Lately I have had no desire to push myself out the door and get some good old fashioned exercise. The kind where you put one foot in front of the other and you huff and puff for 30 minutes or more. I know what the problem is. Resistance!
The more resistance you feel towards doing something, the more important it is for you to do. And this resistance comes from within you (although it might not feel like it), and it fights nasty. So says Steven Pressfield of The War of Art.
Some of the symptoms of resistance? Procrastination, getting yourself into trouble, acting like a victim, feeling depressed, allowing distractions, criticizing others, self-doubt, fear, etc.
Pressfield suggests taking principles from what already is working in your life (such as a job) and applying it to those things you dream of doing (i.e getting in shape, publishing an article, raising funds for a good cause, getting a job, etc.). The most important step is to quit thinking about it and get started. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now.” (Goethe). And then keep going. Make it a habit. that’s where the power comes in.
Most of the book is full of great info, written in very short, readable chapters (some with strong language, so be forewarned). I’m not sure all of his thoughts are in line with the Christian world view, but it was all food for thought. Pressfield talks about a higher power, but uses a variety of terms for this. I prefer to think of this as the power of God.
There will always be resistance to what we want to accomplish. How badly do we want it and how hard are we willing to work towards reaching our goal? That’s really the bottom line.
Good word for me!
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