9 Quick Tricks for Overcoming Inertia
Inertia is a scientific fact. As a matter of fact, it’s Newton’s First Law.
- Objects at rest stay at rest.
- Objects in motion stay in motion.
Newton’s first law of motion states that “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”
Objects tend to “keep on doing what they’re doing.” In fact, it is the natural tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion. This tendency to resist changes in their state of motion is described as inertia.
- Inertia: the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion.
You can beat inertia by simply making yourself take action in a different direction. Get moving. DO SOMETHING – do anything that will pull you out of your current most comfortable state.
- Watching TV? Turn the television off and go outside.
- Trolling Facebook? Log out and take a shower.
Whatever activity or inactivity you seem to be stuck in, knock yourself out of that flow and into a new one. Don’t just think about it. Take a deep breath and actually DO it.
And, just in case you need to put it off DOING something for just a few more minutes, we have here, from Always Well Within, a mix of methods to rouse yourself out of inertia and inaction. Read through them. According to the author, one of them almost always works. Be skillful by choosing one that fits your particular circumstances and mood.
- Just get started. Do anything to get the energy and inspiration moving. Start anywhere: in the beginning, middle or end.
- Remove distractions. Knowing you are prone to inertia, don’t let distractions lure you away from your goal.
- Have a preset plan for your project. Then follow it no matter what.
- Do the fun parts to get out of your funk. I know it sounds like cheating, but it really gets the juices flowing again.
- Remember your purpose and rekindle your belief in your work.
- Allow yourself to do a mindless task for a short but set amount of time. Then get on with your work in progress.
- Taking a nap always refreshes me and makes me more enthusiastic to get back on track.
- Go for a walk and get some fresh air. The luxury of space and increased oxygen to your brain can easily refresh your view.
- Take a day off and thoroughly enjoy your self. We all have lulls in our motivation. It’s OK for you to have one too.
The brain needs downtime to replenish itself. Inertia may be a sign that you are not taking enough mental breaks during the day, which are crucial to increase productivity and boost attention. Inertia might also indicate it’s time to check in with yourself to see if this is the right project for you.
No More Excuses!
Get moving, get doing, get started!
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I need to remember to re read thjs on Thursday.
I love this post. It really brought home to me why it is that I’m stalled out in certain areas of my life and chugging right along when it comes to others.
At the beginning of this project, I wanted to have walking the treadmill every day be my 30 day goal. And now I really wish I would have done that because at least I’d be ACTING on something. DOING something … and because it would be every day, it wouldn’t be looming so large on the horizon.
But, instead, I chose to say I’m going to replace the faucet in my bathtub… and it’s been way to easy to talk about the faucet, whine and complain about that faucet, and otherwise procrastinate and deter myself from actually taking any kind of action to actually replace it.
I wonder what would be different if I was walking the treadmill instead… I wonder if I’d have more energy to actually DO more things…
Only way to know that is to make that a new goal… and well… I really hate goal setting, and am not sure that I have the “juice” to set more than one at a time.
Now, if working on the website was a goal, that would be a done deal! And way too easy! LOL.
And talking about goals… My goal for tomorrow is to get my income taxes filed… because Hey! I managed to wait until the very last minute to do that!
While I am at work I make a list of mini things that I can do in a day or less when I am at home. Today , at work, I worked on creating a morning ritual because the person I want to be has one and does it. I was thinking about the HUGE gap between who I want to be and who I allow myself to be. Closing that gap is another goal.
I know you can do it… close that gap, I mean.