Go buy this book. It'll learn ya something.
In his book The War of Art, Stephen Pressfield describes The Resistance.
My one-time roommate Myke Cole, author of Car Trouble ;-), mentioned the source today. Myke writes at some length on the ethos of Going Pro, the other major theme in the book. I won’t be writing at that length on the Resistance, not for now, but it’s important that we define what it is we’re encountering.
The Enemy of Purpose: The Resistance
But, in order for me to achieve what I want for you, this blog has to have some definitions, and The Resistance is the first one.
The Resistance is an elemental force that stands between you and the work you are meant to do. It’s a living, breathing enemy that can never be killed or fully beaten. It’s the enemy within – and without -your consciousness. You have to acknowledge, name and respect it to beat it. Every day, you have to contend with The Resistance.
The Resistance is the lack of self discipline when you need it the most, the times that you’re distracted when you should be working. It’s your wife picking this particular moment to get fussy, or the cat that meows at the door when you need to focus. It’s eating too much, drinking too much, eating, listless.
Anything that distracts you from your calling is The Resistance, and it seems to come when you need the most focus. I believe that it’s The Resistance that The Nazarene describes in the book of Matthew “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Anything standing between you – and your highest and best use – is The Resistance. Including your own enthusiasm: setting up a project with unrealistic deadlines and a schedule that would burn anyone out is The Resistance.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. We lose our lives a day at a time, and we lose opportunity when we surrender to The Resistance. Each time we knock off early, or justify nonproduction today with planned or past production we lose to the resistance.
The Resistance will eat your life if you let it.
Ryan Holiday does a good job describing the outcome of losing to The Resistance here.
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