How to Gain Momentum and Stay Motivated in Your Creative Projects or Your Business
Identifying Where You Are
When you're working on a creative project—whether it's writing a book, launching a podcast, creating music, or building a digital platform— or building your business; understanding where you are in your journey is crucial for gaining momentum and staying motivated.
To do this, let's leverage the Hierarchy of Competence framework. This model outlines the stages of learning and skill acquisition, which are:
Unconscious Incompetence: You don’t know what you don’t know. At this stage, you're unaware of the skills you lack.
Conscious Incompetence: You’re aware of what you don’t know. You recognize the gaps in your knowledge and skills, which can be daunting.
Conscious Competence: You know what you need to do, but it requires effort and conscious thought.
Unconscious Competence: You've mastered the skill to the point where it becomes second nature, and you perform it without conscious thought.
Self-Awareness is the first step to gaining momentum.
Ask yourself: Where am I in this hierarchy? By identifying your current stage, you can develop the self-awareness needed to tackle the challenges ahead.
Journal Prompt: "Which stage of competence am I currently in regarding my creative project or business? What does this mean for the actions I need to take next?"
At each level you will have a level of competence, a core belief, a key trait, a pervasive fear, and a key skill.
Knowing where you are can help with gaianig perspective of your jounrey, making it easier to stay on track and stay motivated.
Hierarchy of Competence: Mindset, Skills, and Traits for Creative Solopreneurs
1. Unconscious Incompetence
Name: Wanna be/do
Competence: Unaware of what they don’t know.
Belief: "I can do this!" but without the understanding of what's required.
Key Trait: Cautious Optimism - Enthusiastic but unfocused.
Key Skill: Ideation without Execution - Full of ideas but lacks follow-through.
Time: Spends time in planning and daydreaming rather than taking concrete actions.
Fear: Fear of Starting - Hesitant to commit due to uncertainty.
2. Conscious Incompetence
Name: Starter
Competence: Aware of their skill gaps and limitations.
Belief: "This is harder than I thought, but I’m willing to learn."
Key Trait: Resourcefulness - Seeks out knowledge and mentors.
Key Skill: Ruthless Execution - Begins to take action despite not having all the answers.
Time: Juggles multiple tasks, often feeling overwhelmed.
Fear: Fear of Failure - Worries that efforts may not lead to success but keeps going.
3. Conscious Competence
Name: Producer
Competence: Can perform tasks effectively but with significant effort.
Belief: "I can do this if I put in the effort and stay focused."
Key Trait: Determination - Committed to improving and achieving results.
Key Skill: Consistency in Action - Produces results through sustained effort.
Time: Invests significant time into perfecting their craft, often working long hours.
Fear: Fear of Inconsistency - Worried about the up-and-down nature of results.
4. Unconscious Competence
Name: The Master Creator
Competence: Performs tasks naturally and effortlessly.
Belief: "I’ve got this down, and I know how to replicate my success."
Key Trait: Industriousness - Efficiently manages time and resources.
Key Skill: Effortless Mastery - Executes with ease, often mentoring others.
Time: Balanced time management, focuses on strategic growth.
Fear: Fear of Plateauing - Concerned about stagnation and seeks new challenges.
Dismantling the Motivation Myth
One of the biggest myths in creative work or entrepreneurial endeavours is that you always need to be motivated to take consistent action.
The reality? The best performers, don't rely on motivation to achieve their goals. They understand that motivation is fleeting and that momentum is built through consistent action, even on days when they feel unmotivated.
Think of elite athletes—they don’t wait to feel motivated to train; they train because it's part of their routine, knowing that action leads to results.
Truth: Momentum is created through action, not motivation.
For you, this means setting a routine where you work on your project regularly, regardless of how motivated you feel at any given moment.
Journal Prompt: "What actions can I commit to daily, even when I'm not feeling motivated? How can I integrate these into my routine?"
The Mindset Shift: From Winning to Learning
To maintain momentum, especially when faced with setbacks, it's crucial to shift your mindset from a focus on winning to a focus on learning.
This mental shift allows you to see each action you take, each failure you encounter, as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Instead of asking, "How can I win?" ask yourself, "How can I learn?"
Mindset Shift: Focus on learning, not just winning.
When you prioritize learning over winning, you're more resilient to failure because each failure is simply data—another step toward mastering your craft. This approach accelerates your growth far more than staying in your comfort zone ever could.
Journal Prompt: "How can I reframe my failures as learning opportunities? What did my last failure teach me, and how can I apply that lesson moving forward?"
Embodying the New Mindset
Now that you understand the importance of consistent action and a learning-focused mindset, the next step is to embody this new way of being. This requires daily reminders and intentions that align with your new mindset.
Set a daily affirmation that resonates with your new identity, such as: "I am committed to learning and growing through every action I take."
This affirmation serves as a reminder that your focus is on the process, not just the end result.
Journal Prompt: "What daily affirmation or intention can I set to embody my new mindset? How can I remind myself of this throughout the day?"
Taking Action: Organizing Your Energy and Resources
Finally, it’s time to take action. Organize your energy and personal resources to move in the direction of your goals with this new mindset.
Action: Break down your larger goals into small, manageable tasks. Each small task completed builds momentum and reinforces your new mindset. For example, instead of trying to write a chapter of your book in one sitting, commit to writing for 15 minutes each day. These small, consistent actions will accumulate into significant progress.
Self-Organization: Prioritize your tasks based on your energy levels throughout the day. If you're most creative in the morning, dedicate that time to your creative work. Use the rest of the day for tasks that require less creativity but still move you forward.
Journal Prompt: "What action can I take today to build momentum? What resources do I have that can support me?"
Conclusion: Creating Momentum and Staying Motivated
Gaining momentum and staying motivated is less about waiting for inspiration to strike and more about consistently taking action, even when you don't feel like it.
By understanding where you are in the hierarchy of competence, dismantling the myth of constant motivation, shifting your mindset to focus on learning, and organizing your energy during ,the day you can create the momentum needed to see your project through to completion.
Remember, motivation is fleeting, but momentum is sustainable. Take small steps consistently, and you'll find yourself achieving more than you ever thought possible.
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