Newton’s First Law Applies to Productivity
There is a lot of talk and research about the so-called “laws” of productivity , but even the laws we use to govern other areas of our lives can be applied when there is something that needs to be done. Newton’s laws of motion can be adapted to performance, especially the first one.
What is the essence of Newton’s first law?
Newton’s first law of motion is: “An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion continues to move at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”
Obviously he was talking about physics here, but in the productivity spaces of the internet, people who spend their time thinking about more efficient ways to achieve a goal have begun to apply his wisdom to people. This makes sense: when you’re busy, say, cleaning the house, you kind of get into the zone and keep going. When you’re sitting on the couch, afraid and putting off starting work, it’s very easy to sit there and do nothing.
How can Newton’s law be applied to productivity?
There’s actually been some research done on how adapting a mindset of moving and maintaining it can help you be more productive. One review of its use by medical professionals in a nuclear medicine department found it to be “innovative” but also capable of, for example, “having a positive impact on productivity.”
The trick is not staying in the movement, but getting into it, so here’s where you should start. Try the two-minute rule , or the practice of doing something immediately if it takes two minutes or less. If an email arrives, respond to it immediately. If you need to take out the trash, do it as soon as you notice. If you have to cancel an appointment, call that second one. Getting into the habit of completing small tasks immediately will help you gain momentum. This works for me, so I load my to-do list with easy tasks instead of taking the “eat the frog” approach , which requires you to tackle your biggest, most difficult responsibilities first.
Yesterday, for example, I had to confirm a ticket order, fill out a W9, order a prom outfit, clean out an entire rack of clothes, and write a 12-page paper. By completing three smaller things first, I built up some positivity and momentum, which really helped push me to do more challenging things later in the day. It’s nice to see ticks filling up your to-do list, so do whatever you can in the moment to get a rush and make you want to check off the bigger items. If you use a 1-3-5 to-do list (and you should!), try rotating your day so that you complete five small tasks before three medium-sized tasks and one large task so that you can harness the power of Newton’s Law on your own.