How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield, author of "The War of Art," discusses overcoming "resistance" to creative work. He shares concrete strategies for daily structure, idea capture, and discipline, emphasizing a "professional" mindset and the role of physical training.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Defining Resistance and Its Connection to Soul's Growth
Impact of Military Training and Physical Regimen on Overcoming Resistance
Capturing Ideas and the Concept of the Muse
Writing Process: Focus, Inner Critic, and Multiple Drafts
Structuring Writing Sessions and Minimizing Distractions
The Nature of Creative Calling and Voices of Resistance
Loved Ones: Projection, Resistance, and Sabotage
Societal Traps: Anger, Numbing Out, and Following Your Calling
The Importance of Mentors and Lessons on Focus and Perseverance
Overcoming Perfectionism and the Fear of Judgment
Contemplating Mortality and the Drive to Create
The Role of Competition and Proving Oneself in Drive
Learning from Failure: The King Kong Lives Experience
Handling Success, External Validation, and Longevity in Craft
The Concept of Turning Pro: Amateur vs. Professional Habits
The Cost of Turning Pro and Dealing with Others' Reactions
Balancing Practicality and Spirituality in the Creative Process
Forthcoming Book: The Arcadian and Future Projects
5 Key Concepts
Resistance (capital R)
Resistance is an inner, self-sabotaging force that tries to stop individuals from doing their most important work or pursuing their true calling. It manifests as procrastination, self-doubt, fear, and distractions, and is directly proportionate to the importance of the project to one's soul's evolution.
The Muse
The Muse is an external, divine source of ideas and inspiration, as described by ancient Greeks. Artists invoke the Muse to receive creative insights, believing that ideas come from a higher plane rather than solely from the subconscious mind, and the artist's role is to channel this inspiration.
Thinking in Multiple Drafts
This is a writing strategy where one focuses on completing a full draft without self-criticism, knowing that improvements will be made in subsequent drafts. The idea is that only one thing can be fixed effectively in a single draft, preventing perfectionism from hindering progress.
Turning Pro
Turning Pro is a mindset shift from thinking like an amateur to thinking like a professional in one's creative or professional pursuit. It involves adopting professional habits such as showing up daily, working consistently, not taking success or failure personally, playing hurt, and not letting feelings dictate work ethic.
Pulling the Pin
Originating from railroad terminology for uncoupling cars, 'pulling the pin' metaphorically refers to quitting a project or endeavor too soon. It represents a failure to persevere and finish what one started, a habit that can be overcome by committing to completion.
8 Questions Answered
The project most important for one's soul's growth is often the one that evokes the most fear and resistance. This fear acts as a sign that the 'tree' (dream) is big and significant, indicating it's the path one should pursue.
Physical training, particularly early morning gym sessions, serves as a 'rehearsal' for facing the resistance of creative work. It builds momentum and a sense of accomplishment, making the subsequent mental work feel less daunting.
Ideas often emerge when the mind is occupied with something else, like showering or driving. It's crucial to immediately capture these 'whispers' by dictating them into a phone or writing them down, as they are evanescent and easily forgotten.
He learned to not let the inner critic interfere, focusing instead on 'thinking in multiple drafts.' He never judges the day's work immediately, only asking if he put in the time and effort, believing quality will be addressed in later revisions.
Steven Pressfield found that while he used to write for four hours, he now achieves the same output in about two highly focused hours. He stops when he starts making mistakes or feels tired, recognizing the point of diminishing returns to avoid paying for it the next day.
Loved ones, often unconsciously, may try to sabotage or undermine an individual's creative calling because they prefer the familiar version of that person. This can stem from their own unaddressed resistance or a desire to keep the individual 'safe' within a comfortable, often mediocre, compact.
One of the major causes of scientific fraud is the pressure researchers feel to publish landmark papers in top-tier journals, leading them to compromise ethical standards in pursuit of perceived success.
The significant cost of turning pro is often the reaction of people around you. When one starts taking their pursuits seriously, it can be perceived as a reproach by friends and family who may try to sabotage or ridicule them, sometimes necessitating leaving certain relationships behind.
