Newton's First Law

I know, I know, you are thinking "Physics? Really? I'm done with this blog for good." But, before you depart, hear me out.

First, I don't think it is really the entire first law (it's been about thirteen years since I took physics. I could never have a real discussion about Newton's Laws.  Sorry to all the physics people who had such high hopes).
Second, I am really writing about something completely unrelated to physics.
Third, I blame this all on SI 643, in which we have had lengthy discussions on the importance of transfer in learning. This one is dedicated to a terrific professor, Sir Isaac Newton, and Namifiers everywhere. (The terrific professor is not Sir Isaac Newton. That takes me back to good old linguistics and syntax and...never mind.)

To begin with, a very brief and muddled synopsis of the first part Newton's First Law*: Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Again, not the exact Law, but the part that I remembered the other night, while getting ready for bed, after not having thought about it for 13 years. Cut me some slack.

Now, what does it have to do with anything? Well, the other day I was thinking about what I want in a job, and thinking about how I need to use my time more effectively. I thought about a job I had, where there was always a lot of stuff to do. All day long, it was go, go, go. Then, I had this other job, where there was a lot of downtime. Now, you would think that when I was working the super busy job, I would go home, sit down, and relax, right? WRONG! I would go home, and...BE PRODUCTIVE! When I had the relaxed job, I would go home and...waste a lot of time!

Why is that, you wonder? Because of Newton's First Law. Objects (or people) in motion stay in motion. Objects not in motion stay not in motion...er...you know what I mean. When I am busy at work, I stay busy after work. This is a beautiful thing, especially since I possess minimal quantities of self-discipline in regards to time management and really have to impose discipline by external means. (Another topic altogether). When I am slothful all day, I continue to be slothful all evening.

And you thought physics had no real-life applications. Transfer**, my friends.


*note: the rest of Newton's First Law states that objects will remain in motion/not in motion unless some force is exerted on them. Something like that. That's the basic idea anyway. I highly encourage you to talk to someone who knows more than me, so they can correct all of my misinformation.
**Transfer is basically the idea of applying something we learn in one setting to another setting.