diff --git a/_mental_models/mental-momentum.md b/_mental_models/mental-momentum.md index fdf82ce..89940c4 100644 --- a/_mental_models/mental-momentum.md +++ b/_mental_models/mental-momentum.md @@ -1,17 +1,64 @@ --- layout: mental-model name: Mental Momentum -benefit: Coming soon -summary: Coming soon +benefit: Makes it easier to keep going +summary: Stay on a meaningful problem long enough, and momentum works in your favor. prerequisites: --- -#### Description +## Description -A concept is like a vehicle, dept of topic is mass and time spent on topic is velocity. +A concept is like a vehicle. The depth of the topic is its mass. The time you spend on it is its velocity. When both increase, momentum builds. -#### Practice +If you only touch a topic lightly, momentum never forms. If you constantly switch between tasks, you reset velocity back to zero. Each restart requires energy. Each interruption reduces force. +Mental momentum explains why the first part of any deep work session feels heavy. Your mind is accelerating. After a while, thinking becomes smoother. Connections form faster. The problem space becomes familiar. What initially felt complex begins to organize itself. Shallow engagement produces shallow results. Sustained engagement produces depth. +Momentum is not about intensity for a few minutes. It is about staying long enough for the mind to fully enter the problem. -#### Example-1 +Once momentum builds, progress compounds. When it breaks, friction returns. + +## Practice +1. Pick one meaningful problem or concept. +2. Decide in advance how long you will stay with it (no switching). +3. Remove distractions. +4. Track how your clarity improves as time passes. + +### Example-1 + +**Improving matchmaking logic in a game.** + +If you spend 20 minutes thinking about it and then switch to emails, momentum resets. + +Instead, block 3 uninterrupted hours. +- Dive into edge cases. +- Simulate different player scenarios. +- Refactor assumptions. + +After 2–3 hours, solutions start appearing that wouldn’t surface in fragmented thinking. + +### Example-2 + +**Studying for an important exam.** + +If you study for 15 minutes, check your phone, then come back later, you keep restarting. It always feels hard. + +Instead, study for a full 90-minute session without interruptions. +- Work through multiple problems. +- Review mistakes. +- Connect concepts together. + +After a while, the material starts to click. What felt confusing begins to make sense. + +### Example-3 + +**Learning a difficult concept (e.g., a new algorithm or business strategy).** + +Reading one article every few days keeps you in restart mode. + +Instead, immerse yourself for a full afternoon. +- Read multiple sources. +- Take notes. +- Apply it immediately. + +By the end of the session, the concept feels lighter.