While productivity and discipline shape what we do and how we do it, movement is the spark that gets us going. It’s the moment we shift from thinking and planning to doing. Without movement, even the best-laid plans remain dormant.
“Because the most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.” ~ Stephen Pressfield
“Get a Move On!”
“Hurry up or you’ll be late! You better get a move on or you’ll miss your bus!”
We’ve all heard this phrase before, usually shouted by someone urging us to act quickly. But “get a move on” isn’t just a prompt to hustle. It’s also a reminder that action, in any form, begins with movement.
Movement is a fundamental element of the Action principle in the Excelerated Life™. While productivity and discipline shape what we do and how we do it, movement is the spark that gets us going. It’s the moment we shift from thinking and planning to doing. Without movement, even the best-laid plans remain dormant.
In this sense, movement is both literal and metaphorical. It can mean physical motion, such as getting up and walking, stretching, building, writing, or creating. But it also refers to energetic motion: pushing through resistance, stepping out of inertia, and making progress, no matter how small.
The Excelerated Life™ calls for deliberate, purposeful movement. Movement with direction. Movement that builds momentum, confidence, and meaningful results.
Movement, Not Motion
“Never mistake motion for action.” ~ Ernest Hemingway
Motion is changing position with no specific intent or purpose. [Ryan] It shows that there is a physical element to movement, but lacks the connotation of having a reason for the motion.
Movement is motion with intent, motion with a purpose. [Ryan] Movement requires a physical motion and a deliberate effort, with an end in mind. Movement implies that you are going from one place to another, not merely staying busy.
In the Excelerated Life™, the principle of Action brings together the practices of Productivity, Discipline, and Movement. Productivity ensures your movements are effective. Discipline gives you consistency. And Movement gets you started, again and again.
Action builds momentum, strengthens confidence, and creates results.
How To Get a Move On
“The power of a plan is not that it will get you there. The power of a plan is that it will get you started.” ~ Jeff Olson
“The lesson is to focus on finding the right first step. Put all of your energy into achieving that first little step. Take the time to reflect on your progress. And then repeat.” ~ Sean D. Young
When asked to list the steps to reach a goal, most people will write down three to ten steps. [Young] Whether it is a BIG (Bold-Important-Gratifying) goal, a life dream, or a short-term goal, it doesn’t matter. Can you see that ten steps for a life dream will be quite different from ten steps for a short-term goal?
The key to helping you get a move on toward your goal is to break the journey down into small, even tiny, steps. So small, as I’ve said before, that you’d be embarrassed not to do them.
One method I’ve found to be helpful is the 7 X 7 plan. For this approach, look at your goal and break it down into seven steps. Then, take those seven steps and break each one down into seven smaller steps. Now you have 49 steps to take to reach your goal. And if some of those seven still seem too large, break them down into seven more steps. Your target is to get all your steps to the point where you can take one each day. (Keeping in mind that you may have to do some of the steps multiple times on multiple days.)
For example, let’s say someone wants to start a business, a “side hustle”, to sell handmade jewelry on the web. Here’s what their plan might look like.
A 7 X 7 Plan
BIG Goal: Start a Side Hustle Selling Handmade Jewelry Online
Seven Major Steps
- Clarify Your Vision and Business Goals
- Design and Create Your Jewelry Line
- Research Your Target Market
- Develop Your Brand Identity
- Set Up an Online Storefront
- Create a Marketing Plan
- Launch and Continuously Improve
Step 1: Clarify Your Vision and Business Goals
1.1 Define your “why” — why do you want to sell jewelry?
1.2 Set income and time goals for the next 3, 6, and 12 months
1.3 Decide on the type of jewelry you’ll focus on (e.g., earrings, necklaces, rings)
1.4 Decide if this will stay a side hustle or could grow into a full-time business
1.5 Choose a business model (made-to-order, ready-to-ship, custom pieces)
1.6 Research similar businesses to get inspiration and clarity
1.7 Write a one-paragraph mission statement for your business
Step 2: Design and Create Your Jewelry Line
2.1 Sketch design ideas and concepts
2.2 Choose materials and suppliers
2.3 Order tools and materials
2.4 Practice creating a few sample pieces
2.5 Choose your first small product collection (5–10 pieces)
2.6 Set pricing based on materials, labor, and market research
2.7 Finalize your initial product line and packaging
.
Step 3
.
Step 4
.
