You must, girl, because you have these big and bold dreams. You must get up.

Erica: Your daughter, your sister, your friends, they need you to get up again, and they need you to keep going. Momentum really is a gift. At least I see it that way. But going after your goals and not letting roadblocks stop you, that is a beautiful blend of strategic planning, celebrating your small wins, building community, and leaning into that community, and, of course, flexibility. So if you feel like your shiny New Year's resolutions have worn off, please do not let it derail you.

Erica: Do not let it discourage you. Pick yourself up, girl. Dust yourself off, and use this podcast episode as your swift kick in the butt to keep it going. Take a moment, reflect on these strategies, and y'all, seriously, reach out to me if you need any help. Reach out to me if you need community because I got you.

Erica: I am here for you because when you win, I win. We all win together. Now I hope I hope to see you on all of my socials friends, and please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast as it truly helps it land in the hands of the woman that needs to hear it the most. And don't forget, stop putting ceilings on what is possible and start smashing through them. I'll talk to you next time.