All it takes is a change of tune

Law of Inertia

Last week, Craig and I bought a new washer/dryer machine. It might be a mundane thing for most people, but it was a milestone for us. Back in Steamboat, we had an outdated model that had seen better days. It would produce this unpleasant trill every time it completed a cycle, and almost no fail it would shock the living daylights out of me. After some time spent installing the two new units and programming the settings, we did a test run. Basket in hand, the cycle finishes, as Craig looks up at me and says, "Did you hear that?" Confused, I ask, "Hear what?"

I lean in and pay attention, and that's when I hear it—the machine sings! Don't get me wrong, I've done a fair share of laundry in my life and it isn't the funnest housework out there. In fact, it's monotonous, there's a lot of waiting and doing the same thing over and over again. Yeah, pretty boring if you asked me. But now, not so much. If you google 'LG washing machine tune', there's an actual video of it—it's that iconic. And I'm sure we weren't the only ones with bug-eyed expressions after noticing it the first time. The point is, that cute little tune broke a monotonous cycle. I actually look forward to doing laundry now. All that routine needed was something different... an element of surprise.

Physics calls this inertia. This is Newton's first of three laws. It's not a literal explanation to my washing machine story, but it states that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. That little tune, unbeknownst to me at the time, was the force I needed to change perspective and 'flip the script' on my whole "laundry is boring" debacle. Your perspective (at rest) will remain at rest until acted upon by an outside force.

Sometimes all you need is a little nudge, a change of scenery, a slight course reroute (or a cute tune) to perceive life from a different angle, take action and shoot towards a trajectory that breaks away from the daily routine, unpleasant trill of boredom and constant state of rest.

The same principle can be applied to achieving dreams. When your dream is beginning to form or when your plan is just taking shape, it is 'at rest'. It isn't going anywhere just yet. You haven't started taking action in order to turn your dream into a reality. These actions are your 'force', and your dream will continue to stay at rest without them. Once you start working towards your dream, your goal—walking towards a trajectory--you are setting it in motion, getting one step closer to accomplishing it every day. Now, your dream is no longer at rest. It's on the move.

You must remember that you are the force that will put your dream in motion. While other factors can play a role in the journey, it's up to you to take control and make a difference in your life. No one knows better than yourself. You will innately know what steps to take in order to succeed. Yes, you may fail in the process. Yes, failure may happen more than once. And yes, you will keep learning and moving because we simply cannot risk having your momentum deterred. You (the force) are the most vital key to changing your perspective, to achieving your dream, to meeting your goal and to making your mark. And sometimes, all it takes is a change of tune—a slight jolt—to get you on that track.