Why change is so difficult
Do you remember Newton’s 1st Law of Motion? It says, an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion at the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This is also known as the law of inertia.
Inertia. Something we all feel from time to time when we have a big project or task that feels difficult or boring. If you’re thinking inertia could be the sister of procrastination, you’d be right.
Inertia is also what makes life changes so difficult. You have a momentum going, maybe even for years, of being a certain way.
Once you get started, you can use your inertia to keep you moving in your new direction!
You do or do not do the things you’ve always done or not done. Maybe you really want to make a change, even a small change but it takes attention and practice. You need that unbalanced force Newton was so fond of.
For some, an outside force works best. Find someone willing to hold you accountable. Give them permission to check in with you regularly. An example conversation could be, “So, how’d it go with the task you intended to accomplish this week?” Then either, “Great, what helped you be successful with that?” or “Great, can you identify what got in the way? Can you avoid what got in your way last week, and be more successful this week?”
There’s an article in Entrepreneur Magazine entitled, 4 Cures for Chronic Procrastination, that nicely breaks down the process of getting through procrastination. In short:
- Narrow your focus
Just like eating an elephant, take it one bite at a time.
- Reward yourself for meeting your goals
Don’t push for perfection, if you’re doing it right more often than not, that’s a success!
- Hold yourself publicly accountable
There is nothing like knowing people are watching to keep you on task.
- Don’t lose momentum
Once you get started, keep moving!
– Sydney Metrick