On the way to work one week, I managed to hit every single red light. There are 12 in total, which meant 12 times I had to brake, stop, get off my bike, wait, watch for a green light, push off, get on my bike, and accelerate. It was far more mentally and physically exhausting than my usual commute.

Last week, I was sick and wasn’t able to write as much as I would’ve liked to. Now, after that hiatus, writing feels a lot harder than I remember.

These two cases illustrate something about rest and inertia. In the productivity realm, there is a strong case for showing up daily. Doing things even you don’t want to. There are many reasons for this which James Clear covers in Atomic Habits: the 1% rule, the power of identity, etc. But one reason I haven’t seen discussed as much is the idea of inertia. It is far easier to produce something when you have a streak of action; where your body is used to it. To take a break, then come back, might seem like a well deserved rest. But I think it can be a net increase in energy. Just like it is far easier to continuously pedal without stopping on a bike, so it is with other things.