Step 5: Set Up an Online Storefront
5.1 Decide on a platform (Etsy, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)
5.2 Register your business and set up a PayPal/Stripe account
5.3 Take quality product photos (use natural light and clean backgrounds)
5.4 Write compelling product descriptions
5.5 Set up policies (returns, shipping, FAQ)
5.6 Upload your products to your store
5.7 Test your checkout process and fix any bugs
Let’s say Step 5.3 – Take quality product photos still feels too big. You could break it down again:
- Choose a clean background
- Set up natural lighting or ring light
- Style jewelry on model or display stand
- Use smartphone or DSLR camera
- Take multiple angles (front, side, close-up)
- Edit photos for brightness and clarity
- Organize and rename photos for easy uploading
(PS> If you’re interested in starting an online jewelry business and want to see the full 7 X 7 plan, let me know and I’ll send it to you.)
Keep Moving . . .
One reason to break your plan into small steps that you can take every day is to build momentum. Stephen Guise tells us in The Magic of Momentum that we are most likely to do what we just did. Each day, when you take your small step, you make it more likely that you’ll take it the next day. And as you accumulate steps, you are more and more motivated to take the next one . . . and the next.
But Guise reminds us that there is no momentum without movement. Making plans, doing research, even breaking your goal into the 49 steps of a 7 X 7 plan, does not bring you closer to your target and does not create momentum. Without movement, actually getting up and doing something, you cannot build momentum.
. . . But In the Right Direction
“Even weak and slow momentum in the right direction is of significant benefit.” ~ Stephen Guise
One of the principles that separates movement from motion is that, with movement, you are going in a particular direction.
According to Stephen Guise, there are three factors of momentum: direction, power, and speed. Direction is the most important of the three. Because if you take 100 steps but you’re going in the wrong direction, you’ll be moving, but you’ll end up further from your goal, your destination, than when you started. So, pursue direction first.
How Can You Get a Move On?
“A chore by any other name could be an artistic experience, a grind, a story for the ages, a workout, the superior accomplishment that gives you bragging rights. It’s all in how you frame it.” ~ Holiday Mathis
Movement doesn’t have to be grand. It doesn’t require an hour of free time or a heroic effort. Excelerated Movement™ begins with simple, daily actions that shift you from inertia to progress. Here are a few ways you can begin moving today:
- Stand up and stretch after every 30 minutes of sitting. Movement is energy.
- Take a short walk. Even five minutes outside can spark clarity and motivation.
- Start your day with one productive task, no matter how small. Make the bed. Wash a dish. Open your journal.
- Use “activation energy” tricks. For example, put your walking shoes by the door or set out your gym clothes the night before.
- Create a “first step” ritual for your most important goal (e.g., writing the first sentence, opening your laptop, or clearing your workspace).
- Use a timer to get yourself moving. Set it for five minutes and commit to doing one action related to your goal.
- Celebrate progress, not perfection. Movement is related to forward motion, not flawless execution.
Your goal is not speed or intensity, it’s consistency. With daily, intentional movement, you strengthen the habit of action.
Get Your Excelerated Move On!
Movement is the entry point to productivity, discipline, and ultimately, achievement. You don’t need a perfect plan or the perfect conditions, you simply need to begin. Action doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be real.
Today, take one step, however small, toward your goal. Walk for five minutes. Write one sentence. Clean one drawer. Make one phone call. Whatever it is, get a move on.
And tomorrow? Move again. And again. That’s Excelerated Movement™! And that’s how you embrace your Excelerated Life™!
What is one small step you can take today to begin to move toward your goal?
What would life look like if you consistently took that step each day over the next week?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Excelerated Movement™ — taking right action in pursuit of your goals — is one practice for creating your Excelerated Life™, a life of flourishing and well-being, and a life of meaning, purpose, and service.
Read more about the Excelerated Life™.
Resources:
Clear, James. Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. New York: Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2018.
Guise, Stephen. The Magic of Momentum. Selective Entertainment, LLC. 2022.
Ryan, Martha. “Difference Between Movement and Motion.” UK Entry. UK Entry, July 25, 2021. Web. April 19, 2025.
https://www.ukentry.com/difference-between-movement-and-motion.html
Young, Sean D. Stick With It. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2017.
This blog post includes research information and suggestions provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. The content was generated with AI assistance and is intended to provide information and guidance. Please note that the suggestions are not official statements from OpenAI. To learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, you can visit the OpenAI website.