A Floyd Wickman Team blog by Mike Pallin It. That mysterious quality called momentum. You had it once, maybe more than once, and somehow it slipped away. You had it when you took the Floyd Wickman Program, and then it just slowly evaporated.

If I have it, how do I keep it going? If I’ve lost it, how do I get it back? And once I get it back, how do I prevent it from leaving me again?

Floyd gave us the answer to all those questions in Session Six. “Create accountability.” You keep momentum going by creating accountability. You get momentum back by creating accountability. You prevent momentum from leaving by creating accountability.

Notice he didn’t say, “Hold yourself accountable.” Wouldn’t it be nice if that always worked? But it doesn’t, and here is why.

There are two types of accountability, internal and external. Internal accountability is the do-it-yourself kind. It’s a lot like being a for-sale-by-owner. A tiny minority of people are really good at selling by owner, based on their experience, knowledge and confidence. A really hot sellers market doesn’t hurt, either. And a tiny minority of people are really good at holding themselves accountable, based on their experience, knowledge and confidence. And, yes, a really hot market doesn’t hurt, either.

5% of the working population has the DNA, talent, drive, desire and temperament to handle commission sales; and 5% of that 5% has what it takes to flourish as an independent contractor/entrepreneur. In other words, it’s rare. Most of us who think we don’t need anybody else helping us stay on track and stay on task and stay motivated and stay focused and keep it going . . . well, we’re just kidding ourselves. Floyd has been proving that truth to us for over thirty years.

Then there is the other type of accountability, the external kind. That’s the kind most people need to regain and retain momentum. The kind Floyd created for us in the program with spaced training, mandatory assignments, repetition and teamwork.

Here are five simple steps anyone can take to keep it going, or get it back and make sure it doesn’t go away.

1. Set a goal. Goals give you energy, and energy is the key ingredient in the definition of momentum. The #1 benefit of having goals is not what you get, it’s what you become in the striving.

2. Develop strong, reliable 5-90-10 partners. If it was possible to make yourself make more calls, you would already be making more calls on your own. Build a consistent routine with people who are counting on you to show up, and they will show up for you. The combination of them counting on you, and you counting on them, sparks momentum and prevents slippage.

3. Be part of a team with a common goal, minimum standards, integrated activities and individual commitment.

4. Track your progress toward your goal with SMART Numbers. Making progress you can see, feel, hear and touch toward a specific, measurable goal is the only way to keep momentum going once it is started. If you look at the Dow Jones Industrial Average for one week, you might see a line going straight down. Time to panic! But if you look at the Dow over 50 or 100 years, you see a gradual and steady increase with ups and downs along the way.

5. Pay a coach. A coach gives you objective advice on solving problems; immediate feedback on performance to strengthen skills; and reminders, support, encouragement and direction. A good coach is worth his or her weight in gold. Just ask Michael Phelps.

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone just gave you all the listings you wanted? Just handed them to you? Here you go. Here’s your 46 listings.

We both know that unless the listing fairy visits, or Daddy Warbucks jumps off the Broadway stage and into your life, that’s not going to happen. So, let’s not rely on luck. Let’s rely on each other. Let’s rely on Floyd’s history proven techniques to build momentum and keep it going.