Momentum Series: Stabilize your Personal OS

Welcome to The Evolved Entrepreneur, a weekly newsletter where I share practical tips to go from “drowning in work” to OWNING your business and life.

Now is NOT the time to do more.

Now is when “Less but Better”, is better.

I talked about seasons in the last letter and how this season is a good time to focus on strengthening your FOUNDATION and STRUCTURE.

If you’re going to build a tall building, your level of risk is correlated to the structural design of your foundations. So the bigger the building… the deeper and stronger your foundation needs to be.

And here’s the thing, you can’t BUILD UP at the same time as you BUILD DOWN. Your building will crumble or you (and your team) will drown trying to do so.

Your business should follow a methodical, steady and enjoyable pace and process of growth.

That means singular focus on one thing at a time, knowing what to focus on at each phase.

This phase or season is about strengthening foundations.

It’s not about taking on more but about doing less, and focusing the “less” on rebuilding the foundations to create MOMENTUM for the next phase.

I’ve been OBSESSED with the concept of Momentum. So I will do a 5-part deep dive series on How To Create Momentum In Your Biz & Life for 2024.

Today is on Part 1: Stabilizing your Personal OS.

Ok, let’s dive in!

Today At A Glance:

• The formula for creating Momentum

• Why stabilize your Personal OS comes first

• Reclaim your Time & Energy to create Momentum

• Defuse the Noise, Reveal the Outcomes

• Redesign your Personal OS around the Outcomes

The Momentum Formula

If you’re an Evolutionary Entrepreneur (I’m assuming since you’re on this newsletter)…

Your business, life, and art should be centered around creating MOMENTUM.

When you have momentum, everything happens on its own. With grace and ease.

How do you create momentum?

This is what I’ve been obsessing about and after studying those with it, I’ve discovered a formula they all follow:

The Momentum Formula.

• M = (O - N) E

• Momentum = (Outcome - Noise) Energy

Momentum is created by having a clear outcome, reducing the noise and pressure, and then amplifying it with your elevated energy.

You direct your obsession and attention to one desired outcome.

You eliminate everything that creates noise and pressure. The distractions, the shiny objects, the self-sabotage, the limiting stories, and anything that’s dysregulating your nervous system.

Then you turn it up. You match your energy to the loudness of the universe calling you to show up and serve.

When you’re in this state, nothing can stop you. Absolutely nothing.

You then surrender to the momentum and just let it guide you.

I know you’ve tasted the nectar of momentum before. We all have.

But maybe the noise got too loud, drowning the clarity of your calling. Maybe your energy dropped, leaving you feeling like you can’t move forward anymore. Maybe your vision got blurry, letting uncertainty and fear drive your decisions.

You’ve done it before, you can get there again.

I believe in you.

Part 1: Stabilizing Your Personal OS

The first part of creating momentum is to stabilize your Personal Operating System.

Stabilizing YOU. The human behind the business, the calling, the art, the dharma.

Your Personal OS is how you manage your:

• Time

• Energy

• Attention

When your Personal OS is not stabilized, overwhelm kicks in and disrupts momentum.

Overwhelm comes from a combination of 3 things:

• Uncertainty

• Noise and pressure

• Unregulated nervous system

Stabilizing your Personal OS turns overwhelm into momentum:

• Clear Outcome —> eliminates uncertainty

• Reduce Noise —> eliminates pressure

• Regulated Nervous System —> amplifies Energy

Strengthen your personal foundation first, then transfer that momentum into your business.

Let’s talk about how.

Do a Time & Energy Audit

Overcoming overwhelm and creating momentum starts with knowing where you’re spending your time and energy.

And what’s creating noise and pressure for you.

Master your time and energy and you’ll master the element of focus.

• Time management = what you DO with your time

• Energy management = how you BE with what you do with your time

• Time optimization = picking better things to do with your time

• Energy optimization = maximizing energy elevations and minimizing energy drains

To do this, start with a Time & Energy Audit.

I did a deep dive guide on how to do a Time & Energy Audit here.

Here’s the process:

1. Download the Time & Energy Audit Template

2. Audit your daily tasks and activities over a span of 2 weeks

3. Score your task and activities on Value level and Energy level

4. Review your audit to identify what adds noise and pressure

5. Delegate, automate, or offload low-value and energy-draining tasks

6. Reallocate your time and energy to what will create momentum

Don’t pass over this exercise.

Most of what creates noise and pressure for you can be found in how you’re spending your time and energy.

Defuse the Noise, Reveal the Outcome

Next up, stop the spiraling of your overwhelm.

When you’re stuck in the rut of overwhelm, it’s easy to feel lost, unmotivated, anxious, and like you’re being pulled in every direction. You’re operating outside your nervous system’s window of tolerance.

It’s frustrating, sometimes even defeating.

What you need to do is defuse the noise that’s creating pressure, and regulate your nervous system.

The process for this is way more simple than you’d think.

Write it out, get it out of your head. Then reflect inwards to create clarity from the inside out. This will reveal your most desired outcomes.

Remember: a clear outcome eliminates uncertainty and is the first part of the Momentum Formula.

Now you’re thinking: ok, so what am I writing out?

Pull out a pen and paper and follow this exercise step by step. Don’t just read this guide, do the work!

