Law of Inertia
The law of inertia can help your MinD transition from a state of rest to a steady velocity, ultimately shifting to an accelerated state through applied force, enabling you to reach your life goals.
This three-part newsletter series over the next period will show how to apply the Newton’s famous three laws of motion in relation to MinDvesting to achieve success, happiness and fulfillment towards your goals and ambitions...
First Law: Law of Inertia - In Simple Terms as Explained Newton:
Newton’s first law states that if body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force.
Let’s break it down how it can become applicable in relation to daily living:
Imagine that the body mentioned above by Newton is a person’s movement in relation to time.
A person at rest or stationary will remain stationary for the rest of time.
A person moving at constant speed will progressively move in an upward straight-line trajectory for the rest of time.
A person that applies force in the correct direction will accelerate that progression in a parabolic manner for the rest of time.
Simplified by the following chart, showing a person at time (t=0) and the three different states under the law of inertia.
It’s clear that when a person applies force to accelerate, there will be a gradual parabolic increase in progress toward their goal, ultimately reducing the initial time frame set for achieving it.
Time itself is unchangeable, remaining a constant in this scenario. The key question is how to make time work in our favor so that we’re not perpetually racing against it.
Additionally, it’s obvious that postponing the application of force will delay progress toward the goal — a phenomenon many of us recognise as procrastination. From the simple, scalable graph mentioned, the only variable we can influence is the applied force.
The question then becomes: how can we increase this applied force?
A notable example of person who mastered the art of “Applied Force State” is Roger Federer
Many of us are familiar with Roger Federer, often regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, if not the greatest.
Roger Federer became the first player in men’s tennis history to surpass the milestone of 20 Grand Slam singles titles. He began playing tennis at the age of eight and, just six years later, became the Swiss junior champion at 14.
By 17, he had won the Wimbledon junior singles championship, and at 18, he debuted as the youngest player to finish a year in the top 100. His first Grand Slam title came in 2003 at Wimbledon. Known for his exceptional shot-making, Federer also earned a reputation for his composure and sportsmanship.
Fast forward to 2018, 15 years later, and he had dominated the tennis world with 20 Grand Slam titles—an average of more than one per year. Did he ever envision winning 20 Grand Slams? Likely, yes.
At the beginning of his career, Federer probably aimed to win his first Grand Slam. Once that was accomplished, his aspirations likely grew to becoming World No. 1, and then to maintaining that position for a year or winning another Grand Slam, or even achieving a "Grand Slam sweep" in a single year. At every stage of his career, he set increasingly ambitious goals that propelled him forward like a force of nature. Federer cultivated a mindset of applying his efforts strategically to ensure that success was always within reach.
Federer’s journey through his 1,251 matches was not always easy; while he won 80% of his matches, he only captured 54% of all points played throughout his career. Nonetheless, his ability to focus on crucial moments has been a key contributor to his success, distinguishing him from other players.
“I try to focus on the next point, not the last one. The difference, I guess, between the guys who are able to be the biggest champions, and the ones that are struggling to get to the highest level is the ability to not stay in those emotions for too long”. - Roger Federer.
This highlights Federer’s mindset of remaining present and focusing on the task at hand during matches. He learned that to maintain his success, it wasn’t solely his physical condition that mattered; his mental state was equally crucial.
“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things” - Sir Isaac Newton
A simple summary to the MinDvesting philosophy from today’s post:
The law of inertia, when influenced by the “right” force, can accelerate a person’s success over time. How we apply this force is our choice, but it often involves improving our mental state, overcoming doubt and fear, becoming antifragile, maintaining rigorous discipline, adapting to setbacks, focusing on the present, staying composed when things don't go as planned, and finally, setting ambitious or even absurd goals that encourage the MinD to think creatively!
So how can Force (F) be increased to decrease the interval of time. The next post will discuss Newtons’ second law of motion i.e. F=m.a.
Remember the limiting factor in all of the above is only the MinD.
Appreciate your time and making it this far in the post, keep reading over time.
Amazing post!