Minute With Mallon: The 3 Landmines That Kill Momentum! 💣

Nov 3

Welcome to Minute with Mallon!

Something I Taught:

Do you ever set a goal, start strong, and then lose momentum?

That’s completely normal — and predictable.

When I work with clients, we talk about what can knock them off track. Most people never stop to identify those things, so they stay hidden and quietly sabotage progress.

Whenever you pursue something meaningful, there are always a few invisible “landmines” that can slow you down or even stop you.

The good news? Once you spot them, you can avoid them and stay on course.

Here are the three most common ones:

1. Consistency

What it is: The struggle to keep showing up once the excitement fades. Motivation gets replaced by monotony, and momentum starts to slip.

Counterattack:

Create structure. Build habits into your calendar, not your intentions. Schedule your priorities like appointments.
Use accountability. Share your goal with a coach, peer, or assistant who will hold you to it.
Track your streak. Visible progress (like checkmarks or habit trackers) reinforces the habit loop and keeps momentum alive.

Consistency isn’t about intensity — it’s about showing up daily, even small.

2. Complacency

What it is: The comfort that creeps in after small wins. You relax too soon, assuming the job is done, and your edge dulls.

Counterattack:

Reset the bar. Celebrate your progress, then immediately define the next level of growth.
Stay connected to purpose. Remind yourself why the goal matters — not just what it is.
Invite challenge. Ask a trusted person to give you honest feedback or stretch targets.

Progress is the antidote to complacency — comfort is not the goal, growth is.

3. Competency

What it is: Hitting the ceiling of what you currently know how to do. It’s not a lack of effort — it’s a lack of skill or strategy for the next stage.

Counterattack:

Admit the gap. Awareness is strength, not weakness. Identify what you don’t yet know.
Learn intentionally. Seek out training, books, mentors, or experts who’ve mastered that next level.
Delegate or collaborate. Surround yourself with people who complement your weaknesses.

When you grow your skills, you shrink your limits.

Take Action: Every goal worth chasing comes with resistance — but you get to decide whether it stops you or strengthens you.

Identify your top restraining force, commit to one counterattack, and start today. Momentum doesn’t wait — it’s built one deliberate step at a time.

Something to Ponder:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

Aristotle

Something I Learned:

I recently listened to a podcast that featured a professional hockey player who made a great point for any profession. Here's what he said:

"Early in my career, I learned not to focus on how the coach said something — just what he was actually saying. That realization was huge for me. My coach might be yelling, frustrated, or throwing together expletives in combinations I’d never heard before — but I realized that if I reacted to his emotion, I’d lose focus and be useless.

So instead, I started training myself to hear the message, not the delivery.

That shift changed everything.

Now, in my work, I get tough feedback or emotional reactions from prospects and clients all the time. But I’ve learned not to take it personally and not to respond emotionally. It’s not always easy — nobody’s perfect at it — but that perspective gives me the strength and courage to stay calm, dig deeper, and get to the real issue.

It’s helped me ask better questions, make better decisions, and handle difficult moments with more clarity and confidence."

So remember this: