Keep Moving Forward

The first of Isaac Newton’s laws is the law of inertia. It states that a body at rest will stay at rest, and a body in motion will stay in motion.

While it may seem ironic and I didn’t know it at the time, I received instructions that stem from Newton’s first law by both my art instructors and football coaches that apply to business, too.

My art instructors encouraged me to keep my hand moving on the page, especially when working on pieces that called for gestural work, like figure drawing. This perpetual movement created art that had flow and movement. This is a good thing in the artwork.

When playing football in my junior high and high school years my coaches would reinforce the same idea. When you’re hit by your opponent the instructions are to keep your legs moving. In doing so, you might just free yourself from the would-be tackler.

Making as Marketing

Once a business starts to see success, among the best advice that I can give them is to keep moving forward. This simple wisdom has proven out time and time again.

Here’s an example. Among the best selling records in history is the Eagles Greatest Hits (1971-1975). Prior to this they put out several successful albums and had been playing to big audiences for years. They didn’t stop at their Greatest Hits and neither should you.

If you want long-term success, you have to keep adding to your canon of value creation. Your latest release, recent product, or service launch won’t last forever, so you have to keep your audiences engaged.

Think of a brand, a product, or an artist that you’re a fan of, and think about why you’re a fan of them.

I’d bet good money that it’s not because of what they did 10 or 20 years ago, but rather how you’re connected to them now. Lasting relationships with your audience endures because of what you’re doing today to ignite and fortify that connection.

Patagonia keeps innovating on their products and offering them to their loyal customers. Apple keeps innovating, as does Amazon, Google, Tesla, Nike, Ben & Jerry’s, Coke, Walt Disney, Airbnb, and on and on.

My business coach and best selling author of The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks has published 35 books. Like me, he has a new book coming out next year…and he’s in his 70s.

Paulo Coelho is best known for The Alchemist, which has sold more than 150 million copies. Paulo has 30 books published which have sold more than 350 million copies and counting. Stephen King, Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday, Dan Brown, and J.K. Rowling all create new writings and fresh content to keep their audiences engaged.

Harley-Davidson riders see the latest, hottest bikes hit the market each year. Heck, they’re even creating electric bikes, which have been popularized by The Long Way Up, an Apple TV show featuring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. This “keep moving forward” mantra is practiced by best-selling authors, product and service brands, musicians, makers, artists, and non-profits.

The secret weapon for all this success: keep moving forward!

The lesson here is that you will hit obstacles in your life and work, so keep moving. You will have successes in your life and work, but don’t rest on them. We all were hit by unforeseen obstacles in 2020, but I’ve also seen businesses and leaders thrive despite them. What they all had in common, was to keep moving forward.