“I stand in awe of anyone who hatches a dream and who shows the guts to hang tough, all alone and see it through to reality.”
– Steven Pressfield
“Do the Work!” By Steven Pressfield; a book that helped me move from my position of inertia to completing this blog and many other projects on my drawing board for many years. The book is designed to coach you through a project such as writing a book, starting a new business venture or a philanthropic enterprise from conception to the finished product and seeing it through from the point of view of resistance.
The author gets strait to the point of telling you that you will need to overcome resistance and get out of your own way if you want to accomplish anything as an artist or an entrepreneur.
According to Pressfield, there are three forces aligned against you in your pursuit of accomplishing your dream as an artist or entrepreneur. These are:
- Resistance, which is fear, self-doubt, procrastination, distraction, timidity, perfectionism and the list, goes on.
- Rational thought.
- Friends and family.
I quite enjoy reading through the list of eleven activities that commonly elicit resistance as I see myself engaging in them and actually feeling the resistance. I will only mention the first three, as you will need to read the book for a comprehensive list. You will need to overcome resistance if you are embarking on:
- The pursuit of any calling in writing, music or creative art.
- The launching of any entrepreneurial venture or enterprise for profit or otherwise.
- Any diet or heath regime.
Fear of failing will hold you back. Rational thought will paralyze you as you over analyze, over plan and over research your project. Friends and family will offer well-meaning advice clouded by their own vested interest at maintaining the status quo.
The bulk of the book is all about Pressfield’s solution, which is “Do the work”, just get on with it. Of great value for me are his tips on the need to:
- Start before you are ready
- Suspend all self judgment
- Pull the trigger and ship it.
Laced with stories and personal experiences, “Do the Work” is a must read for you budding entrepreneurs, artists and if your dream is to make a change in your life and in the lives of others.
Have you read this book?