Inertia, say behavioural economists, is the result of
1. Oover-optimism about the present situation +
2. Loss aversion (the human tendency to experience losses more acutely than gains). If a major account you’ve had your sights on has said “not now”, you know what I’m talking about.
When judging the likelihood of positive outcomes, human beings have a tendency to be over-optimistic or overconfident: they think that the future is rosy, especially for them.
Almost all of us believe ourselves to be in the top 20 percent of the population when it comes to driving, pleasing a partner, or running a business.
Optimism not only generates unrealistic forecasts but also leads managers to underestimate future challenges. Knowing inertia is your biggest enemy, suggest starting with a “validation” exercise such as a small-scale test where there is less risk.
After all, you’re in this for the long term