The longer we avoid our work, the more fear and self-doubt we create that keep us from doing it. Modern consumer culture exploits our unhappiness by selling us products, drugs, and distractions. But, if it remains unaddressed we can become aggressive and even depressive or dysfunctional. Then, we try to avoid it by distracting ourselves. Unalleviated Resistance grows until it becomes unendurable. Lance Armstrong had cancer and won the Tour de France three years and counting.” Pressfield writes: “Tolstoy had thirteen kids and wrote War and Peace. Once these rationalizations become part of our identity they will be almost impossible to overcome. Rationalization offers seemingly logical, plausible, and rational justifications for why you can’t do your work right now. The same is true for tolerating trouble, criticizing others, self-dramatization, and victimhood used to avoid your work.īut, Resistance’s greatest ally is rationalization. Grandios fantasies, an endless search for healing, and the need to be ready before doing your work are all allies of Resistance. When they become aware that you try to overcome Resistance many will try to sabotage us. Another ally of Resistance are other people. We know that we’ve used them to distract ourselves when we feel hollow or empty afterward.
Examples include Netflix, porn, video games, social media, or binge-eating. It provides cheap and easy forms of consumption and indulgence that we can use to avoid our work. But, if you habitually delay what’s most important to you, one day it will be too late to do it. One ally is procrastination which is easy to rationalize. Now you might ask “why don’t we overcome Resistance?” It’s because Resistance has nefarious allies. It feels like a lousy misery pervading everything, unhappiness, boredom, restlessness, or hell. It’s a repelling force that radiates from work-in-potential. “Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. Resistance will tell you whatever is necessary for you to give up and pursue your lower-tendencies instead.Īs Steven Pressfield writes in his book The War of Art: Your work is what’s most important to you.
Its sole purpose is to prevent you from doing your work. It arises when you reject immediate gratification in favor of doing something good that lasts. What keeps you from living it is Resistance. You could live a life far greater than the one you currently live.
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