Momentum and Meaning – Reigniting Drive Through Reflection and Legacy
- Brainz Magazine
- Jul 4
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Written by Gilles Varette, Business Coach
30 years of experience in Leadership: NCO in a paratrooper regiment in his native France, leading a global virtual team for a Nasdaq-listed company, Board stewardship, Coaching, and Mentoring. Gilles, an EMCC-accredited coach, holds a Master’s in Business Practice and diplomas in Personal Development and Executive Coaching, as well as Mental Health and Well-being.
In this deeply personal and reflective piece, we explore how to reignite focus and energy at mid-year, not through forced motivation, but by building meaningful momentum. Written in the wake of his brother’s passing, the article blends leadership insight with personal reflection, offering practical tools for moving forward when energy dips and purpose becomes more vital than ever. A timely read for anyone seeking clarity, resilience, and renewed direction.
Midyear reflection: When motivation feels out of reach
There’s something about the middle of the year, a natural pause that invites reflection. We assess progress, recalibrate goals, and sometimes feel the drag of lost momentum.
For me, this midyear check-in arrives with added emotional weight. In June, I lost my brother. In that quiet fog, I wasn’t motivated. I wasn’t chasing productivity hacks. I was just trying to feel like myself again.
It wasn't just a personal loss. It was a seismic shift in how I view time, intention, and impact. Goals started to matter differently. Success began to look more like a legacy.
The motivation trap
July often brings mixed energy: half-met goals, half-empty batteries. We tell ourselves we need motivation to restart, but motivation is unreliable. It ebbs and flows with mood, fatigue, and circumstance.
Neuroscience tells us that action precedes feeling. Taking a first small step, even without full energy, can kick-start momentum. Like a muscle strengthens with movement, our sense of agency grows with effort.
A Psychological Science study (2010) showed that asking "Will I?" boosts performance by nearly 25% over saying "I will," reinforcing that intrinsic motivation often begins with internal curiosity, not declaration.
The famous "marshmallow test" reminds us that willpower alone is fragile and shaped heavily by context.
Micro-momentum: Small actions, big shifts
When energy is low or grief runs high, lower the threshold for action:
Don’t write the whole report. Write one paragraph.
Don’t plan the whole campaign. Jot down three ideas.
Don’t redesign your schedule. Protect one focused hour.
These micro-actions build rhythm. Rhythm builds momentum. You stop waiting to feel ready and start becoming someone who moves forward anyway.
Harvard researcher Teresa Amabile’s Progress Principle (2011) reveals that consistent progress in meaningful work, even small wins, boosts morale, engagement, and creativity.
From reflection to legacy: Redefining the why
After my brother's passing, I stopped asking, "What am I doing?" and started asking, "Why am I doing it?"
My brother was an extraordinary oncologist who sacrificed much for his work. It made me reflect on my own sacrifices and the definition of success.
What does that say about us and how we define success, legacy, and a life well-lived?
Types of legacy
Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind. It’s what we live, shape, and share daily. Consider these three forms of legacy:
Biological legacy: Our family, children, and lineage, how we nurture and influence future generations.
Material legacy: Tangible achievements, creations, and contributions, our professional output, and societal footprint.
Values-based legacy: Our beliefs, principles, and the way we treat others, the moral compass we pass on.
Values-based legacy often carries the most enduring meaning. It’s not about status, but the spirit in which we live and lead.
Ask yourself:
Who am I becoming through my work?
What parts of me am I honoring, or ignoring, in pursuit of results?
What story am I writing through my daily choices?
Anticipating obstacles: Planning for the inevitable
Momentum isn’t frictionless. Distractions, fatigue, and self-doubt will arise.
"If-Then" Technique:
If I get distracted by emails, then I will use a timer to protect one focus block.
If I feel overwhelmed, then I will take one micro-step and pause.
Anticipate obstacles. Prepare simple responses. Increase the likelihood of following through.
Systems over willpower: Designing for consistency
Grief and fatigue make energy unpredictable. Systems offer consistency:
Automate routine decisions.
