It’s Easier to Get into Something Than It Is to Get out of Something

It’s easier to get into something than it is to get out of something.

This isn’t something most people think about, but upon hearing, say, “Yeah, isn’t that the truth!?” This is a human insight with implications for anything we start – like a new partnership, position, or program.  

In the natural world, it has a parallel with Newton’s first law of motion: An object in motion tends to stay in motion.

And, while the insight would seem to be a caution about jumping into things quickly, I think of it more as a law of human behavior. For instance, with a new program commitment we might want to think about the exit strategy – in case it’s needed. For a new funding relationship it means we should (often) be less concerned with getting a maximized gift commitment and maybe just focus on getting a new prospect ‘in’ and committed to our work (at any level).