It's the Resistance
Atomic Ideas from ‘The War of Art'
“I write only when inspiration strikes… thankfully it strikes every morning at 9am sharp” - Somerset Maugham
We all have the same 24 hours and yet, even people with same level of intelligence and opportunities vary so much when it comes to accomplishments.
Turns out that the only thing common (apart from 24 hrs in a day) across all of us is that we face the same resistance and ones who actually move forward are those who manage to have conquered the war against resistance.
We all have two lives
We all have two lives: the life we live and ‘the unlived life’. What stands between the two is the Resistance. The unlived life is everything you dream for, everything you wish you could tackle, everything you hope to accomplish.
If you’ve ever bought a treadmill that’s now gathering dust, you know what the Resistance is : Steven Pressfield.
War against resistance.
Whether one participates in this war defines if you are pro or an amateur artist (artist, in this context means anyone who is involved in the art of creation - as an entrepreneur, leader, engineer, marketer or any other role).
At age 75, legendary actor Henry Fonda still used to throw up each night before a stage performance! But once the first step on stage was taken, the nerves seemed to disappear!
He too faced resistance, but he kept moving forward.
Being fearful is just fine. Everyone is.
The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps. To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the pro it’s his vocation. The amateur plays part-time, the professional full-time.
The amateur is a weekend warrior. The professional is there seven days a week.
Sharing 5 key atomic ideas from the book ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield.
Recognize Resistance
Resistance: the inner force that sabotages our dreams
Resistance makes us avoid sitting down to start working. It makes us feel paralyzed about sharing our work with the world. It blocks us from finishing projects we’ve been working on forever.
Resistance is a universal phenomenon of the human psyche. Everyone experiences it. Resistance’s sole object is to prevent you and me from becoming concert pianists, writing bestselling novels. [Steven Pressfield]
Here are some common symptoms of Resistance, many of which you’ll probably be familiar with:
Feelings: fear, dread or reluctance around our work.
Thoughts: excuses and convincing rationalizations for our procrastination.
Habits: giving in to Resistance feels terrible, so afterwards we overindulge in distraction, consumption, and addictions. (Like our phones, food, shopping, pleasure, alcohol or drugs.)
How does one overcome resistance?
By personifying it.
That means seeing it as an outside force that is trying to trick us, and then fighting against it directly.
Expect Fear
You do not have to overcome fear.
The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.
Fear is a signal of importance. A strong feeling shows that you value something, like when a parent is scared for their child. Pressfield believes feeling scared is a great indicator that we must do the project.
Fear is proof of growth. When we’re repeating our old routine, then we feel safe and comfortable. When we’re trying something new, especially something a bit outside our current abilities, then we start to feel that inner tension.
Work Anyway
Professionals show up every day. They sit down to work, regardless of how they feel.
Professionals don’t wait for inspiration. When we sit down to work more often, then we’ll be blessed with inspiration more often, but it’s not something we can ever control.
Professionals focus on the craft. They have a ‘blue-collar attitude’ to their work. Every day, they can be productive and improve the fundamental skills of what they do. Like a painter who decides that today they will improve their ability using a specific brush.
Amateurs work when they feel like it or they feel inspired. Professionals show up and work every day, regardless of their mood.
When you commit to a territory, you can change the world
Each of us has a different calling. That means we all pick different territories to leave our mark in. You find your territory based on 3 things:
It makes you feel better every time you go there.
Your territory is a place where you feel you grow, where you’re challenged and satisfied at the same time. Could be your office or home or your fav coffee shop.You can only become king of the hill through hard work. The only respect a professor gains is through the recognition of his work. Arnie made the gym his own by working out there every day of the week.
It’s endless. The only limit to how much Hawking can get in recognition is the number of meaningful insights and theories he can produce – in theory, it’s endless. You get back however much you put in.
Happy conquering resistance. May the force be with you !
- ashish.
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