When we think about the word "momentum," we have the Newtonian definition, the Skinner variety, and the everyday vernacular of how we move through life.
In physics, we have Sir Issac and his 3 laws of motion:
A body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, unless acted upon by a force.
When a body is acted upon by a force, the time rate of change of its momentum equals the force.
If two bodies exert forces on each other, these forces have the same magnitude but opposite directions.
The psychologist B.F. Skinner used Newton's laws to develop his theory of Behavioral Momentum:
A person (or any organism) will continue engaging in a behavior that has been reinforced in the past, even when faced with new or challenging conditions.
The strength of a behavior is influenced by the number of times it has been reinforced, as well as the consistency of the reinforcement.
Once a behavior becomes established and reinforced, it will be difficult to change or stop.
Finally, we combine these two concepts and apply them to our Career Momentum Theory:
Looking for a new job, a change, an opportunity, or a new direction can be discouraging when nothing seems to click.
When you do find a great opportunity, the application, interview, followup, and all things in between can be tedious and time consuming.
There are days when it's just damn hard to get out of bed.
So what can you do to keep your career momentum going? Start with your circle of friends, colleagues, associates, mentors, and yes, career coaches. They are the Newtonian force that pushes you forward. Don't wait for them to step up; actively engage with them in conversations about how you can create new opportunities or follow up on new ideas. At the same time, work to minimize the things in your life that act as opposing forces against you, whether it is people, habits, or distractions.
Look inward at your own behavioral patterns. It can be very discouraging when you get turned down for a position. All of the effort you put into the application may seem fruitless. It's particularly hard when you feel like you are that close to getting the job. You start visualizing your future career, only to be disappointed in the final outcome. That's a bitter pill.
The thing to keep in mind is that failure to land that job is just about the job. It's not a personal failure. File it away as just another experience, not a collection of failed experiences. Importantly, don't let it become one of Skinner's reinforcing behavioral experiences. Take the time to process the bitter pill and then let it go. Every new opportunity is a fresh opportunity for success. Leaving the thing behind allows you to keep your momentum going, and momentum is the thing that will get you out of bed.