Monday Momentum

Welcome to Monday Momentum - Your weekly dose of inspiration designed to kickstart your week with energy, motivation, and focus

A Quote I Like:

“If you are moving forward in your life, if you are progressing personally, professionally, emotionally, spiritually–you will be happy.”

This time last year, I was in my third straight month of unemployment.

I knew I wanted to make good use of the time, but I had no clue where to start. If you've ever been (involuntarily) off work for that long, you know the feeling–days blending into each other, feeling like you're spinning your wheels without going anywhere. I was "comfortable" but not fulfilled.

Fast forward three more months, and I finally landed a job I’d interviewed for five months earlier.

While I was happy to be going back to work (and getting an actual paycheck), I couldn’t shake this nagging disappointment. What had I actually done with all that time off? I craved a project to pour myself into, something that would fire me up in the morning. But nothing stuck. While I had some lovely, slow days hanging out with my pup, I wasn’t proud of how I’d spent the last six months.

Fast forward to today—and guess what? I’m unemployed again. Funny how that works.

But this time, it's different–I have an ironclad plan and roadmap ahead of me for a way out, a path to a new career that I feel really excited about. For the first time in a long time, I feel a sense of control over my direction. Who knew getting fired could literally be the best thing to ever happen? (I’ve never been so happy to hear someone say, “Sorry, we just aren’t working out.”)

Now, even though I’m starting from scratch, I’m happier than I’ve been in ages.

Slowly but surely, I’m making progress—and it turns out that’s what happiness is all about. It doesn’t show up the moment you hit a milestone (like landing a job). It sneaks up on you as you move forward, with every little win that reminds you you’re growing and evolving.

Every small step forward makes me feel a little happier, a little lighter, and a lot closer to becoming the person I want to be.

One Thing to Try This Week:

Take some time to reflect on a period of your life where maybe you weren't checking off all the traditional boxes like "employed" or "settled down," but you felt happier than ever.

What were you doing differently then? Were you learning something new, pursuing a passion, or simply enjoying the moment? Write down one or two small habits or practices from that time that you could reintroduce into your life this week to recapture that sense of joy and forward motion.

Resource of the Week:

TED: The Progress Principle: This short TED talk by Teresa Amabile dives into the psychology of progress and why small wins are the key to long-term happiness and motivation. Watch it for a quick dose of inspiration and practical insight into how progress fuels fulfillment.

See you next week :)

~W.L