How to Get Going: Five Alignments That Will Unlock Momentum
People ask me all the time, “Dave, where do I start?”
They’re ready for a breakthrough. They’ve survived the storm. They’ve prayed, planned, maybe even plateaued. But deep inside, they know:
“It’s time to get going.”
And here’s what I tell them:
You don’t get going by pushing harder. You get going by aligning deeper.
Whether you’re stepping out of a crisis, into a calling, or through a transition, sustainable movement requires alignment in five areas: emotional, spiritual, physical, mental, and professional. If even one is out of sync, momentum stalls. But when they’re integrated, you don’t just move, you accelerate.
Let’s walk through each one, and I’ll share what I’ve learned on my own journey—from the Hudson River to the highest levels of leadership, and everywhere in between.
1. Get Going Emotionally: Heal What’s Holding You
Before you can lead others, launch a business, or pursue your next chapter, you’ve got to check what’s in your emotional backpack because most of us are carrying around silent weight—fear, grief, regret, shame, or unresolved pain.
I learned this in the aftermath of US Airways Flight 1549. We survived the crash. But afterward, I didn’t feel free. I felt… stuck.
It wasn’t until I confronted the emotional debris—survivor’s guilt, the pressure to perform, the fear of “wasting the moment”—that I truly began to move forward.
You can’t get going if you’re still emotionally anchored to the past.
Start by asking:
- What am I still holding onto that I need to release?
- Where do I need to forgive myself or someone else?
- What emotion keeps showing up when I try to step forward?
Freedom begins with emotional honesty. Let it surface. Let it heal. Then move.
2. Get Going Spiritually: Anchor in Meaning
When I talk about “getting going,” I’m not just talking about doing more. I’m talking about moving in alignment with your purpose.
That’s why spiritual alignment matters.
Your why fuels your way.
After the crash, I asked God:
“Why was I given another chance?”
I didn’t hear a booming voice, but I felt the answer in my spirit:
“You’re still here because your mission isn’t done.”
That spiritual clarity gave me direction when the path looked foggy. It became my compass.
Here’s the truth: without spiritual alignment, all momentum is shallow. You might look like you’re winning, but inside you’ll feel empty.
So ask yourself:
- What do I believe I’m here to do?
- Who am I becoming in the process?
- Am I listening to my Creator—or just my calendar?
When you move in harmony with your calling, doors open. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s right.
3. Get Going Physically: Move with Discipline
Your body is not just a vehicle—it’s your power source.
If you’re physically depleted, everything suffers—energy, focus, confidence, presence—all of it.
One of the greatest gifts I gave myself after my recovery from the crash was to reclaim my physical rhythm. I began walking, training, and swimming—not to chase a number on a scale, but to show up fully for the people I serve.
In 2022, I swam the Hudson River with Navy SEALs, returning to the very waters where my life nearly ended. It wasn’t about proving anything. It was about embodying the principle:
If you want to move forward, you’ve got to move your body.
Start where you are:
- Take a walk every day while listening to something that grows you.
- Stretch in the morning as a ritual of readiness.
- Fuel your body like it matters—because it does.
Clarity, creativity, and courage flow better through a body that’s moving.
4. Get Going Mentally: Focus Over Friction
Your mind can be your biggest asset—or your biggest adversary. And if you’re mentally overloaded, distracted, or discouraged, you won’t go far.
I coach high-performing executives, salespeople, military leaders, and entrepreneurs, and the biggest trap they fall into isn’t laziness—it’s mental clutter. Too many tabs open. Too many inputs. Not enough intentional focus.
That’s why I use mental rituals every day:
- I write down three outcomes I must accomplish that only I can do.
- I visualize the feeling I want to create in others.
- I audit my thoughts, removing what doesn’t serve the mission.
This is about mental discipline, not perfection.
If your inner voice is chaotic, your outer life will be too. But when your mind is trained, your actions follow. That’s how you build not just speed, but precision.
5. Get Going Professionally: Lead from Your Experience
A lot of people think they need a perfect plan before they take the first step. But I’ve learned that your next level isn’t found in perfection, it’s found in service.
Your professional momentum will come when you stop chasing titles and start sharing truth.
What have you lived through?
What hard-won wisdom do you carry?
Who can you help right now?
For me, it wasn’t just the plane crash. It was the decades before that—building teams, managing crises, mentoring people quietly behind the scenes. That experience became the foundation for Dave Sanderson Speaks International.
I wasn’t selling a product. I was offering transformation—from pain to purpose, fear to freedom.
So don’t wait to be polished.
Show up real.
Start adding value.
Then scale with systems.
When you serve first, success finds you.
Final Word: Don’t Wait for Perfect. Move With Purpose.
Getting going isn’t about force.
It’s about flow, rooted in alignment.
Emotionally, spiritually, physically, mentally, and professionally.
When these five parts of your life begin to move together, something powerful happens:
You become unstoppable.
That doesn’t mean you won’t feel fear.
That doesn’t mean you’ll have every answer.
But you’ll have momentum.
You’ll be in motion.
And most importantly—you’ll be in integrity.
So here’s your challenge:
- Don’t wait for clarity. Create it.
- Don’t wait for confidence. Cultivate it.
- Don’t wait for permission. Give it to yourself.
Because the world doesn’t need more perfect people.
It needs more people in motion, with a mission.
Get going. Your moment is waiting.
When you own your day, you are LIMITLESS!