Do The Work

A couple nights ago while walking I was listening to a podcast by Michael Hyatt about “how to overcome the Resistance”. This is a phrase coined by Steven Pressfield to describe the force that works against you whenever you try to do something new or different. This resonated with me as I often find it easier to stay with the status quo rather than make changes that I know need to be made.

The Resistance has three strategies – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. 

Our typical response to FEAR is Procrastination. What we need to do is START.

Our typical response to UNCERTAINTY is Distraction. What we need to do is FOCUS.

Our typical response to DOUBT is to quit and leave the work unfinished. What we need to do is FINISH.

I picked up Pressfield’s book “Do the Work” and read it on the Kindle. This is a book in the same style as much of Seth Godin’s work. It was published by the Domino Project which was conceived by Seth Godin as a way to publish without bookstores and middlemen.

The book is short, an easy read, and it builds on ideas developed in Pressfield’s book “The War of Art” which I’ve added to my list of books to read. I have found that I’ve encountered “the Resistance” many times in my career without knowing what it was called. I always chalked up setbacks to inertia – people don’t like change. This book gives me some insight into setbacks and how to combat them. It also clarifies how committed you are to the change you are trying to make.

The  high point of the book for me was the test “How bad do you want it?”

Dabbling • Interested • Intrigued but Uncertain • Passionate • Totally Committed  

 If your answer is not the one on the far right, put this book down and throw it away.