Inertia (i-nur-shuh): the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force
If you want to start seeing the changes you want in your life or in your business, then you need to understand the power of inertia. In fact, I think that more people aren’t able to make the changes they want in their business, personal or financial life because they fail to understand and utilize this powerful force.
Have you ever heard someone say: “the first step is always the hardest?” Did you ever wonder how this statement came into existence? I have a one word answer: inertia.
Sir Issac Newton was quoted so many years ago saying: “an object in motion tends to stay in motion; an object at rest tends to stay at rest.”
To me, as a non-physicist, I can apply this to my personal and business life. Once you are moving toward something (your goals), you are infinitely closer to achieving them simply because you are moving. I see and hear so many people who want things like more money, more time with family and improved improved health who just can’t seem to get out of the starting blocks. The main reason for this is inertia (think: an object at rest tends to stay at rest).
On the flip side, I see people who careen from achievement to achievement, bewildering all those observing. They make more money, have better health and enjoy a more fulfilling life. Inertia has a lot to do with this as well (think: an object in motion tends to stay in motion).
In the his classic book Good to Great, author Jim Collins talks about the ‘flywheel effect’. Essentially, the ‘flywheel effect’ is when an organization, product or idea gains steam (e.g. market leadership, profitability gains, etc.) after months or years of steady work or ’small pushes on the flywheel.’ By their nature, flywheels take repeated effort to get up to speed, but then are able to generate high levels of energy. What should be noted about the flywheel effect is that it takes movement to get going and then the power of inertia takes over.
No, I am not trying to make everyone relive 9th grade science class. My hope is to alert to the fact that there are forces of nature that effect the level of success you have.
Did you ever have one of those days where everything felt right and went right? Where all objects felt like they were moving in slow motion and you were able to deftly handle problems with the greatest of ease? Perhaps you gained a new customer or did exceedingly well at your job? Do you remember the feeling? Like maybe you were just ‘rolling?’ If you have ever felt this way then you know what I mean about inertia. Momentum was on your side.
Let’s flip it around: did you ever have one of those days where absolutely nothing went right? Problem after problem arose and compounded on you? You kept repeating to yourself: “when it rains, it pours.” Inertia was in effect here too, except it was working against you.
I am begging the question: how can you make inertia work for you?
In part one of my treatise on this subject, I am going to throw two things out there that work for me (though I don’t by any means claim to have this all figured out)
Habits Fuel Inertia
Your habits will define your life. Humans are indeed creatures of habit. You can either build good habits or bad habits. When I talk to people about making changes, and radical changes at that (why ‘radical’ changes? because who wants to just be a little bit better..why not be A LOT better?) I often try to discern what their habits are.
For example, if someone tells me they are trying to lose weight, yet they eat irregularly and exercise only once in a while I start to wonder how serious they are. It’s hard to lose weight when you can’t break the habit of picking up the remote control every night when you get home from work.
Recognize Momentum Swings
Becoming more conscious of momentum swings is a great start toward making it work for you instead of against you. You can start to pick up on trends in your day or your activities that are driving momentum one way or the other. If you start to feel a chain reaction and momentum swing against you, you should stop and change direction. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
If you have a some good momentum going, ride it out all the way. Here is a prime example:
When we strike paydirt and land a great deal, the next thing we do is re-double our efforts the next split second later to nail another one. Good things come in bunches and riding the positive momentum of a great deal can carry us through and generate all kinds of other good things right in a row (new relationships, more possibilities for revenue, etc.). If you make a sale on the phone in the morning, you should keep right on dialing the phone - chances are you will knock out a few more. Remember that feeling. Try to capture it, harness it and put it back into action the next day.
I will revisit the Power of Inertia in future posts. For now, I trust this is enough food for thought (and, probably enough science!) to go out and start making some radical changes.
