Inertia

Nature is not something that exists outside of us; we are an inseparable part of nature. True, we have the largest brains of all species, which allows us to conceive, understand and appreciate abstract conceptual things such as mathematics, the stock market and art. But when it comes to how our psyche works, we can derive much from the nature around us.

Take the physics principle of "Inertia." This is the term for Newton's first law in mechanics. Inertia is the property of heavy objects to maintain the state of motion they have, so stationary objects like to remain stationary and moving objects prefer to keep moving at constant speed straight ahead. They come to a stop only when a greater power forces them to do so.

If we put it in layman's terms, inertia is when you want to push a stationary car forward, for example, you feel resistance. This resistance is not the weight of the car because once the car start rolling, then it becomes a lot lighter to keep pushing while the weight remains unchanged. This resistance to change is inertia.

And who doesn't recognize this. You'd like to lose a few pounds, you want to get fitter by exercising more, you want to find a different job, you want to write a book, you want to pay off your debts. You look for inspiration on social media, you buy running shoes, you talk about it but in the meantime nothing happens. Inertia. It is tough and difficult to change, to break patterns and to begin taking action.

Inertia must be calculated into your change plan. The bigger and more radical your goals, the more overwhelming it can feel to start on it and the more resistance you can expect from yourself. A very effective way to reduce or even bypass inertia altogether is found in the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen.

Inertia must be factored into your change plan. The bigger and more radical your goals, the more overwhelming it can feel to begin with and the more resistance you can expect from yourself. A very effective way to reduce or bypass inertia altogether is found in Japanese Kaizen.

Kaizen originated in the Japanese business world, especially the auto industry. In the quest for quality improvement, employees were asked to look for 1,000 small improvements that could be implemented immediately. When all is put together, these small changes brought about huge quality improvements that amazed the rest of the world.

Instead of coming up with big, radical changes or actions to achieve your goal, the philosophy of Kaizen encourages us to focus on getting 1% better every day. Getting just 1% closer to your goal each day. Think of the smallest possible action that you could do in the direction you want to go, an action that will generate absolutely no resistance. To exercise, start today by walking 5 times back and forth between the kitchen and the sofa. To write a book, start daily writing down 2 ideas or thoughts on post-its. If you want to lose weight start by saying no once a day to a snack that does not support your weight loss or take 1 bite less of it. It may seem like a drop in the ocean but a drop that keeps falling continuously has the power to drill a crater in a rock.

Bij taking the smallest action every day, an action that does not provoke resistance, this way you will eventually get to where you want to be. And if one day it does not work out, then even 0.01% is okay too, just keep going. Because the beauty of Inertia is that once you get moving, it's easier to keep moving. You will get there eventually, that's for sure.

What can you do right now to improve your 1% or feel better?