The Real Reason You Struggle to Start (and Stop) Things
Photo by Miriam Alonso
TL/DR:
Inertia isn't only a physics concept. It describes how easily (or not) you shift between tasks and modes in daily life.
High inertia people need more time to start and stop activities. (Not a flaw; a wiring style.)
Planning extra time, building buffers, and setting alarms help high inertia people transition more smoothly.
You're not broken for struggling to switch gears; you might be a high-inertia person living in a low-inertia world.
The Whole Shebang:
Inertia: the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest, or a body in motion to remain in motion, unless acted upon by an external force.
Perhaps you remember this concept from high school physics, and (unless you’re a scientist) put it on the back burner of your mind for the next few decades.
But, let’s dust off the concept because I think there’s an interesting way to apply this practicality in every day life.
And if comes down to this:
Are you a low inertia person? Or a high inertia person?
If you’re a low inertia person, you find it pretty easy to move between tasks, projects, modes of being.
You can be working on your personal accounting, and then easily switch to reading a book to your kid. You don’t need to “work yourself up to something”.
If you’re a high inertia person, you might find it difficult to switch between tasks, projects, modes of being.
It takes you awhile to get into things, and it takes you a while to get out of them. You need transition time between activities.
Me, I’m a high inertia person.
When I’m going, I’m going.
When I’m working, I’m working. And it can be hard to stop unless I have external reasons too.
I cook dinner every night, and knowing I have to get food on the table, and exercise before that, is the thing that gets me to stop working.
But when I’m relaxing, I’m relaxing; it requires A LOT of effort to get me out of this mode.
When, I’m writing, I wanna keep writing, because once I get started, my brain wants to keep going. I’m writing this on a plane right now, and I probably won’t stop writing until the flight attendant tells me it’s time to shut my laptop. (And yes, I might keep it open until they literally tell me to, even though I did, in fact, hear the announcement. Apologies if you’re one of those flight attendants!)
And I think, on retrospect, this might be why I’m also a segmentor even though I work for myself and at home.
I have ample opportunity to switch between work and home modes fluidly, but that’s really, really hard for me to do.
(My husband, on the other hand, I think, is a low inertia person. When his alarm goes off, he get’s out of bed. When mine goes off, I snooze with intention because I need that transition time.)
So, if you, like me, happen to be a high inertia person, here are a few things you can do to make the transitions easier, because often, it’s necessary.
Plan in advance
Know how much time you have available to do a thing. And give yourself more time than you’ll need. Because you’ll need it. This is called Hofstader’s law [link or definition].
Give yourself (ample) buffer
Do not schedule yourself moment ot moment. You’re gonna need time so give yourself buffer.
Set timers and alarms
Got an hour to do a thing, set an alarm at 50 minutes so you can start transitioning.
I have to make my son to the orthodontist tomorrow and I literally have 3 alarms set: 7am wake up (knowing I’ll snooze until 7:10), 7:25, get in car, 7:35, drive.
Learn strategies to aid with “Task initiation"
The 2-minute rule: If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. For bigger tasks, commit to just the first 2 minutes to break through the starting barrier.
Shrink the task:
Body doubling: Work alongside someone else (in person or virtually). The presence of another person can provide just enough external accountability to get moving.
Pair it with a transition ritual: Use a consistent cue like making a cup of coffee, putting on specific music, or setting a timer to signal to your brain that it's time to shift into the next mode.
Time-block it on your calendar: Separate the planning for the doing. Assign the task a specific start time. Decisions about when to do something drain energy; removing that decision makes initiation easier.
Get stupidly specific: Instead of a vague to-do like "plan event," identify the clear, concrete (and tiny) next step: "open Google Sheets and create a new tab." Specificity reduces friction. Instead of "write the report," reframe it as "open the document and write the first sentence." Lowering the bar makes starting feel less daunting.
Moral:
You’re not “lazy” for not being able to switch on a dime.
You may just be a high inertia person, living in a world that asks you to be low inertia.
When you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can work together:
Enroll in the Time Well Spent course
Bite-sized, shame-free steps to take control of your time, and your life. Built for real people with big lives, big jobs, or both. Learn more, or enroll here.
Get 1:1 Coaching
High-touch coaching for people managers, leaders, executives and founders who need a trusted partner to streamline priorities, manage the overwhelm, and focus on what moves the needle most. Schedule a call to explore if this is the right fit for you.
Explore Team Workshops/Training
Customized workshops and trainings to help your team improve productivity without burnout and create a culture where people (actually) thrive. Schedule a call to explore if this is the right fit for you.
