We’ve all been there. You start the year with a clear vision and a sense of momentum that is finally building. You’re hitting your habits, your ministry is moving, and you feel like you are making progress towards the goal you dreamed of pursuing.

 

Then, life happens.

 

Maybe it’s a sudden illness, a family crisis, or just a week where your mental energy hits zero [you fill in the gap]. Suddenly, that progress you worked so hard to build feels like it has come to a grinding halt. The biggest mistake we make in these moments is thinking that because we stopped moving, the mission is over.

 

But this season is about Momentum, and momentum isn't about stopping; it’s about knowing how to start moving again.

The Strategy: The Minimum Viable Action (MVA) Plan

The hardest part can be starting from zero. Even if it takes everything you’ve got. But once you start building that initial momentum, or find your rhythm, it eventually carries you the rest of the way. 

 

Your Minimum Viable Action (MVA) Plan is your safety net. It is the "level" you refuse to drop below, even on your hardest days. When you don't have the capacity for a 100% effort, you pivot to your MVA to maintain momentum.

 

• MVA for Ministry: I can’t write a full launch strategy today, but I can send one follow-up email or draft the outline of a blog post.

 

• MVA for Health: I can’t do an hour-long workout, but I can do an at-home workout for 10 min or go for a five-minute walk.

 

• MVA for Faith: I couldn't do a deep Bible study, but I can meditate on one verse and pray for five minutes.

The Recovery Steps: Beyond the MVA

If you're finding that the minimum viable action isn't working, here is how I handle a total stall:

 

1. Practice The Grace-Led Reset: If you miss a day or even a week, the debt ends there. You do not owe the past anything. One of the quickest ways to kill your spirit is by trying to "make up" for lost time or by doing double work tomorrow. 

 

The Reset: Don't meditate on past setbacks or failures. Wake up tomorrow and act as if it is Day One.

 

 Remember, Momentum is built through forward action, not past regrets.

2. Check Your Friction Points: If you’ve been stuck for more than a few days, it’s time to be an investigator, not a judge. Ask yourself: What is actually stopping me?

 

• Is it a lack of physical energy? (Then your next move is Rest).
• Is it a lack of a clear next step? (Then your next move is Planning).
• Is it a spiritual disconnect? (Then your next move is Prayer).

3. The Momentum Anchor: When you feel like you’ve failed, remember that the absence of success doesn't mean you've lost your momentum; it just means you're human.

 

• Micah 7:8 — "Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." Psalm 23:4 TLB — Even when walking through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.

A Prayer for the Reset

Lord, I feel the weight of being stuck. I give You my frustration and my sense of failure. Help me to remember that Your mercies are new every morning—not just this year. Give me the strength to take one small MVA (minimum viable action) today. I trust that as I move in faith, You are already there to help me carry that momentum forward. Amen.