Gravity is the force that draws two objects together. The force of gravity is proportional to the mass of the two objects, and inversely proportional to the distance between them. Without boring you, this means that something big, like the earth, exerts a lot of gravitational force and the closer you get to it, the stronger that force is.
The interesting part is that the force of gravity is exponential, meaning that a rocket exhausts 80 to 90 percent of its energy just breaking free of the initial force of gravity close to the earth’s surface. The farther it gets from the earth, the easier it gets to travel, until it completely breaks from the earth’s gravity and moves away from the earth without effort.
Even more interesting is that the force of gravity affects us socially and psychologically. Think of how hard it is to change a habit. Consider what it is like to start a new workout routine after a long sedentary period.
The majority of your energy will be spent just getting started. It will take an enormous amount of effort to just wake up an hour earlier in the morning and get to the gym. Your initial exercises will be tough, and you will be out of wind and tired. After the workout, you will be exhausted. You will be wiped out for the next few days, and then the soreness will kick in. You might not even be able to make it to the gym the next day.
Most people quit at this point. They quit because they don’t understand how persistence can help overcome the force of gravity that they are experiencing. Each workout gets easier. By the second week, getting out of bed is not very hard and the workouts are coming more naturally. Before long, working out is almost effortless, and you can refocus your energy on conquering your next big habit.