Pastors

Dave Ramsey’s Momentum Theorum

What focus and intensity and time and God can produce.

Leadership Journal October 9, 2009

The irrepressible financial guru Dave Ramsey burst on the Catalyst stage talking about “momentum.”

“When you have it, you look better than you are. When you don’t have it, you’re better than you look.”

He talked about times his ministry had no momentum and times that it had it. He poked fun at those who don’t work hard enough to make momentum a possibility. Some people are so low key, he said, they can’t experience burnout because they’ve never been on fire.

Momentum is created; it does not randomly occur. And it requires our best efforts.

He talked through “The Momentum Theorem”: “Focused Intensity over Time, multiplied by God, creates unstoppable Momentum.”

Focus is in short supply in a distracted, short-attention-span culture. Focus is lost for two reasons: fear, and greed. Focus on what you need to do now! Practice, practice, practice.

Intensity must be poured into things that matter. “Don’t put a fish on the car if you’re not going to drive it well!” He described football fans who paint themselves blue, and that’s okay, he said, “but I hope they also put that much intensity into something that matters.” Intensity causes things to move.

Over time means the effort much be sustained. Stick with it. The best book on this: “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Even if you’re slow and ugly, stick with it. Keep going. Winning demands perseverance.

This can’t be done along. God is the one who multiplies our efforts. Get plugged in to Him as a power source.

The result is upstoppable momentum.

He concluded with Winston Churchill’s famous speech: Never give up, never give up, never, never, never give up!

A stirring talk Dave delivered. Gotta give the guy credit. But not a credit card.

Catalyst Leadership is a new digital magazine combining the wisdom of Leadership Journal with the innovation of the Catalyst Conference. Sign up for your free subscription today at CatalystLeadershipDigital.com/subscribe/

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