Rav Tzadok Ha-Kohen of Lublin makes a fascinating comment about chipazon, suggesting that in our religious lives, we need to identify a moment of enthusiasm and capitalize upon that moment, leveraging the inspiration to move ahead to religious action:
The beginning of a person’s entry to Divine Service must be be-chipazon, just as we find in Egypt, where the lamb was eaten in a rush, as opposed to the celebration of Pesach in subsequent years (Pesach Dorot). This is because the beginning necessitates that one break the ties of worldly desire by which one is entangled. Hence, one must preserve the moment in which one feels the impetus to serve God and to seize the moment – fast – and maybe one will see success. Later, one can move more moderately and steadily as inPesach Dorot. (Siman #1)
An example he provides is one who is entrenched in a burning desire to eat. Firstly, he must immediately stop from anything which is considered “extra,” even if he knows himself that he will not be able to continue in this way for a considerable length of time, and therefore he might be wanting in his resolution; nevertheless, he should be steadfast and hold firm to make this initial commitment.
For Rav Tzadok, chipazon represents a feeling of passion and enthusiasm, an inspired moment, a surge of momentum and desire. Like a first love, there is a sense of urgency, a rush of emotion, a heightened emotional state.
But why is it necessary? Whenever one wishes to change something in life, there is inertia. We are always bound by bonds of comfort and familiarity. These are the most threatening hindrances to change, growth, and development. In life, one needs more energy to start than to continue.
How do we counter the negative forces that persuade us to resist change? The answer is chipazon, speed. Jump out of bed! “Just do it!” Chipazon is the flurry of starting; it is a force, an energy, a spirit of carpe diem. One must harness this enthusiasm to conquer inertia, habit, and laziness. Sometimes, if we fail to seize the initial momentum, we get stuck in the details, the bureaucracy, the logistics, and a wonderful idea evaporates and never happens.
He stresses several times and emphasizes that when a person finds himself entrenched in one of the desires found in this world, and it is one that he habitually performs over and over again, and he sees no practical way out of this; the moment he is inspired to take action to prevent this future behavior, he must immediately detach himself completely from any connection to this desire whatsoever, and only afterwards, when he is somewhat successful of distancing himself from these desires, then he should work slowly and patiently with a clear concrete plan and ease of mind.