The Magic of Momentum: Escape Any Rut. Build Winning Streaks. Use Forward Motion to Change the Trajectory of Your Life.

"The Magic of Momentum" by Stephen Guise is an absolute gem that deserves a permanent spot on your self-help bookshelf. Guise's writing style is refreshingly straightforward and engaging, making complex concepts accessible to readers of all backgrounds. The book is a masterclass in leveraging the power of momentum to transform your habits and achieve sustainable personal growth. Guise's insights are not only practical but also backed by psychological principles, providing a solid foundation for readers looking to make lasting positive changes in their lives. What sets "The Magic of Momentum" apart is its emphasis on small, consistent actions that compound over time. Guise's approach challenges the notion that monumental efforts are required for significant change, instead advocating for the cumulative impact of manageable steps. The author's personal anecdotes and real-world examples further enhance the book's relatability, making it easy for readers to connect with and apply the principles to their own lives. If you're ready to break free from stagnation and embrace a path of continuous improvement, "The Magic of Momentum" is the roadmap you've been searching for. In a market flooded with self-help books, Stephen Guise's offering stands out as a practical, evidence-based guide that not only motivates but empowers readers to take meaningful action. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a transformative journey toward a more fulfilling and successful life!

I read this book because Mini Habits by Stephen Guise changed my life. From being a night owl and never being able to get up in the morning, I used a stupid small mini habit consistently and now I can wake every morning at roughly the same time without an alarm. Such a relief to not have an alarm going off or to feel groggy. I read / listened to this book on Kindle but I think I will get the hard copy so I can go through it again and mine the gems. There’s too many and I need to take notes.

I have loved all Stephen's books, especially Mini Habits which started it all but this is his best so far. It compliments Mini Habits really well and the ideas are really actionable. Love Stephen's honesty and humility about his own life and struggles. It is an interesting and informative read with just the right amount of humour. I feel really encouraged and inspired to put the ideas into practice - it all feels so doable. I really believe this book will be a game changer. Thank you Stephen - keep your inspiring books coming.

Like other reviewers I've enjoyed the earlier books. They made a lot of sense. However, I still managed to slip out of doing things regularly. There was a missing ingredient that needed expanding and that is momentum. If we talk about habits, positive ones one can kind of fall into the trap that they will run themselves. Even the smallest effort on a given habit can die its invisible death. Why? In the book Stephen talks about how momentum ends after we sleep and reset. Yes, a powerful habit could possibly start up again the next day, but I found that it didn't have any energy of it's own and therefore didn't get done. This became quite dis-heartening! I plotted out a not too unreasonable list of things I'd like to get done but after a short while "momentum" evaporated. So a whole book devoted to the subject of momentum is justified. Writing the earlier books I'd imagine Stephen got some feedback. Also, he self-examines and found himself strangely struggling. As most of us did during lockdown. My Tai Chi creativity bounced right back in lockdown. I even got out in public and performed in front of the whole close I live in. I faced the silent judgements and just got on with it. But other projects didn't do so well. My current takeaway, having applied it every single day since reading the book is as follows.... When we sleep and wake up the next day we've effectively wiped out any momentum generated the day before. We might have a good run for a few days but eventually, the energy to keep going has gone. The biggest problem is a lack of this concept of momentum knowledge is needed to get a little nudge to begin again the next day. Momentum needs to be initiated every day. The mini habits idea is to make that momentum as effortless as possible. But in the end effort is required to get momentum started. That's the laws of momentum. I created a new momentum of getting to bed earlier. The rule I'm currently breaking by writing this review:) However, I'm off tomorrow so my "bed earlier for off next day" is a bit later. I decided that after observation, I needed to not go on the phone at all, switch the tv off and no reading either by 12. Allowing 45 minutes of no devices sucking me in while my bedtime commitment is weak at the end of the day. I can then get up at a slightly earlier time I tried to implement about 6 months ago to prevent myself rushing around and just barely getting to work on time, which is 10.30!!!! This new commitment requires that I acknowledge I will need a few grams of energy to initiate the momentum and get it started. Switch off telly.... don't pick up the phone until you get to bed and set the alarm and put it in airplane mode. The key to all this is to not expect I'll get this huge voice of reason in my head directing me to just do all the new found habits I decided to create and get started. Instead I come to the point where it's time to switch everything off and begin my wind down routine. I work out from home with resistance bands. After 2 years I have had mixed results with it. A going to the gym habit of 35 years was ended. I was having doubts about my old enjoyment of the gym before lockdown. I like to take my time on the equipment, do lots of sets take good rests etc. But I was finding I couldn't relax doing it that way, I could see certain equipment needed the set done, with 15sec breather and the next set started. 6 sets wrapped up in 5 minutes! I was happy to share the equipment which worked, but after lockdown, all this wiping down wasn't viable after each set, and then again before the set. So home training seemed the answer. Bands are amazing! But I just didn't have this adult lifetime habit-driven groove with it. It's all still a bit of trialling out what suits one best. What works the same way. Understanding the resistance grade difference between weights and bands. So after understanding momentum I can persuade myself that extra days can be added in effortlessly by just turning up and setting the session up. So really this book powerfully offers a way to get inside your understanding of how things get done really. We don't all have the gift of just switching on an engine of drive and motivation and everything gets miraculously done without effort. I think a lot of people who read these books like to have good reasoning why something doesn't get accomplished when it means so much to us. An even better read is to find a concept that makes a lot of sense and works in collaboration with our inner mature thinking adult. Finding that momentum to get going. I'm 61 and I've still got a lot of motivation in me to get some creativity done and design my time with things that are dear to me.

