Whenever possible, rather than stopping your forward momentum altogether, try slowing down instead.
One of the worst strategies for finishing a marathon is to sprint-stop-sprint-stop-sprint-stop the whole way.
When you feel yourself getting winded—adjust your pace; shorten your stride; give yourself more time to breathe.
And at all costs: delay the urge to stop.
While rest might seem like the most energy efficient decision in the moment, as physics demonstrates, keeping your body in motion is actually the most energy efficient option long-term.
So that we’re clear, I’m not advocating you never stop working.
I am advocating that you commit to a working pace that you can sustain rather than one that you have to constantly start-stop.
For example: rather than read 100 pages sporadically every month or two—commit to 10 pages per day. And if 10 pages becomes too much, don’t stop altogether. Drop it to 5 pages per day. And if that’s still too much, drop it to one page. And if that’s too much—you’re playing yourself.
Keeping the momentum alive in your daily tasks is key to efficient and effective forward movement in your life.
Starting a stopped body is much harder than keeping a body in motion.
Keep your body in motion even when (especially when) your mind wants to stop.