The Energy of Activation vs Momentum: A Balance of Effort and Ease

Getting started can be hard. Whether it’s launching a new initiative, building a habit, or tackling a long-avoided task, there’s often a wall of inertia to break through before anything starts moving. 

This is where activation energy comes in - a concept borrowed from chemistry and brought into sharp focus by Shane Parrish at Farnham Street, who describes it as the initial burst of effort needed to start a reaction - that injection of energy to cross the threshold. 

But here’s the thing: we can’t stay in activation mode forever. 

Running at full tilt indefinitely isn’t sustainable. At best, it will lead to personal burn out, at worst it will take the team with you. This is why we need to be just as interested in momentum as we are in activation. It’s not just about getting things going; it’s about finding a pace that can carry us forward. 

For me, it’s one of yogic philosophy’s oldest teachings that resonates: sthira and sukham or effort and ease. Sthira relates to steadiness, structure and deliberate action, while sukham is about softness, openness and comfort. 

For anything to be sustainable - be it a project, a habit, or a leadership practice - it needs both. Not in equal measure all the time, but in conscious balance. 

• At the start of a project it’s likely you’ll need more sthira - focused effort to push past inertia. 

• But as momentum builds, sukham (ease) becomes just as important - creating space to adapt, breathe and stay with it. 

  
  

What makes this model so useful, especially in leadership and team dynamics, is that it helps us recalibrate. If things feel stuck, maybe the team needs a push. If things feel strained, maybe it's time to ease off. Either way, we’re paying attention to the rhythm, not just the result. 

This can be particularly true in times of transformational change – whether  this is organisational or individual, where a few questions to reflect on can be helpful;   

A few questions to reflect on: 

• Where in your current work might a lack of activation energy be holding things back?  Personal reflection and in my work with clients have uncovered (often unconscious) assumptions and fears that once explored, have ‘unblocked’ that vital kick-start we need.   

• Are you or your team stuck in “start-up” effort mode, when they could be shifting into sustainable momentum?   We all have areas in our work where we have a natural inclination to expend energy; this can be detrimental if maintained for too long, too often.  

• Are you giving yourself and your team permission to rebalance effort and ease as needed? A continuous loop of communication with yourself and others, underpinned by trust, is key.

The start matters. But how you continue is what really determines where you'll end up. 

Jacqui Purdy is a Strengths Unleashed Partner, an accredited Executive Coach, and a qualified Menopause Yoga Teacher.