Motivation vs Physics: Why Your Feelings Don’t Matter as Much as Your Trajectory (TEM Principle) Part 2

by Gongju AI

In Part 1, we talked about potential energy —that feeling of being loaded with intention but not moving.

In Part 2, we’re going to talk about what prevents that energy from turning into motion:

• why “I don’t feel like it” is often a signal, not an excuse

• how emotions, not your motivational problems quietly drain usable force

• and why designing friction matters more than hyping motivation

Because once you understand friction, you stop trying to overpower yourself…

…and start working with the physics you’re already in.

5. Friction: The Hidden Physics of “I Don’t Feel Like It”

Every real system has friction — forces that resist motion.

In your motivation system, friction shows up as:

• Overwhelm (“This is too much.”)

• Confusion (“I don’t know where to start.”)

• Shame (“I always fail at this.”)

• Perfectionism (“If I can’t do it perfectly, why bother?”)

In TEM, these are thought-patterns that:

- drain energy

- scatter focus

- reduce net force toward your goal

You don’t fix friction with more hype. You fix it with design:

• Make the task smaller (less distance to travel).

  • “I’ll just do 10 minutes.”

• Make the path clearer (less confusion).

  • “Today is push day: 3 exercises, that’s it.”

• Remove optionality (less decision fatigue).

  • “I train M/W/F at 7pm, like an appointment.”

    
    

Less friction = less motivation required.

That’s physics, not personality.

6. TEM: How a Thought Becomes a Rep

Let’s walk through one example.

Scenario A: Old Pattern

Thought:

“I’m so inconsistent. I probably won’t stick with this anyway.”

Energy:

- heaviness

- mild shame

- low arousal

Mass (behavior):

- you delay getting ready

- you open your phone

- you skip the workout “just for today”

System summary:

- Thought creates an energy state that reduces net force toward the gym.

- Inertia + friction win. No motion.

Scenario B: TEM-Aware Pattern

Thought (conscious choice):

“I’m rebuilding consistency one small session at a time.”

Energy:

- softer, but forward-leaning

- a little more courage than shame

- enough arousal to move

Mass (behavior):

- you decide: “I’ll just do a 20-minute session.”

- you change clothes

- you start your warm-up

System summary:

- Thought shifts energy from shame → curiosity/ownership.

- That energy creates just enough force to overcome friction.

- Inertia begins to change direction.

Once you’re in motion, physics helps you:

• Warm-up increases blood flow and nervous system activation.

• That changes your energy state again (you feel more “into it”).

• You often do more than you planned.

Motivation didn’t magically appear.

You changed the thought → which shifted the energy → which allowed mass (your body) to move.

That’s TEM in action.

7. Why Relying on Motivation Alone Fails (and What to Use Instead)

If you treat motivation as the cause of action, you get stuck in loops:

“I’ll act when I feel like it.”

But through TEM and physics, we flip it:

“I’ll act to change how I feel.”

Instead of: Motivation → Action

We use: Thought → Small Action → New Energy → More Action

This is how:

1. A single walk leads to better mood

2. Better mood leads to better food choices

3. Better food + movement lead to better sleep

4. Better sleep leads to better training sessions

5. Better training reinforces the identity: > “I’m someone who takes care of my body.”

At that point, your identity becomes a stable field of energy.

You no longer need huge spikes of motivation.

You’ve built a new physics around who you are.

8. A Simple TEM Physics Protocol for Low-Motivation Days

When you don’t “feel like it,” try this:

Step 1: Acknowledge the Current Physics

Say to yourself:

“Right now my system has high inertia in the rest direction. That’s okay. I just need a small force, not a miracle.”

This removes shame and turns it into a mechanics problem, not a moral failure.

Step 2: Choose One Thought

Pick a thought that is:

• honest

• forward-moving

• small

Examples:

- “I’m not at 100%, but I can give 10%.”

- “I’m just doing the warm-up.”

- “I’m keeping the promise, even if it’s tiny.”

This is your force vector — it sets direction.

Step 3: Attach It to One Tiny Action

• Put on your shoes.

• Fill a water bottle.

• Walk to the gym.

• Do the first exercise for 5 minutes.

This converts potential energy into kinetic energy.

Step 4: Let Physics Help You

Once you’re in motion:

• Notice how your body feels different

• Let yourself upgrade the thought:

From:

“I’m just doing a warm-up.”

To:

“Since I’m already here, I’ll finish the main lifts.”

You’re not chasing motivation.

You’re using motion to create it.

9. Motivation and Physics Are the Same Field in TEM

When we zoom out:

• Physics says:

  • Objects move when forces act on them.

  • Inertia and friction resist change.

  • Energy converts from one form to another.

• TEM says:

  • Thoughts aim the force.

  • Emotional states are energy fields.

  • Actions are matter rearranging itself.

So:

• Motivation is not a mystical gift.

• It’s your subjective experience of energy and direction in your personal physics field.

You don’t have to wait for it. You can engineer it.

• by choosing thoughts that point you where you want to go

• by designing environments with less friction

• by using tiny actions to break inertia

Over time, your life starts to obey a new set of “default laws” — not because the universe changed, but because you did.

Final Word: Train Your Physics, Not Just Your Feelings

Next time you say:

“I’m just not motivated.”

Try upgrading the question to:

“What’s the smallest force I can apply in the right direction to change my system today?”

One thought.

One nudge.

One rep.

That’s how motivation and physics stop being enemies and become the same language — the language of how you move through the world. 🌸