Are you tired of feeling stuck in a rut? When it seems like nothing is going well, and you can’t seem to get out of the funk that has been following you around for weeks, months, or even years? If so, then this is for you.
This article will talk about ten lessons from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and how they can help you get unstuck and start creating!
1. Resistance is always active
The first thing you need to realize when trying to get past Resistance, which Pressfield describes as “the most toxic force on the planet,” is that it’s ALWAYS there. Even if you are not feeling very inspired or blocked right this moment, deep down inside of yourself lies your inner critic reminding you why writing, painting, or building that big project is a bad idea.
And guess what? This voice of Resistance will always be waiting for you, ready to pounce on your dreams and tell you why they are impossible or not worth doing!
The good news here is that no matter how long it’s been since you’ve allowed yourself to create something meaningful, resistance has no memory, and it is a brand new day. Resistance has no power over you unless you give it the power to stop you from creating!
“Resistance cannot think, but it can do somethings better than any thinking entity: It can sense your fear, it can smell the slightest waft of courage. So when you turn and face Resistance when you take even one small step toward doing what you know in your heart you must do, resistance will back off.”
2. The more scared you are of a work or calling, the more sure you can be that it is important to you
Remember when I told you earlier in this article that Resistance will always be there waiting for your current project with fresh eyes? Well, knowing how much resistance wants to stop us from creating anything new, we need to use our fear as fuel to get started.
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that this is an area where growth lies for us.” And how do you use your fear as fuel? By getting past resistance and taking action!
“Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore, the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and our growth.”
3. You can’t wait for inspiration.
You have to go after it with a club. When we try to force creativity through sheer willpower alone, Pressfield’s advice is that it doesn’t work. We end up feeling exhausted and drained instead of inspired!
What does work do that scares us most (facing resistance), whether or not it makes sense, and staying on task until inspiration strikes?
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “Waiting for inspiration is a chump’s game.”
What are you afraid of? What would happen if you didn’t procrastinate on it any longer and got started right now?
Remember that Resistance has no power over you unless you give it the power to stop your creative process by making excuses or finding reasons not to start.
4. If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll be waiting the rest of your life
What if I told you that there is no such thing as being 100% ready to take action? Stop scaring yourself by thinking about how unprepared or unqualified you are!
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “If we were to wait for the ‘perfect moment’ before beginning, we would never begin at all.” Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect time to take action. So take a deep breath and just get started!
“We must each find our way because the most unique thing about us is precisely what we choose to dedicate ourselves to.”
5. Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance
What if I told you that while we all experience resistance in different ways, it has some things in common?
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “Resistance matures us. It teaches us not only how to accept responsibility, but how to shoulder it.” Remember that resistance is your friend and not your enemy. It has the power to help you grow as a person!
“All great artists acknowledge this: Resistance cannot be reasoned with; you can only outwit it.”
6. We must each find our way because the most unique thing about us is precisely what we choose to dedicate ourselves to
Why does it matter what you spend your time on? Because value and significance in your life directly correlate with achievement.
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “If we each did the work of our life if everyone contributed to society commensurate with his ability and ambition, we would abolish poverty overnight.”
“The most important decision you make is what you will devote your life to. In that one choice are wrapped up all the meaning and purpose of your existence.”
Don’t you wish that all of your failures were stepping stones to something great? Instead of being so hard on yourself, try seeing things from a different perspective!
7. Stop making excuses
What if I told you that the only way to stop procrastinating is by stopping your excuses?
Here’s what Pressfield has to say about it: “The professional says, ‘I’m sorry. I wish I could help you but…'” Remember that our ability to rationalize why we can’t do something creates an excuse, which has the power to keep you stuck!
“The professional knows that there are always good reasons why we cannot do what must be done.”
So stop making excuses and take action now. Just because something is hard does not mean it’s impossible. What if I told you that every single one of us had felt this way at some point before?
“The amateur, on the other hand, does not know how close he is to victory. He doesn’t realize that all of these supposed disasters are part of the game.”
Conclusion: War of Art
What if I told you that the key to getting started is by being aware of your self-sabotaging behaviour? First, recognize what you’re avoiding. Then ask yourself why do you avoid it and finally take action! Our ability to see that Resistance is a part of our daily lives has the power to help us stop procrastinating.