Quick lesson in Newtonian physics.

Inertia: A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion.
Momentum: Mass times velocity. Change in momentum per time is force.

What does this tell us about the world?

The hard parts (where we need to apply force) are starting and stopping. Oh, and steering (since velocity is a vector and my inertia “definition” is overly simplistic).

What does this tell us about life?

Choose your goals carefully (minimize steering) and apply forces that increase your momentum (maximize starting) rather than decrease it (minimize stopping). Every action you take (including “doing nothing”) is a force applied to your life. Every action either adds to your momentum in the direction of your goals or adds to your momentum in a direction away from your goals.

If this sounds familiar you’ve probably been paying attention to what MJ has to say in his (currently free) Simpleology course. This is not where I was headed when I started writing this. But it is where the physics lead me. I love being a scientist.

What actions will bring you closer to your goals?
What actions will take you farther from your goals?
(Hint: do more off the first list and fewer off the second!)