For a long time, I thought career momentum would come with time, and increased confidence, clarity, or some internal sense of certainty that I was choosing the right career path. I thought that once I had a degree and some relevant experience, and secured a full-time role that aligned with my goals, things would start to fall into place, but it doesn’t just happen like that.
Career progression is intentional, but it rarely feels obvious while it’s happening. Often, the best things you can do for your career unfold over a longer period while demonstrating consistency and care. Without any visible changes, days can feel repetitive and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s easy to confuse that discomfort with being stuck, when it’s actually a sign that you’re learning. Walking away too soon doesn’t erase that phase; it just means starting it over somewhere else.
Momentum Isn’t a Promotion
Early in your career, it’s easy to equate momentum with visible milestones, such as promotions, raises, title changes, or external validation. When those things don’t happen quickly, it can feel like there’s no real progress from the effort you’ve been putting in, or like you’re falling behind.
In reality, momentum is building every day you show up and do your best.
The beginning of building momentum happens when:
- You start recognizing patterns in your work
- Tasks that once took effort become more intuitive
- You understand the reason behind your assigned tasks
People begin trusting you with more tasks or those of larger magnitude as they believe you’ll be able to handle them. Taking these things on compounds the career growth you’re striving for.
When I started my current role, progress felt slow because I was learning so much at once, and it felt overwhelming, especially since I was making more mistakes than I was used to. Every task felt high-stakes, as if I had something to prove, and every mistake felt enormous. Looking back, that phase was necessary to push me to where I am now and to invest the time in learning more about the job, so I could feel confident in my role sooner.
Taking a job outside of your field can feel like a lot, but it’s worth it and can teach you so much more than you were expecting. With the need to learn so much at the start and the ongoing learning process, this job won’t get boring, and I’ll be able to develop skills that are transferable to future roles.
Repetition Is Where Confidence Comes From
Confidence doesn’t come from feeling ready. It comes from doing the work repeatedly, having that knowledge burned in until it becomes second nature.
There’s a point in most jobs where things start clicking, not because you suddenly understand everything, but because you’ve seen enough situations to stop panicking at the unknown. You learn what actually requires urgency, what can be double-checked later, and when to slow down instead of rushing.
That shift doesn’t happen overnight. It occurs quietly through:
- Daily repetition
- Exposure to mistakes (your own and others’)
- Not being afraid to ask questions and take notes if necessary
- Taking responsibility for understanding your role more deeply
That’s momentum, but it also helps you build a reputation as someone reliable who cares about their role and doesn’t need to be told what to do or why to do it repeatedly.
Activity Isn’t the Same as Progress
One of the most misleading parts of early career work is how busy you can feel without actually moving forward.
Being busy doesn’t automatically mean you’re building momentum or learning in a meaningful way. Understanding patterns, recognizing consequences, and refining your approach over time helps maintain steady progress.
People don’t develop expertise simply by accumulating time or repeating tasks on autopilot. Growth happens when work is paired with reflection, feedback, and intentional learning. In other words, experience alone doesn’t create momentum.
This is why two people can be in the same role for the same amount of time and leave with entirely different skill levels.
A good habit to get into is being fully engaged each day at work, having the same amount of care for each task but prioritizing them for time management and urgency.
First starting out and even now, I love to utilize a to-do list. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I just open a new page in my lined notebook and list all the tasks I want to complete for the day, even if some of those are daily tasks; it’s nice to have them in front of me to remind me to do them.
The list is also helpful because I can scratch or check off the ones I’ve completed, which helps keep me on track and gives me a sense of accomplishment for the amount I get done in a day.
Small Effort Compounds Faster Than Big Bursts
One of the most important lessons I carried from working two jobs through university into my career is that consistency matters a lot more than you think.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire skill set at once. You don’t need to be perfect, fast, or impressive right away. What matters is showing up reliably and improving incrementally. Showing you take critical feedback in stride and apply it to your work without being told again.
Some good practices for career acceleration include:
- Caring about accuracy over speed
- Taking notes so you don’t ask the same questions repeatedly
- Noticing inefficiencies and quietly improving them
- Being dependable when things get busy or stressful
Taking control of and responsibility for your role will shape how others perceive you and enhance your confidence in your own abilities. This mindset is something I started developing long before my career officially began. In my post, What Working Two Jobs Through University Taught Me, I learned that consistency and follow-through matter more than bursts of motivation, and that lesson has carried directly into how I approach my work now.
Momentum Often Feels Like Discomfort
A frustrating truth about growth is that it rarely feels rewarding while it’s happening, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still feel good to be engaged with your workplace.
When you’re learning something new, especially something you may not have much initial experience with, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or unsure. That discomfort doesn’t mean you’re failing; it usually means you’re stretching.
Early career growth often looks like:
- Feeling slow while you’re learning systems
- Feeling unsure even when you’re doing well
- Needing clarification more than you’d like
- Wondering if everyone else understands things faster
Most people don’t talk about this phase, but almost everyone experiences it. Looking back, I wish I had understood this earlier in my career. That realization is what led me to write What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Career. Discomfort was part of the learning process, not a sign that I was behind.
You’re Allowed to Build at Your Own Pace
Career momentum isn’t a race, even though it can feel like one when you compare yourself to others. People start from different places, with various backgrounds, support systems, and learning curves.
What matters is whether you’re:
- Learning something new
- Becoming more competent over time
- Taking responsibility for your development
- Staying curious rather than defensive
- Somewhat enjoying your role
If you’re doing those things, you are building momentum — even if it doesn’t look impressive yet.
Final Thoughts
Career momentum is characterized by dedication to work, even when it’s challenging. We have acknowledged that repeated mistakes and learning new skills can sometimes lead to the accumulation of various negative emotions. Still, it’s essential to focus on the positives and remain patient. It involves asking questions, slowing down to prioritize accuracy, and staying engaged in the learning process. For me, this involves learning more on my own time, not just at work, so the information can really sink in.
You should never feel like you’ve reached your limit when it comes to growing your career; however, if you think you’ve reached your full potential in your current role, it’s likely time for a step up with additional responsibilities. You should request a performance evaluation, during which you can also discuss your salary if this is a point of contention.