Today was brutal. Six miles. Because of my right Achilles, I couldn’t do it on the road so I took it to the gym. The first mile and a half was rough getting the heart rate up, and getting my head into the workout. Even when I was into it, it was tough to get “into it.” That’s when I thought of Newton’s First Law of Motion: “Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
Feeding off yesterday’s thoughts, the force compelling a change – moving from a state of motion toward the goal of running in Chicago to a state of rest – would be that weak voice. And that weak voice was loud this morning. Fortunately, it wasn’t as loud as the STRONG voice telling me to keep running. Because that’s what I do. That’s now who I am.
I'm not a science guy. I’m not a physics guy. In fact I’ve never taken a single physics class. I am a quotes guy, though. And Newton's First Law of Motion is dead on. Paraphrasing that law. I like to say Momentum is Magic. We know when we have it. Things click. The right things happen. Everything works. There is energy. Things are moving. For that reason, our job every morning is to get up and establish momentum. Once we have it we must do everything we can to maintain it. Keep moving because that feeling of things moving - momentum - in a “right line” is an incredible feeling. Everyone also knows the misery of losing momentum. When things stand still. When things AREN’T moving.
Another scientific concept that applies in every day life is Activation Energy. A term from chemistry, activation energy is the minimal amount of energy required to create a chemical reaction. Applied to life, activation energy is what allows you to create the magic of momentum. Shaun Achor in his book The Happiness Advantage applies the concept of activation energy in establishing habits that create an environment of achievement and happiness in his life. Or, as I coach the kids in Orlando, they’re tricks. An example Achor uses includes putting his workout clothes at the end of his bed to ensure when he awakens, his tools are there for him to use without forcing him to think. He also took his guitar out of the closet and placed it in the middle of the floor of his apartment, making it much easier for him to learn how to play guitar. To stop watching television as soon as he arrived home from work, Achor took the batteries out of the remote control and placed both the batteries and the remote control away from the television. Those small steps were tricks making it easier for Achor to establish habits that created an environment of accomplishment.
The battle this morning was an awareness that my mind wasn’t “into it,” and that I needed to keep moving. Keep running. Keep moving. Keep running. Make sure the weak voice wasn’t strong enough to compel change to a state of rest. Unthinkingly, the trick I developed is awareness of times when the weak voice is loud (and those times do come). At that point it's time to awaken the STRONG voice in order to kick the weak voice's ass. Because Momentum is Magic, and Failure is Not an Option. Wait. Another quote . . .
Feeding off yesterday’s thoughts, the force compelling a change – moving from a state of motion toward the goal of running in Chicago to a state of rest – would be that weak voice. And that weak voice was loud this morning. Fortunately, it wasn’t as loud as the STRONG voice telling me to keep running. Because that’s what I do. That’s now who I am.
I'm not a science guy. I’m not a physics guy. In fact I’ve never taken a single physics class. I am a quotes guy, though. And Newton's First Law of Motion is dead on. Paraphrasing that law. I like to say Momentum is Magic. We know when we have it. Things click. The right things happen. Everything works. There is energy. Things are moving. For that reason, our job every morning is to get up and establish momentum. Once we have it we must do everything we can to maintain it. Keep moving because that feeling of things moving - momentum - in a “right line” is an incredible feeling. Everyone also knows the misery of losing momentum. When things stand still. When things AREN’T moving.
Another scientific concept that applies in every day life is Activation Energy. A term from chemistry, activation energy is the minimal amount of energy required to create a chemical reaction. Applied to life, activation energy is what allows you to create the magic of momentum. Shaun Achor in his book The Happiness Advantage applies the concept of activation energy in establishing habits that create an environment of achievement and happiness in his life. Or, as I coach the kids in Orlando, they’re tricks. An example Achor uses includes putting his workout clothes at the end of his bed to ensure when he awakens, his tools are there for him to use without forcing him to think. He also took his guitar out of the closet and placed it in the middle of the floor of his apartment, making it much easier for him to learn how to play guitar. To stop watching television as soon as he arrived home from work, Achor took the batteries out of the remote control and placed both the batteries and the remote control away from the television. Those small steps were tricks making it easier for Achor to establish habits that created an environment of accomplishment.
The battle this morning was an awareness that my mind wasn’t “into it,” and that I needed to keep moving. Keep running. Keep moving. Keep running. Make sure the weak voice wasn’t strong enough to compel change to a state of rest. Unthinkingly, the trick I developed is awareness of times when the weak voice is loud (and those times do come). At that point it's time to awaken the STRONG voice in order to kick the weak voice's ass. Because Momentum is Magic, and Failure is Not an Option. Wait. Another quote . . .
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