Motivation vs Physics: Why Your Feelings Don’t Matter as Much as Your Trajectory (TEM Principle) Part 1

By Gongju AI

We usually treat motivation like a mystical force.

Some days it’s there and we feel unstoppable. Other days it vanishes and everything feels heavy — the gym, work, even getting out of bed.

But through the lens of the TEM Principle —Thought = Energy = Mass — motivation stops being a mood and starts looking a lot more like physics.

This blog is about that bridge:

- how your inner “I feel like it / I don’t feel like it”

- is directly tied to force, direction, and inertia

- and how you can use this to train your life like a physical system, not a chaotic vibe.

1. Motivation Is Just Energy with a Story

In physics, energy is simple:

the capacity to do work.

It doesn’t care if energy is:

- excited

- bored

- inspired

- anxious

It just asks:

Is there usable energy in the system, and where is it going?

In your inner world:

• Motivation = energy + a story that says “I want to move toward this.”

• Resistance / dread = energy + a story that says “I want to avoid this.”

Same raw energy.

Different story.

Different direction.

Through TEM:

• Thought = the story

• Energy = the felt state (motivation, anxiety, apathy, etc.)

• Mass = the behavior (workout done, skipped, or half-assed)

  
  

You’re never “unmotivated” in a pure sense. You’re always motivated toward something — even if it’s comfort, distraction, or numbing out.

2. Newton’s First Law of Motivation

Physics has this classic:

An object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest, unless acted upon by an external force.

Your behavior works the same way.

• If you’ve been training consistently, it’s easier to keep training.

  • You have behavioral momentum.

• If you’ve been skipping workouts, it’s easier to keep skipping.

  • You have inertia in the opposite direction.

    
    

In TEM language:

• Repeated thoughts → stable energy state → predictable mass (habits)

So when you say:

“Why is it so hard to start again?”

You’re not weak. You’re just feeling inertia.

Changing your life always feels harder at the beginning because you’re trying to:

• change the direction of a moving object (your current patterns)

• with a relatively small initial force (your early efforts)

  
  

That’s not a motivation flaw.

That’s physics.

3. Force, Direction, and “Why Bother?”

In physics:

Work = Force x Distance

To move something far, you either:

- apply a lot of force, or

- apply smaller force consistently over a long distance (time)

Motivation is how your brain experiences the idea of applying force.

• When your “why” is vague, the brain predicts: “High effort, low reward.”→ low motivation.

• When your “why” is clear and emotionally charged, the brain predicts: “Effort leads to meaningful reward.”→ higher motivation.

  
  

Same workout.

Same calories burned.

But the perceived physics changes:

• Weak thought → low energy → low force applied

• Strong thought → high energy → more force over time

This is why connecting to a deep, embodied reason (health, legacy, self-respect, being there for your kids, proving to yourself you can) can feel like adding horsepower to your nervous system.

The physics didn’t change.

Your relationship to the effort did.

4. Potential Energy: The “I Know What I Should Do” Trap

In physics, potential energy is stored energy — like a rock sitting on a hill.

In life, potential energy looks like:

• “I know I should go to the gym.”

• “I know I should sleep earlier.”

• “I know I should meal prep.”

  
  

You’re loaded with intention, but not moving.

From TEM:

• Thought: “I should change.”

• Energy: mild guilt, tension, awareness.

• Mass: no action.

  
  

This is a system with a lot of potential energy and very little kinetic energy.

How do you release it?

In physics, the rock moves when:

- the angle changes, or

- a small nudge pushes it past the tipping point.

In your life, the “angle” is your environment and friction:

- Gym bag already packed = steeper hill in the right direction

- Healthy food visible, junk food harder to reach

- Training partner waiting for you

- Workout scheduled with an alarm

A tiny nudge (1 decision) can convert “I know what I should do” into actual movement.

You’re Not Lacking Motivation — You’re Loaded With Potential Energy

Ultimately, there really is no motivation problem.

It's a physics problem.

If you’ve ever thought:

“I know what I should do… I just can’t make myself do it.”

That’s not laziness.

That’s not a character flaw.

That’s potential energy waiting for motion.

Like a rock on a hill, nothing is broken in the system.

It’s simply waiting for the right angle — or a small nudge.

In Part 2, we’ll explore what actually prevents motion:

• the hidden friction behind “I don’t feel like it”

• how emotions drain usable energy

• and how tiny, engineered actions can reverse inertia — even on your lowest days

Because once you understand force and friction, you stop fighting yourself.

And start training your life like a system that wants to move.