Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
This is Newton’s first law of motion and also my favorite quote. The meaning of Newton’s first law goes well beyond just its scientific significance. I believe that it holds true at a physiological and psychological level as well.
Newton explains - If an object is at rest, it will not move unless acted upon by a force. Similarly, if an object is moving along a path, it will not change course or stop unless compelled to by a force or impact. Don’t worry, the crash course in physics is over now, and I will get to why this philosophy is so important to understand on a personal level.
“I am the most productive when I am busy.” The idea that as humans we work better under pressure can easily be explained by Newton’s first law. If you are constantly on the go - from work to the gym to the store to a night out with friends, you are much less likely to stop. You may feel tired at the end of the day, but throughout the day your body finds the energy to keep going. You are fueled by the inherent desire to remain in motion. The opposite also holds true. If you are in bed or on the couch feeling cozy with a cup of tea and your favorite TV show, you are far less likely to leave that space.
My intention is not to say that you always need to be on the go, just that everyone should take the time to recognize and understand a few things:
What state are you currently in?
What state do you want to be in?
You have to dig deep for this one - what state do you need to be in?
Realizing that what you need may be different from what you want is key here. We often find ourselves disappointed that we haven’t met our goals or by situations that kill our spirit. Those are just forces acting in the opposite direction, and what your mind and body naturally want to do is stop or slow down - because according to the physical world that is the law. The part that we tend to forget is that you need a force to start moving again, and that force needs to come from within you. Your goals are still there waiting for you to conquer them - you need to get back in motion. If you start moving and course correcting as roadblocks come your way, it is inevitable that you will begin succeeding at some point.
As with everything in life, balance is an absolute necessity. After all - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You can’t always be on the move. Your mind and body need rest as well. If that is what you need, then give in to those forces and just stop. Give yourself rest, but remember to find the energy to get up and moving again when the time is right.
All in all, I think that the key to achieving something - anything you want, is to just start. I guess Nike was really onto something with “Just Do It.” It is the obvious first step that many of us ignore while we focus on the hurdles that lie ahead or forces acting against us.
Just start moving, and you will remain in motion. Thankfully, if you pair motion with passion, skill, authenticity, and determination, then physics tells us you will also start to build momentum (mass x velocity). From there, the sky is the limit!
