Momentum isn’t something you wait for, stop waiting for it to happen... Momentum it’s something you build.
Especially after life hits hard.
Whether it’s a career setback, a failed business, or a moment where everything just stalled, you can choose to restart.
Not by thinking but actually by doing.
Here are 15 proven ways to create momentum again, with real examples of people who’ve turned breakdowns into breakthroughs.
Create Momentum After Setbacks
1. Start Before You Feel Ready
Waiting to feel ready is how people stay stuck, awaiting won't get you there. Momentum doesn’t come from planning, it comes from motion. You build belief by taking action, not the other way around. When you move, all else follows.
Richard Branson didn’t wait until he had experience in aviation before launching Virgin Airlines. He saw a gap, took a risk, and figured it out on the way. His momentum came from diving in, not waiting for the perfect plan.
2. Take Micro-Actions
Being overwhelmed will kill the momentum. Big goals feel heavy, but small steps feel doable. When you shrink your action down to something immediate and achievable, you move forward faster, and most importantly. more consistently.
James Clear built "Atomic Habits" on this idea. Before his bestselling book, he wrote blog posts, one a week. Those small efforts turned into a massive platform, and eventually, a global movement.
3. Rewrite the Setback Narrative
What you tell yourself about failure determines how long you stay in it. If you see the setback as personal, you’ll get stuck. If you see it as part of the growing process, you’ll use it and learn from it.
Oprah Winfrey was fired from one of her first anchor jobs. She didn’t internalize the rejection, instead, she reframed it. That moment of failure led her to create a new format and eventually become a media icon.
4. Return to the Basics
Sometimes momentum is lost because you're no longer doing what worked. Instead of chasing complexity and diversify just for the sake of it, simplify. Go back to the fundamentals, the routines, values and disciplines that built your confidence in the first place.
Serena Williams, when off her game, doesn’t try to reinvent her style. She goes back to footwork, serve drills, and core strategy. By doubling down on basics, she rebuilds performance from the ground up.
5. Set a Short-Term Win
When you’re stalled, you don’t need a big victory, you need a quick one. A win you can see. Momentum loves visible progress, so set a goal you can crush soon.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was cut from pro football early in life. Instead of chasing stardom right away, he took the next win, wrestling. That decision reignited his belief and eventually catapulted him into Hollywood..
6. Shift Environments
If you feel stuck, sometimes it’s not you but it’s the space you’re in, the environment. New surroundings create new thinking. Change where you work, who you talk to, or how you structure your time.
After Steve Jobs was pushed out of Apple, he launched NeXT and helped grow Pixar. He later returned to Apple with a fresh vision and created the most iconic product line in tech history.
7. Use Rejection as Fuel
Rejection can either shut you down or wake you up. The people who move forward use it as motivation. Instead of seeing “no” as failure, they treat it as data and keep pushing. They learn from their rejections and got better.
J.K. Rowling had her *Harry Potter* manuscript rejected by over a dozen publishers. She didn’t stop writing—she kept improving. One “yes” changed everything.
8. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Momentum isn’t about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it consistently. When perfection becomes the standard, nothing moves. But when progress becomes the focus, everything changes.
Elon Musk’s early rockets exploded. SpaceX failed multiple times. But he focused on progress—what could be learned, what could be improved. That mindset kept the mission alive.
9. Create a Ritual
Action becomes automatic when it’s built into your routine. A ritual doesn’t rely on motivation, it just happens, it's something that's embedded in your daily routine. The right ritual can unlock momentum by making movement part of who you are.
Stephen King writes every single morning. Not just when he feels creative. It’s his ritual. That discipline is how he wrote over 60 novels—and counting.
10. Surround Yourself with Energy
Energy is contagious. If you’re stuck, look around. Are you surrounded by people who challenge and uplift you or drain you? Who are the top 5 people that stay aroung you all day? Guess you're probably similar to them.
Tony Robbins credits much of his early growth to mentors and proximity to driven individuals. He’s said, “Your life is a reflection of your peer group.” That energy fuels momentum.
11. Turn Pain Into Purpose
This is a tricky one, because pain can paralyze or it can push. Those who rise after setbacks often find a way to convert their suffering into service, meaning, or mission.
Viktor Frankl, survivor of the Holocaust, wrote "Man’s Search for Meaning" by reflecting on how even in the darkest moments, purpose was the only thing that kept him moving.
12. Revisit Your "Why"
When you lose your reason, you lose your rhythm. Going back to your “why”, your personal reason for showing up, restores your direction. You know where you need to be going, this is just a reminder.
Simon Sinek’s work, "Start With Why", sparked a leadership revolution by reminding people that clarity of purpose is the most powerful driver of long-term action.
13. Track the Wins
When progress feels invisible, motivation disappears. But when you track even small wins, you realize you’re further along than you thought. That perspective feeds momentum.
Tim Ferriss recommends journaling wins weekly to stay focused and build psychological resilience. It keeps your brain locked on progress, not problems.
14. Teach What You’re Learning
When you teach, you gain clarity, you reinforce your own growth. Sharing your process with others keeps you accountable, it also builds movement and that creates momentum.
Marie Forleo turned every business and life challenge into content for her community. By teaching through setbacks, she not only helped others, she deepened her own mastery.
15. Decide You’re Not Done
The most powerful shift is internal. Momentum starts when you decide your story isn’t over. You may be down, but you’re not finished!
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. He didn’t let bitterness stop him. He chose forgiveness, unity, and purpose. That decision changed a nation.
Conclusion
Setbacks feel like the end but they’re just a pause. You can build momentum again. You don’t need perfect conditions.... all you need is to be in motion, to believe in yourself and to make the decision to keep moving no matter what.
We challenge you to pick one idea from above. Apply it today. Then come back tomorrow and apply another.
Because momentum isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you work for in a conscious way.
So keep creating it and keep achieving!
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