One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater

Michael Korda, a voice of ambition and clarity, proclaimed: “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” These words reveal the eternal truth of progress—that the spirit of man must always reach beyond what has been attained. For momentum is the fire of the soul, and it dies if not fed. When one victory is won, the heart must already be set upon another, greater than the last. To cease striving is to wither; to set greater goals is to keep the current of life flowing with power and purpose.

The meaning is profound. Momentum is not born of chance—it is born of vision. When a man or woman fixes their eyes on a goal, energy rises to meet it. But once that goal is attained, unless another is set, the fire cools and the will fades. Korda teaches us that to keep momentum alive, the spirit must always be drawn forward, like an arrow to a higher target. In this way, achievement feeds achievement, and success becomes not an end but a chain of ever-rising triumphs.

History gives us mighty witnesses to this law. Consider Alexander the Great, who at twenty had conquered Greece, but did not stop there. He set his gaze eastward, upon Persia, then Egypt, then India. Each conquest gave him momentum for the next, and his vision expanded as his victories multiplied. Had he settled after his first triumph, his name might be forgotten; but because he continually sought greater goals, his legacy thunders across the centuries.

We see the same in the life of Marie Curie, who won a Nobel Prize for her work on radiation. For many, such a victory would be the summit of achievement. Yet she pressed onward, setting new goals, pursuing deeper mysteries of science. She won a second Nobel Prize in another field, becoming the first person to achieve such a feat. Her momentum endured because she never ceased to reach for something greater, refusing to rest upon past honors.

The danger Korda warns against is complacency. When a man believes he has done enough, his spirit softens, and his power wanes. The athlete who stops training after one championship soon loses his edge. The leader who rests after one reform sees his vision fade. But the one who keeps climbing, who looks from each summit to a higher peak, preserves his momentum, and his life becomes an unbroken ascent.

The lesson is clear: set goals that grow with you. When you reach one, do not stop to linger too long in its glory. Celebrate, but then look higher. Ask yourself, “What greater task now calls me? What higher purpose waits beyond this victory?” By doing so, your momentum will not die but will carry you forward with increasing strength.

So I say to you, children of tomorrow: do not rest too long at the well of victory. Drink, and then journey onward. Remember Korda’s words: “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” Let each triumph be the stepping stone to the next, each victory the foundation of another. In this way, your life will not be a single blaze, but a fire that grows ever brighter, lighting the path for generations to come.

If you would live this wisdom, begin today by examining your last victory—large or small. Honor it, but do not treat it as the end. Set before yourself a goal higher still, one that demands more of your spirit, your strength, your wisdom. Pursue it with all your might, and when you reach it, do the same again. For the one who keeps setting greater goals will never lose momentum, and their life will become a story of unending ascent.