"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
- Jim Rohn
Motivation Monday - Richard's Insight
As I read this quotation from Jim Rohn, I am reminded of physics lessons at school and Newton's Laws of Motion in particular. I am no scientist, let alone a physicist specifically, so I will keep it simple 😉
The Law of Inertia, or Newton's First Law of Motion, states that an object will not change from its current state without an external force. Most 'objects', however, don't have a brain as we do...as such the 'external force' for us could also include our thoughts to bring about a change. The idea of motivation is to have a strong desire, need or purpose to want to change in the first place. Thus, motivation, through our thoughts, is what can get us started.
Newton's Second and Third Laws of Motion are all about velocity and acceleration on the one hand and friction resistance on the other. In other words, what keeps us going once we have started is velocity and acceleration and what slows us down is friction resistance from other forces. In simple terms, our continued thoughts and actions can be our equivalent to velocity and acceleration and competing pulls on our thoughts and actions, including from other people, can slow us down.
One way to ensure that we continue on the path we set out for ourselves is by maintaining good or positive habits, whilst removing bad or negative habits. Habits overcome the need for us to constantly motivate ourselves and think...'what is it that I need to be doing right now to stay on course?'. Habits can become our auto-pilot and can steer us on or off course, to or from our motivation (purpose and goals).
Brian Tracy says that good habits are hard to form but easy to live with, whilst bad habits are easy to form yet hard to live with. I have to confess that I have had to restart my own morning routine regime after letting it slip a couple of months back and it has been tough getting it back on track. However, already, after only a week back in the routine, I feel far more focused towards my goals and purpose once more. I dare not dwell on how far off course I may have ended up had I not 'got back on it' again in the past week.
Stick with those good, positive habits...they will see you through in the end to help you achieve your motivation...after all physics is on your side!