What would you do if all you had was you?

Think about it—nothing to blame your problems on, no one to lean on as support, no limitations except the ones you place on yourself. What would you do then?

Would you still sulk and complain, wait for others to solve your problems, and go on about how powerless you feel?

You won’t. You’d know there was no use in doing that. If you were on a lonely island, blaming the trees for your hunger would do…nothing. The tree won’t change. You won’t feel better. And your hunger won’t go away.

Just climb the tree instead, grab some fruit, eat it, and BOOM! Problem solved!

We may not live on lonely islands but solving our problems (and the confusion around them) is a similar process. Yet, we take the first path—even when we know it doesn’t yield the right results.

Knowing what to do is only half the equation. The other half is a hidden force we rarely recognize. It takes the shape of Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion.

First Law of Motion = Only Law of Motivation

The foundational law of Physics is:

“An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion…unless acted upon by an external force.”

That’s inertia: a tendency to do nothing and remain unchanged. 

Now, replace ‘object’ with ‘person’, and you get the foundational law of Human Motivation:

“A person at rest remains at rest, and a person in motion remains in motion unless they apply force to trigger change.”

Change feels hard because we are masters of inertia. We don’t want to change. Applying force through effort feels hard (because it is), and it’s easier to stay the same.

Thus, the blaming, confusion, overwhelm, and inaction. We all know change is in our hands, but overcoming inertia becomes uncomfortable. We become used to this passive state, and being at rest becomes our default. 

It’s easy, yes. But it comes at a cost: the life of your dreams.

Now, if you’re okay with that, please feel free to close this email. But if you’re not, it’s time to tip the scales.

Resistance is Good.

We live in an effort-agnostic world.

Everyone talks about hard work, but we only celebrate the results. Unless you’ve secured a big headline, your effort doesn’t count. Everyone tries, a few accomplish. And of course, most attention goes to those in the spotlight.

That creates mismatched expectations. You think that following your goals and putting in the work will get you the results, but effort doesn’t get the applause. And results take time.

You’re stretched thin, your motivation is low, and this dichotomy creates resistance within you. You run away from effort (because it doesn’t get celebrated), but you don’t get results without it (which is frustrating), so you resort to your default state (of inertia and inaction) and blame circumstances for your failure.

And unlike the “Get Stuff Done” motivational videos, the solution isn’t grinding it out, but reframing. Instead of climbing uphill against inertia, you can make a simple mindset shift to make inertia work for you (and turn the hill upside down).

“Resistance is good. Putting in the effort is how I get all the results I want.”

Say this to yourself when you feel that physical confusion, brain fog, and resistance. Then keep going despite it. You might not do your best work, but it’s fine. You’re creating the foundation for excellence. 

That’s because inertia is a return to the default. And when this mindset becomes your default, what do you return to—running away or working harder?

Exactly. Inertia isn’t bad, and the law of motion (or motivation) isn’t wrong. As of now, it’s anchored to feelings of lack, helplessness, and confusion. It’s going to take you some effort and force to re-anchor it to a strong work ethic, a love for the effort, and strong self-belief.

But once you do, you become the object in motion that stays in motion.

Solutions replace excuses. 
Clarity replaces confusion.
Actions replace complaints.

Because you’ve unlocked the second part of the equation: How to do what you know you should do.

Now, go and do it.