31 Actionable Insights
1. Adopt Professional Mindset
Shift your mindset from an amateur to a professional to overcome struggles. A professional shows up every day, stays on the job, does not take success or failure personally, plays hurt, and doesn’t care how they feel, they just do the work.
2. Act as Your Own CEO
Adopt the mental model of being the CEO of your own ‘corporation’ (e.g., ‘Huberman Lab, FSO, for services of Andrew Huberman’) to separate your personal self from your professional self. This allows you to pitch ideas and work with a professional detachment, removing personal judgment from failures and overcoming shyness.
3. Embrace Fearful Projects
If you have multiple projects, choose the one you’re most afraid of, as that fear (resistance) indicates its importance to your soul’s evolution. The bigger the dream, the bigger the resistance, signaling it’s the project you should pursue.
4. Fulfill Calling, Avoid Malignancy
Recognize that suppressing your true calling or creative energy can lead to destructive behaviors such as addiction, self-abuse, or cruelty to others. Following your calling, though hard, channels this energy positively.
5. Embrace Life’s Longness
Recognize that life is long and presents continuous opportunities and obligations to evolve and create. This perspective encourages sustained effort and prevents the mindset of giving up or slacking off due to perceived limited time.
6. Gym as Resistance Rehearsal
Engage in difficult physical activity, like going to the gym early, as a rehearsal for facing resistance in creative work. This builds momentum and makes subsequent tasks feel less daunting, acting as a ’little success’.
7. Capture Ephemeral Ideas
Capture important thoughts and ideas immediately, such as by dictating into your phone, because they are evanescent and will quickly disappear if not recorded. This ensures you don’t lose valuable insights that ‘burbble up’ when your mind is occupied elsewhere.
8. Invoke Muse Daily
Before starting creative work, perform an invocation of the muse or a similar ritual, like saying a prayer out loud, to ask for inspiration and help. This practice helps open the pipeline for ideas and gets your ego out of the way.
9. Plunge Directly Into Work
Begin your work session by immediately plunging into the task without hesitation or wondering what to do. This direct approach helps overcome initial resistance and maintains focus.
10. Silence Inner Critic, Don’t Reread
Do not allow the inner critic to interfere during the creative process; focus on creating without judgment. Avoid reviewing the day’s work immediately or the next day to prevent perfectionism and allow for a fresh perspective on subsequent drafts.
11. Utilize Multiple Drafts
Approach creative projects with a mindset of multiple drafts, understanding that you can only effectively fix one major thing per draft. This strategy prevents getting bogged down by perfectionism and allows for progressive refinement.
12. Prioritize Effort Over Quality
At the end of each work session, only evaluate whether you put in the time and worked as hard as you could, rather than judging the quality of the output. Trust that quality will emerge through subsequent drafts and sustained effort.
13. Stop at Diminishing Returns
Stop working when you start making mistakes or feel tired, recognizing the point of diminishing returns to avoid hurting yourself or producing counterproductive work. Pushing too hard at the end of a long day can negatively impact the next day’s performance.
14. End With Clear Start
Conclude your work session when you know exactly what comes next, leaving an ’ellipse’ in your mind. This provides an easier entry point for the next session, making it less daunting to restart.
15. Consistent Daily Work
Aim for consistent daily work, even if it’s only a couple of hours, as this can be as effective as full-time dedication for artistic pursuits. It demonstrates that significant creative output is possible alongside other life commitments.
16. Maintain Consistent Schedule
Maintain a regimented work schedule, starting at more or less the same time each day, to build consistency and routine. While flexibility is sometimes necessary, a consistent schedule supports sustained effort.
17. Eliminate Digital Distractions
Eliminate distractions during creative work by keeping your phone away (unless for dictating notes) and ensuring the internet is not engaged on your computer. This creates a focused environment conducive to deep work.
18. Work in Silence
Avoid listening to music or other auditory distractions while working to fully immerse yourself in your creative universe. This allows for deeper concentration and connection to your internal dialogue.
19. Seduce Your Audience
When creating, be highly aware of your audience, aiming to lead, seduce, and reel them in, ensuring the content is interesting and avoids repetition. The goal is to make them eager for what comes next.