A little slow and lacking in content in some places - but interesting and insightful overall, with a great ending. Highly recommended.

3週間、3か月、3年と、やる期間が違えばやるための方法も変わる。「3週間の短距離走に成功したやり方こそが、3か月の中距離走に失敗した原因である」。燃えつき症候群の原因の考察が非常に示唆的でした。 なんとなく気づいていたのですが、私は3週間は頑張れるけれど、1か月か2か月あたりで燃え尽きて、（文字通り）寝込むのですね。過労でじんましんを出し、皮膚科で処方された薬を飲んで毎日12時間以上眠りながらまだ寝不足を感じていた時（かゆみ止めはひどく眠いのです）、この本を読んでようやくはっきりとわかりました。 small winの定義を誤解していたことがわかりました。倒れずに戦うためにいったん退却する過程もsmall winなのですね。 stupid smallから始めるMini Habitsを読み直し、やり方を練り直すことにします。

This book offers an insightful context about the power of momentum and how sustained small efforts in the right direction can create life-changing results in one's life in the long term. I would highly recommend reading this book, as it breaks many traditional, obsolete approaches towards success.

I love momentum. It enables me to do what I actually want to do without needing a lot of willpower. In this book Stephen explains what momentum is, how it works and how to utilize it to lead more productive lives. What I can say is that it actually works. What I mean by that is that this book explains how to leverage momentum to our advantage to use the power of momentum to perform productive actions. I can without exception recommend this book to everyone! :)

I tried these principles as I read the book and found I actually completed things I had put off for ages. So encouraging. I now have strategies for small steps that wil make angling difference. Excellent book.

For transparency, this is the fourth book by Stephen Guise that I have read. Mini Habits for Weightloss and Elastic Habits were game changers in how I approached the things I wanted to change in my life. How to Be an Imperfectionist and The Magic of Momentum shifted my mindset about changes, habits, and honestly, life in general. For reference, I thought about working out A LOT previously but rarely did it because I was caught up in doing it "when I had enough time to do a real workout," "when I had the right workout clothes on," or "when I figured out what workout I loved so much I never had to make myself do it." Well, that extremely specific, and frankly, unrealistic unicorn moment came only 2-3 times over the past two years. The Magic of Momentum finally made all of the pieces click together for me, and in just the six weeks since I read it, I have performed an exercise-focused mini habit (and often far more than the mini) every single day. Without fail and without any drama. Sure, I might have done some silly looking kettlebell swings in my jeans, or did a few dance moves in my pajamas before getting ready for work, but the point is that I did them. I moved my body in new and fun ways that benefit me both mentally and physically. I am not running to the gym hyped for a 30-minute sweatfest yet, but I can already tell my relationship with exercise and movement is changing for the better. I have learned to embrace life by prioritizing action over motivation and isn't living life by doing things kind of the point? One final note, Stephen spends a far too short section talking about his To Do List method and if I could get a vote on the topic of his next book, it would be this. Using a small whiteboard (his is pretty big, but I am able to do the same thing in a much smaller space) with some small dry-erase magnets has transformed my day-to-day and I now stack up daily wins like the New England Patriots win super bowls. I am able to prioritize the things that are truly important to me without getting sidetracked or mowed over by all the other things that can come up in any given day. I am more productive where it matters most to me, long neglected projects are finally getting done, and I approach every day as an opportunity to take action toward the life I actually want to live. I cannot speak highly enough about this short section of greatness in what is an all around great book. Read it, you won't regret it.