The Flywheel Effect — How Small Wins Create Big Momentum
Part 6 of 7 | Inspired by Inspired by Good to Great by Jim Collins| Published by Open to Work Now
Why Momentum Feels So Hard at the Start
If you’re in the middle of a job search or career shift, you might feel like you’re pushing and pushing — with very little to show for it.
You send applications.
You update your résumé.
You reach out to people.
And still, the flywheel barely moves.
In Good to Great, Jim Collins describes this exact frustration. Great companies don’t transform overnight. At first, progress is slow, almost invisible. The flywheel is heavy. Each push feels like effort without reward.
Until it doesn’t.
Momentum Is Built, Not Found
One of the biggest myths in career growth is that momentum arrives as a breakthrough — a job offer, a promotion, a lucky break.
But real momentum is quieter.
It’s built through consistent, disciplined action, long before results show up publicly. Great companies didn’t wait for motivation. They kept pushing the flywheel — again and again — until progress became inevitable.
Careers work the same way.
Job Seekers: Stop Waiting for the “Big Win”
When you’re job searching, it’s easy to measure progress only by outcomes:
Offers
Interviews
Responses
But those are lagging indicators.
The flywheel moves first through:
One thoughtful follow-up
One meaningful conversation
One clearer story about your experience
One skill improved or refined
Each of these is a small win — and small wins create belief. Belief creates confidence. Confidence attracts opportunity.
Job Advancers: Build Consistency Before Visibility
If you’re already working and aiming to grow, the Flywheel Effect reminds you that sustainable advancement doesn’t come from sporadic bursts of effort.
It comes from:
Showing up prepared, consistently
Building trust through follow-through
Taking ownership, even when it’s not glamorous
Making your value visible through steady impact
Recognition often comes after momentum — not before.
Why Starting Again Still Counts
Here’s the part people don’t talk about enough: sometimes the flywheel slows down.
You lose momentum.
Life interrupts.
Confidence dips.
That doesn’t erase your progress.
Every time you start again, the flywheel is a little lighter than before. Experience compounds. Resilience strengthens. The push doesn’t start from zero.
Progress isn’t linear — but it is cumulative.
How to Push Your Career Flywheel (Practically)
You don’t need a dramatic overhaul. You need rhythm.
Try this:
Choose one daily action that supports your career goals
Track consistency, not perfection
Reflect weekly on what added energy vs. drained it
Adjust — but keep pushing
Momentum doesn’t come from intensity.
It comes from continuity.
Reflection Prompt
What’s one small action you can take today — even if it feels insignificant — that moves your career flywheel forward?
Write it down. Do it. Repeat tomorrow.
Takeaway
The Flywheel Effect teaches us that greatness is never sudden.
It’s the result of hundreds of small, intentional pushes — made when no one is clapping, watching, or validating the effort.
If you’re feeling tired or discouraged, you’re not failing.
You’re building momentum.
Keep pushing.
One turn at a time.
Free Resource
If you want help turning small actions into real momentum, download the Open to Work Now Career Flywheel Worksheet.
It’s a simple tool to help you identify repeatable habits, reduce friction, and keep pushing forward — one turn at a time.
