“A body at rest tends to stay at rest, a body in motion tends to stay in motion.” Many people are familiar with this paraphrase of Newton’s First Law of Motion. It applies to physical things as well as attitudes and motivation. It’s much harder to get the ball rolling than it is to run with a ball that is already moving.
If you have a goal, whether it is an exercise program, writing the great American novel, or cleaning the closets, it might be difficult to get started, but once you are going, you will gain momentum. As your program becomes a habit, it will be that much easier to do what needs to be done. The progress seen will encourage you to keep going.
As you begin to work your plan, it is important to keep in mind that starting out is the toughest part. Overcoming that inertia is difficult, but as you begin to move forward, each step will be easier than the last.
There are four steps you can take that will help you overcome that tendency to “remain at rest”.
- Take action – Get started right away. There is no magic wand, the only way things are going to get moving is if you just get going.
- Be positive – The right attitude is very important as you start on your journey. A negative mindset will kepp you stuck and unable to move.
- Be realistic – Don’t set yourself up to fail by making goals that are impossible to reach, despair and defeat will set in quickly. It’s important to set goals that will stretch you, but that are also attainable.
- Gather the right tools – It is crucial that you have the proper tools you need as you start toward your goal. Without them, it is too easy to put off getting started until later. If you are prepared, you will have one less excuse to move forward.
Don’t get discouraged. Remember, the same law applies to things in motion. Once you get moving it becomes easier and easier to keep moving.
Leave a Reply