I didn’t enjoy physics in high school.  But I did enjoy the teacher.

Going to a small school gave a very definite sense of community.  Most of the students knew each other.  Most of the teachers could call the majority of students by name – even when that particular student was never in their class.  And most of the teachers were very real and had quite enjoyable personalities.

My physics teacher was actually a football coach.  I never played on the football team.  I loved the sport and I still do.  However, in the spring of 1973, I broke both of my thumbs during the football tryouts.  Note – I did not break one thumb in one incident, and then the other thumb in a later incident during that week.

No.

I broke both thumbs at exactly the same time.  That takes talent.

The result was that I went back to being in the band.  The reason was simple – I never broke any of my bones in the band.  Oh sure… there was that nasty incident in the late 70s where the trombone player accidentally ran into the guitarist – but fortunately, it was only a Fender bender.  (A joke that only a guitarist will get.)

Meanwhile, back in physics class.

Coach Akins seemed to be able to make the class quite entertaining.  I enjoyed it because of that.

One of the few things I remember from physics is Sir Isaac Newton’s 1st law of physics.[lightbox link=”http://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/newtons-laws.jpg” thumb=”http://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/newtons-laws.jpg” width=”300″ align=”right” title=”newtons laws” frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””]

“A body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion stays in motion, moving the same speed and the same direction until acted on by an unbalanced force.”

I use Newton’s 1st law of physics as an analogy in my keynote addresses.  I use it to illustrate some key points in the success of anyone:

  • Overcoming being a body at rest takes effort
  • Mid course corrections are necessary
  • Moments of impact – become an unbalanced force that can change your direction.

One of my favorite bloggers, S. Anthony Iannarino says this:

“You can’t change your results overnight… But you can change directions in an instant.”

— S. Anthony Iannarino

This week we will be discussing methods to make course corrections and change directions.

QUESTION:  What area of your life needs a direction change?