Anchor new habits to existing ones.
Share goals with someone who checks in with care.
These are stability rituals, not productivity hacks. In shaky times, systems create steadiness.
Structured reflection: Exercises to deepen insight
Reflective questions open the door, but structured practices help us walk through it. Try these:
Journaling prompts: What do I want to be remembered for? When do I feel most aligned with my values?
Ethical will: Write a document that outlines your core values, lessons learned, and hopes for those you care about.
Monthly check-Ins: Set a recurring time to ask: Am I living in a way that aligns with the legacy I hope to build?
These rituals turn intention into habit and make reflection part of your rhythm.
Meaning as momentum: The emotional engine
Meaning isn’t a soft alternative to achievement. It’s the emotional engine that makes achievement worthwhile.
Some days you’ll feel focused. Others, depleted. But every small action aligned with your values builds sustainable momentum.
The power of community and support
Momentum and meaning don’t thrive in isolation. Community fuels resilience:
Share goals for encouragement.
Seek mentors who model the legacy you admire.
Build peer groups that celebrate wins and reflect on challenges.
Reflective leadership: Modeling meaning at scale
For those in leadership roles, your reflection shapes more than your path; it influences culture. Reflective leaders who clarify their values and act with consistency inspire trust and motivation.
Lead with transparency and vulnerability.
Celebrate values-aligned decisions, not just outcomes.
Introduce team reflection rituals, like sharing weekly "micro-wins" or monthly purpose check-ins.
Reflective leadership creates workplaces where momentum and meaning go hand in hand.
Creating organizational systems for meaningful progress
Reflection shouldn’t be an individual exercise alone. Organizations can cultivate collective momentum by embedding systems that reinforce purpose:
Daily huddles with intention setting.
Recognition programs that highlight aligned behaviors.
Team retrospectives focused on learning, not blame.
When reflection becomes systemic, it strengthens both culture and results.
Call to action: Begin again, sustainably
Legacy isn’t built in leaps; it’s shaped in quiet choices, small steps, and the courage to begin again. Especially when energy is low, what matters most is not doing more, but doing what matters.
Key takeaways
Motivation is fleeting, but meaning can be sustained.
Small, intentional actions build real momentum.
Legacy isn't a destination, it’s shaped in the choices we make daily.
Systems, support, and reflection turn ideals into consistent habits.
Leading with purpose requires vulnerability, rhythm, and community.
Final message: Start where you are. With one micro-step, one intentional pause, or one honest question about your legacy. Progress isn’t about speed, it’s about alignment.
If you’re feeling the midyear drag, let this be your invitation to slow down, reflect, and realign. Because meaning doesn’t rush, it roots.
Your next step
Choose one micro-action today that reflects who you're becoming.
Ask yourself one deeper question: What part of my legacy am I shaping right now?
And if you’re looking for clarity or support as you navigate your path forward:
Book a free 20-minute call to explore what purposeful momentum could look like for you.
Meaning doesn’t need a deadline. It needs your presence and the courage to keep beginning.
Gilles Varette, Business Coach
30 years of experience in Leadership: NCO in a paratrooper regiment in his native France, leading a global virtual team for a Nasdaq-listed company, Board stewardship, Coaching, and Mentoring. Gilles, an EMCC-accredited coach, holds a Master’s in Business Practice and diplomas in Personal Development and Executive Coaching, as well as Mental Health and Well-being. He strongly believes that cultivating a Growth Mindset is the key to Personal Development and a natural safeguard against the expertise trap. He lives by this quote from Epictetus: “It is not what happens to you that matters, but how you react; when something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it.”
References:
Amabile, T.M. and Kramer, S.J. (2011). The Power of Small Wins. [online] Harvard Business Review.
Lehrer, J. (2010). Will I? [online] WIRED. Available here: [Accessed 28 Jun. 2025].
McBain, S. (2024). The big idea: should you blame yourself for your bad habits? [online] the Guardian. [Accessed 28 Jun. 2025].
