[Idiom] take on its own momentum

[denismurs]

Hello,

I can't find the meaning of the idiom: "take on its own momentum", could you help me with it. The context is:

Dad had always wanted to sail across the Atlantic single-handed, but Mum discouraged him because she was worried. But he and I talked about it, and as I got better at sailing it kind of took on its own momentum. I was fourteen when I did it - but Dad followed me in a back-up boat to make sure I was all right.

Does it mean that the long wished moment has come?

Denis.

 

[Peedeebee]

No- it means the chatting and the increase in sailing skill began to work in the background and it seemed as if the decisions were happening automatically; as if the worries began to seem less worrying. It began to be an unstoppable plan.
It's a very abstract idiom. The its in your question is the the idea/ the plan/ the adventure.

 

[denismurs]

The its in your question is the the idea/ the plan/ the adventure.

I think it is a personal pronoun which refer to object like her, him, his, it.
I remember I saw the phrase: My cat has hurt his/its paw today.

On my view the author talks about time span when he uses its.

 

[BobK]

:up: Definitely not time-span (except in the sense that the plan, gathering its own momentum, became clearer over time).

b