20. Craft Compelling Content
Create content that is so good, interesting, and intriguing that people will overcome their initial resistance or disinterest. This applies to any form of communication, compelling the audience to engage.
21. Manage Success Humbly
Be prepared to handle success and your ‘big break’ with humility and self-regulation, as many people fail not because of inability, but because they cannot cope with the attention or changes that come with success. Develop methods to stay grounded.
22. Self-Validate, Ignore Feedback
Strive to ignore external feedback, both positive and negative, about your work, and instead judge it solely by your own standards. This helps maintain internal validation and prevents being swayed by public opinion.
23. Embrace Lifelong Practice
Immediately begin the next project or iteration as soon as one is finished, viewing creative work as a continuous, lifelong practice for the love of the craft. This fosters sustained engagement and growth.
24. Desensitize to Criticism
Understand that consistent exposure to negative feedback will naturally reduce its emotional impact over time. The more you put out there, the less individual comments will affect you.
25. Avoid Outcome Overanalysis
Avoid overanalyzing the reasons for a project’s success or failure, as many factors like timing and promotion are beyond your control and difficult to ascertain. Focus instead on whether you did your best.
26. Prioritize Calling Over Balance
Accept that pursuing your true calling with full dedication may lead to an unbalanced life, requiring you to prioritize your craft above other aspects. This intense focus is often necessary for significant creative achievement.
27. Shed Mediocre Relationships
Be prepared to distance yourself from friends or groups who consciously or unconsciously maintain a ‘compact of mediocrity’ and try to sabotage your efforts to grow. Seek out environments and relationships that support your high standards.
28. Seek High-Standard Peers
Actively seek environments where you are surrounded by individuals who are also striving and pushing themselves to high standards. Being among high achievers elevates your own standards and fosters personal growth.
29. Embrace Discomfort for Focus
Intentionally choose a slightly uncomfortable work environment, such as an uncomfortable chair, to prevent creature comforts from becoming a distraction. This encourages focus on the work itself rather than physical ease.
30. Eliminate Complaining
Refrain from complaining, viewing it as a vice and a form of resistance that saps energy and focus. Instead, channel that energy into productive action.
31. Commit to Early Rising
Commit to waking up early, regardless of prior sleep duration, to cultivate discipline and gain a head start on the day. This practice can have an antidepressant effect and increase productivity.
7 Key Quotes
The more important to your soul's growth, the stronger the resistance will be.
Steven Pressfield
A professional doesn't care how they feel. They do it.
Steven Pressfield
When you have a thought that feels important, write it down because you think it will be there later, but certain thoughts and ideas are offered up and they don't last, at least not in that form. You need to catch them.
Andrew Huberman
I don't believe it's really coming from the subconscious. I'm a believer in the goddess. I'm a believer in the muse. I think it's coming from someplace else.
Steven Pressfield
To follow your calling is a really hard thing. You know, it's not, uh, we were born to be by evolution, to be tribal creatures, you know, through all those evolution. And the opposite, the one thing that the tribe hates the most is somebody that goes his own way or her own way, right?
Steven Pressfield
A professional does not take success or failure personally, but keeps on going and does the next one and the next one and the next one.
Steven Pressfield
You never want to be the big fish in the small pond. That's the worst place to be. It's the most uncomfortable, sad, low growth place to be. You want to be surrounded by people who are really striving, really pushing themselves.
Andrew Huberman
1 Protocols
Steven Pressfield's Daily Creative Work Routine
Steven Pressfield- Wake up early and go to the gym at quarter to five AM, viewing it as a 'rehearsal' for facing resistance.
- Recite an invocation of the muse (e.g., from Homer's Odyssey) before sitting down to work.
- Plunge directly into writing without hesitation or internal debate.
- Focus intensely for approximately one hour, avoiding distractions like phones or internet.
- Take a short break (e.g., to do laundry) to refresh the mind.
- Return for a second focused writing session of about one hour.
- Stop working when mistakes start to appear or fatigue sets in, recognizing diminishing returns.
- Do not review the day's work immediately; save it for a fresh perspective on the next draft.
- Dictate any new ideas that arise throughout the day into a phone for later transcription.