Remember being scared of the “boogie man” as a kid.  Far from the fuzzy lovable “Monsters Inc.” version, the real boogie man spooked a lot of kids. Lurking in the closet or under the bed, he was there to pounce—whatever that means.

For you conspiracy-nuts, I’d suggest someone look into the possibility that the boogie man was invented by the night-lite industry—just a tip.  The point is that all you need to destroy the death grip of a boogie man is a small amount of light. Turn on your Lightning McQueen night-lite or poke a flashlight into that foreboding closet and poof, the boogie man is history.

OK, now make a leap with me. I’d like to suggest that inertia is like the boogie man.  When you postpone something that needs to be done, allow the backlog of unfinished tasks to accumulate, fail to make a decision, or procrastinate the start of a new initiative, the gravity of inertia grows geometrically.  Self-defeating self-talk starts to swirl in our heads and before we know it, the size of the task feels paralyzing. That project feels more like Mt. Everest than a freeway on-ramp. We begin to convince ourselves that success is not possible. But, here’s the deal, inertia has no real power, it is all in our head. It is the self-defeat of inaction.

It doesn’t take much effort at all to replace inertia with movement. Just like the power of a tiny night-lite, in the realm of self-leadership all it takes is the first proactive step. Make that phone call. Write that note. Make a first decision. It doesn’t have to be the perfect first step, and it doesn’t have to be a big step, any first step with do. Just take one and instantly you are “unstuck.” Instantly you have emasculated the boogie man of inertia. He has no more power over you. You have unfrozen the situation and poof, inertia is history.

So, where are you feeling the oppressive gravity of something unfinished, unstarted, undecided, unresolved? Pick the biggest scariest boogie man of them all and do ONE little thing right now. Take one first step today. Open the closet door and shine a light into the darkness.

The freedom you will experience is exhilarating.

In one first step you will begin to replace inertia with momentum. And, momentum is a great experience. What are you waiting for? What is that step you need to take today?