I recently revisited a most excellent book that I first discovered about 13 years ago, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. When I read it the first time, I was in a different place in my career and found it really useful in going after a goal I had for a long time. In the present day, I turned to it to help me reach some new and much larger goals.
I don’t think I can encapsulate the book in a blog post, nor would I try because it’s one of those things you really do have to read for yourself to benefit the most from. There is a quote in it however that I feel perfectly summarizes some of the book’s biggest takeaways:
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
Resistance is that force that stops you from following your dreams/goals and doing those things that you have always wanted to do – write a book, start a business, complete your education, get in shape – hell, maybe all of those things – but you just can’t seem to get to the finish line on. This Resistance manifests itself in things like fear of failure, procrastination, and self doubt. If you have struggled with these things (and really…who hasn’t??) then you know that they can be really difficult to work through.
The good news is, though, that Resistance CAN be overcome…many people have done it, and so can you. The author provides you with ways you can do just that, and it does so in a very relatable way. The book is also a relatively short read – only about 160ish pages.
If you have never read this book, I highly recommend it…regardless of what field you are in. And if you want to read further, I also recommend Do The Work and Turning Pro by the same author. All 3 of these have taught me a TON about how to grab Resistance by the throat, say NOPE, NOT TODAY, throw it to the side, and keep my eye on the mountain.
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