Feeling no friction? It could mean you're standing still.

Friction is a good sign. It means you’re moving.

Ever noticed that as you work at something, it seems to get harder as you go along? Take weight loss, for example. As you get closer to your goal weight, progress slows. You have to amp up your workouts and be even stricter with your diet to hit the mark and maintain it. The same is true for just about any lofty goal. Inevitably you hit a steep curve, encounter lots of resistance, and progress seems to slow to a crawl.

It’s tempting to think that because things are getting more difficult to move forward that you’re getting nowhere. Encountering friction isn’t a lot of fun. But you only generate friction when you’re moving. That’s a simple law of physics.

Think of pushing a heavy couch across a carpeted floor. When the couch is just sitting there, it’s subject to the law of inertia: an object at rest will remain at rest…unless acted upon by an outside force. To get the couch moving, you’ve got to overcome inertia and friction. Paradoxically, the harder you push, the more friction you generate. This an another simple physics law, one you’re probably very familiar with: every action is met with an equal and opposite reaction. The greater the force moving forward, the greater the pushback will be.

When you encounter resistance with whatever you’re pushing forward on--whether it be a sticky work situation, starting a business, or creating a better life for your family, to name a few--keep in mind that friction is actually a good sign. No friction means you’re standing still. Standing still equals no progress. The other thing to remember is that there are more ways to overcome friction than just pushing harder.

Attention to the details is one way to reduce the friction in your life. Being well organized means that fewer little obstacles litter your path to increase friction as you go along. Delegating (aka simply asking for help) is one way of increasing the energy input without burning yourself out in the process. Look around. What can you do to reduce the friction in your life? Increase the energy inputs? Polish the surfaces so that there’s less rub?

And remember, friction is a good sign. It means you’re moving.