Motion Beats Direction

When you're uncertain about your direction in life or business, the key is to start moving rather than waiting for perfect clarity. Momentum makes it easier to adjust course than standing still hoping for answers.

The core philosophy: Motion over direction

• Life is like standing on a foggy beach trying to find paradise - you can't see through the fog
• Two options: stand there waiting for fog to clear, or get in your boat and start paddling
• Once you're in motion, you'll start to see where to go ("oh it's not this way, it's actually that way")
• Key insight: Once you have momentum, it's actually very easy to change direction
• People mistakenly think changing direction is hard - it's not when you're already moving

The inertia trap

• Inertia is a bitch - objects in motion stay in motion unless there's a force to resist it
• You'll keep doing something just because you're already doing it, not because it's the right thing
• Need someone or something to be that resisting force to break the pattern

The thought experiment test

Ask yourself: If this company/project closed tomorrow, would I call the same people and restart this exact same thing?

• If yes - it's the juiciest opportunity, you don't want to be doing anything else
• If no - you're only doing it because you're already doing it (inertia)
• This isn't about finding the "perfect" opportunity out of trillions - that's overwhelming
• It's about knowing whether you'd choose this if you weren't already committed

Signs you need to change direction

• You've been working on something for a long time (6+ years in the example)
• You've pivoted multiple times and are only here because of those pivots
• The current project isn't going to obviously succeed or obviously fail - it's just "okay"
• You wouldn't choose this path if starting fresh today
• External perception looks great (nice office, resources, team) but inner voice says something's off

The value of motion even in "wrong" directions

• Motion develops skills you wouldn't develop standing still
• You become "switched on" - energized, motivated, driven
• You develop speaking skills, work ethic, and other capabilities
• Better to be moving in an imperfect direction than paralyzed waiting for the perfect one
• The scariest thing in life: standing still and realizing 80-90 years later you didn't move at all

When to make the change

• When you realize you're doing something because you're already doing it, not because it's right
• When you need to "shake it up" even if you don't know exactly what comes next
• When the honest answer is "I don't know what's next, just something else"
• Having a trusted friend who can be that external force to question what you're doing