Get Your Boulder Moving

Painting in Progress

I often post about overcoming procrastination and as of late I needed my own advice.  I have had the flu for what seems like an eternity.  So getting back in the swing of things has been a little daunting. It was hard to distinguish between am I procrastinating or am I still sick.  But what I knew for sure was that Sir Isaac Newton is one smart dude.

“An object that is at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion.”

When I pictured a big heavy boulder that was sitting in the middle of a road ( I like that image better than my butt on the couch) I could imagine how tough that would be to move and how much energy it would take to get it moving because of all the starting friction.  Starting friction… that is what I was suffering from. Starting friction is a very real thing.  Just ask Isaac. There is a mathematical equation, but for me just knowing the why was enough information to make a difference. 

 When I could really let that concept sink into my ole'-noggin, it took the pressure off and I actually could get moving. I found that quite ironic - it seems like it should be the opposite.  My very loud mental chatter was something like this, " well just get up and do something, it is easy, it's easy and you're not doing it so it must mean you’re a lazy butt".  Well, in reality it isn't easy and starting friction is the reason.   When I realized that there really wasn't something wrong with me, that I was just suffering from starting friction my resistance dissolved.  

So next time you are faced with something hard, remind yourself that it is a little difficult in the beginning. Keep it rolling. We all know it is easier to keep the boulder rolling once it is moving.