This Law of Physics Destroyed All My Bad Habits
I’ve never loved physics, but they’ve changed my life
Of all the subjects I hated in school, the one I most despised was physics. I didn’t understand any of the concepts, and I quit after a year of missing class. Even though I don’t regret my choice, the word that changed my life comes exactly from that field.
A few years after graduating, I learned about a principle called “Inertia”.
Inertia - A property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force:
Inertia is the force that makes a static object remain static.
It is also the force that makes a moving object continue to move in a straight line.
The only way to beat this rule is by making a conscious choice. That is the hardest thing to do in life.
The power of inertia will destroy your dreams.
The power of inertia will fulfill all your desires.
The goal is to know that every day is the result of the law of inertia and use it to your advantage.
People like familiar things.
That’s how habits are formed, you just get used to what you do every day.
Some of these habits are wanted, like working out. Eating out, less so.
You need to understand that if you do something you don’t like today, you’ll probably also do it tomorrow. This will carry on until you tell yourself consciously to stop. The time that is taken between choosing something and stopping it can be immense. It can be hours, and it can be years. That is the power of inertia.
Every choice you make creates inertia
Inertia increases the chance of sticking to good habits. If I run for the first time today, this hugely increases the chance that I’ll run tomorrow, for a few different reasons.
- Beginning a habit is hard. Where should I run? What do I take with me? Should I leave my phone at home? These are important questions, and answering them is difficult.
- I have already found free time to run yesterday. There must be a way to include it in the schedule today.
- Not running today will give me an excuse not to run tomorrow. This is how habits stop. This can happen a week or a year after starting. Be aware of it.
Closing Thoughts
Whenever I can’t be bothered to do something. I utter “Inertia” to myself. I know that if I won’t do it now, I definitely won’t do it later.
That’s just how life works.
That’s inertia.
