The Big MO

Momentum is a funny thing.

You have to have it for impact and joy--when you have it, everything you do has a touch of magic, whether the thing in itself is spectacular or not; when you don't have it, you can be superb, but nothing rings the bell. When you don't have momentum, you will lose to someone not nearly as skilled or capable as you; when you have momentum, almost every ball drops through the hoop. Momentum is what makes progress possible, so it is indispensable for any success.

Teams need momentum, and individuals need momentum. Tiger Woods is a public example of incredible momentum and then NO momentum. Currently it seems he can't even buy a good game. What happened to his "Big MO" is a lesson to us. Does he have physical problems? Apparently so. But it doesn't take a psychological genius to figure out his problem is bigger that that. The guy whose touch turned everything to gold lost his Midas touch when a series of moral lapses became public. Sponsors dropped him, his wife dropped him, and the magic Mo was gone. When you are pushing a heavy weight, as long as you keep moving, the momentum will help you pick up speed. But if you stop, the momentum is gone, and it will take heroic effort to get moving again. Tiger is discovering that.

Perhaps you have discovered that as well. In you marriage, your job, your church. It may be that once you had all the momentum in the world--just to be with each other was magic. Everything you tried seemed to work. But now, things are so hard. What used to be joyful and productive is now hard work with marginal results. You seem to have hit a wall and are at a dead stop, or near it. What happens now?

I have discovered in my own life and leadership, the first thing is to own what's happening. Talk about it, get it out. But don't panic. Dan Reiland, writing to a pastor trying to regain momentum says: "There is a significant difference between urgency and panic. At no time do you want to create a sense of panic, but always a sense of urgency. Panic comes from the reactionary leadership of facing problems without solutions. Urgency comes from passion-filled leaders who believe in a cause with so much conviction that there can be no delay in carrying out that mission."

Recover a sense of urgency, and take corrective action wherever you know you have dropped the ball. Have the heart to do the hard things. And, I have found that since we are all spiritual beings, created for a close connection with the One who made us, generally lost momentum has something to do with internal issues--maybe disobedience or neglect of what's most important. So, the most urgent thing is to prioritize the Momentum Maker, the Force behind it all, and follow to the letter what He says. You can get the Big Mo back, and make incredible progress.

God says,"I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don't you recognize it?" (Isaiah 43:19) Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about.