The Big “Mo”

By Glenn Wagner

“Our future is only limited by our commitment to keep the momentum going”

Whether you are talking about sports, personal life, business or your church campaign, one of the key aspects that will determine your success is momentum. Which begs the question, “What is momentum, and if it’s so important, how do we get and maintain it?”

Perhaps it is best to begin by stating what momentum is not. It’s not being a cheerleader, handing out compliments like candy, endless positive feedback or getting people stoked. These things might help keep momentum alive, but they aren’t “it.”

The dictionary defines momentum as “a force of movement.” This movement can be positive or negative, and when you get caught in negative momentum, it can suddenly become unimaginably hard to get back on your feet and change the path’s course. On the other end of the spectrum, positive momentum energizes the group and relays a “we can finish this” mentality.

Now many people think that once momentum is gained, it makes everything easy; they think that once you have your momentum going, all you have to do is keep your eyes on that final goal and you’ll reach it. But I look at momentum in a different way, I think momentum’s main principle is that it is a series of successful endings, not beginnings. Or, in an adaptation of the Nike slogan: “Don’t just do it. Do it again!”

When it comes to your capital campaign, this means that even the little victories must be celebrated. The process of making phone calls, scheduling appointments, completing visits and securing pledge cards in itself are successful endings that lead you closer to the ultimate goal. Sometimes it will get hard, exhausting and frustrating, but regularly experiencing successful endings will help the campaign build momentum, you just have to remember to do it, and then do it again.