Apr 2, 2019
Momentum can catapult your career or leadership, particularly if you’re a creative professional. Phil Cooke shows you how to maximize it when it happens and how to make it work to advance your career.
Few people really understand the power of momentum, and how to take advantage of it when it happens. Momentum is serendipitous – which means it happens outside of our control. But if and when it happens we need to recognize it and use it for our advantage.
What is momentum? It may be winning an award that puts you on the map or grabbing a highly coveted project. Maybe a friend’s been working on developing a new web-based company, and out of the blue, it was featured on a major news site. Perhaps it’s being called for a big media interview, or having a story appear about your work on a major news network.
Whatever it is, momentum causes your career to move forward in a huge growth spurt. So how can you use momentum to your advantage?
First – put a plan in place right now. Are your industry contacts up to date, so you can let people know about your achievement or recognition? Do you know how to get out a press release to announce your success?
Can you do an email blast? Are you building your social media following? Who are the most influential leaders in your industry that you could arrange a meeting with when it happens? When it comes to letting people know about your success, don’t be caught flat-footed when something great happens.
Second – Have multiple projects ready at all times. What if you get a major award and someone decides to invest in your future? What can you show them? Dust off those old ideas and get them ready to pitch.
Third – Keep networking. Remember the advertising principle: “Once product sales are down, it’s too late to advertise.” It’s very difficult to move forward when you’re standing still. If you’ve already been networking and keeping your relationships up to date, when something explosive happens, it’s far easier to move forward.
Finally – Recognize favor when it comes. Always be scanning the horizon for good things in your life. When God’s favor happens, it doesn’t always come in the package we expect. You might not immediately think how a small success in one area could translate into something significant, but publicity is built on recognizing potential buzz.
You may feel like nothing is happening right now, but you never know when the match will strike. Momentum is a rare thing, so when it does happen, be ready to fan the flame and keep your career moving forward.
For more tips on momentum and your career, visit Phil’s blog at https://www.philcooke.com/the-power-of-momentum-and-why-you-need-it
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