The gap between contemplation and action might exist only in our minds… but in many pursuits, it’s a divide we never cross.
As simple as the first step is, it’s something we can put off endlessly if we’re not careful.
The reason for this is a concept known as “activation energy”.
In chemistry, this is defined as the minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to occur.
Put another way:
Making a change – any kind of change – requires us to pay a certain price. To bring our resources to bear on the task at hand, and, through continued engagement, use those raw materials as fuel that powers the transformation we want to bring about.
But it’s not enough to simply want to change.
It’s not enough to supply 80% of the required energy… or 90%… or even 99.99999%.
Until you provide what’s required, no change will occur.
And even when we hit the critical threshold – the tipping point – and see that shift from inertia to forward motion, progress happens gradually at first.
This is by design. We want to to conserve energy, not waste it. That’s why the choice to make a change starts with an uphill climb. Consider it the toll exacted by the pursuit of something new.
We reason: if it’s not worth the effort to get it started, better to not move at all than to begin and then give up before it bears fruit.
We understand this. We can see it in the goals other people pursue. But when it comes to our path, we don’t retain this objectivity.
We personalise.
We doubt our own ability to make change happen.
Because we think that progress needs to happen in a flash – and that we shouldn’t have to struggle to start moving forward – we don’t even try.
That’s a mistake. And it’s rooted in a single flawed perspective…
The difference between progress and regression isn’t speed. It’s direction.
When we strip away the trimmings, momentum is just movement. The antithesis of inertia. It’s a neutral concept – whether it works for us or against us is simply a matter of commitment.
The journey begins with an uphill climb. But the effort we expend to commence our ascent isn’t a bug – it’s a feature. A self-preservation mechanism designed to prevent us from wasting time chasing things we don’t really care about.
The solution?
Find something worth climbing for. Something that transforms the initial struggle upwards from a painful obstacle to a journey of discovery. One that becomes a source of strength in its overcoming, rather than a drain to be navigated.