Step 1: List out all your issues, worries, frustrations, and anything creating noise and pressure in each of your 3 Relationship Categories

All your issues come down to an issue with one of your 3 Relationship Categories:

1. Your relationship with Yourself
   (your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, financial health)

2. Your relationship with Others 
   (partner, family, friends, team)

3. Your relationship with your Business 
   (company, finances, clients, your responsibilities)

Pick one Relationship Category to start with:

• Write out all your issues and everything creating noise and pressure

• Don’t overthink it, just write what comes to mind

• Don’t judge yourself or downplay anything, just write it all out

• This can be confronting and uncomfortable — pause and take breaks, go for a quick walk, take deep breaths to regulate yourself

Repeat for all 3 Relationships Categories, a separate list for each.

Step 2: Rank them from most to least important

Pick one list:

• Go through and rank them, “1” being the most important

• Importance here means resolving this issue will make the most impact

• Again, don’t overthink it

Again, pause and take breaks to regulate as you need.

Step 3: Explore the Top Issue

Take your number 1’s in each category.

These are your Top Issues, they’re likely the ones that:

• Create the most amount of noise and pressure

• Prevent momentum from starting

• You’re avoiding the most

They hold your biggest opportunity. Let’s explore them deeper to defuse the noise.

Pick one of your Top Issues and write out:

• What are you making this Issue mean to you? Or about you? (stories you’re creating in your head)

• What is your most dominant emotion or feeling around this issue?

• How does this issue feel in your body?

• What is the uncertainty, fear, or lack of clarity you’re experiencing around this issue?

• What distractions or limitations are causing you to avoid confronting this issue?

Stand up and shake it off. Take 3 deep breaths and regulate.

Then repeat for each Relationship Category.

The noise and pressure should start to be more clear now. And you may notice some of that pressure feels offloaded just by writing this all down and getting it out of your head.

You’re doing great, let’s keep going!

Step 4: Explore the Cost

Now you’re going to explore the cost of inaction.

The cost of you not doing anything about your Top Issues. The cost of letting the noise and pressure run your life.

Pick one of your Top Issues and write out:

• What is leaving this issue unresolved costing you?

• What is staying attached to your stories, limitations, and fears costing you?

• What is letting your nervous system stay dysregulated costing you?

• What or who else is this issue impacting in your life?

• What is possible if this was no longer an issue?

Repeat for each category.

Exploring the cost of inaction will help elevate your commitment to moving forward.

Step 5: Reveal the Outcome

Now look at your Top Issue in each category.

Write out, in one simple and specific statement, what you really want for this Relationship Category.

• What is your core desired outcome?

Don’t overthink or overcomplicate it.

Create one Core Outcome for each of the 3 Top Issues.

Examples:

• Top Issue: I’m in the worst shape of my life 
  —> Outcome: I want to feel healthy physically, mentally and emotionally

• Top Issue: I have a distant relationship with my partner 
  —> Outcome: I want a have a deeper relationship with my partner

• Topic Issue: My business is not profitable 
  —> Outcome: I want my business to be profitable with at least 30% margins

Now you might be thinking…

“But Colin, I could have come to this realization without the whole journalling exercise!”

True, you could have.

But unless you reflect and write things down, the noise and pressure will continue to live in your head and body. The simple act of writing it out illuminates and defuses the noise that’s been living in your head and body.

And narrowing things down to ONE core issue and ONE core outcome allows you to create focus and momentum forward.

When you have 99 problems and 99 solutions in your head, momentum is impossible.

Ok, one more step to wrap it up!

Step 6: Make the Outcome REAL

Having a CLEAR OUTCOME means being able to visualize it so clearly as if it already happened.

When you can visualize the outcome with this level of clarity, you reprogram your body to operate as if it already happened. This attracts and creates the outcome into reality.

Choose one of your Core Outcomes and write out:

• What does this outcome look like? How will you know you achieved it?

• What does this outcome feel like when you achieve it?

• What are you doing when this outcome is achieved?

• What do you have or get from this outcome achieved?

• Who are you being when this outcome is achieved?

Repeat for each of your 3 Core Outcomes.

Take a moment, a few breaths, and just acknowledge what you’ve done here…

You’ve gotten clear on your Outcome. You illuminated and started to defuse some of the Noise and pressure.

M = (O - N) E

Momentum = (Outcome - Noise) Energy

All that’s left is to redesign your Personal OS in a way that prioritizes your core outcomes, continues to reduce the noise, and ELEVATES YOUR ENERGY.

Wrapping It Up

Ok, we covered a lot of ground in this letter:

• The Momentum Formula

• Why stabilizing your Personal OS comes first

• Reclaiming your Time & Energy by auditing it

• Defusing the Noise to Reveal the Outcomes

If you enjoyed this guide, you’ll want to consider checking out my course.

Biz Ops Mastery Course

A 5-Step Action Plan to Create Momentum in your Business & Life

Go from overwhelmed to ownership and creating unstoppable momentum by:

1. Stabilizing your Personal Operating System

2. Defining your North Star

3. Creating your Operational Plan

4. Streamlining your Value Creation Process

5. Building leverage through Ownership & Accountability

If you want early access to the video course and community, join the waitlist.

The Weekly Round-Up

Other things I’ve shared this past week…

• 35 Lessons I’m Bringing Into 2024 - my birthday reflection post! (LinkedIn version)

• Entrepreneurship is driven by trauma (YouTube)

• Creating Inner Harmony (Monk Mode Mondays)

• People Pleaser Leaders (YouTube)

• I don’t want to be a millionaire (YouTube)