Doing The Work

If you've been wondering where I have been this past week I've been following Steve Pressfield's advice and I've been doing the Work. That is when I was not reading his latest book, which coincidentally is entitled, Do The Work.  

Steve says he designed the book to coach the reader through a project, from start to finish, as seen from the point of Resistance. It doesn't matter what the project is, a business venture or a novel.

If you are not sure what Resistance is it's that stuff that stops you from doing what your soul is calling you to do. Seth Godin calls it the lizard brain. For me, it's this ugly spiny centipede type of monster that tries to pull me in every direction but towards the work. When in full regalia my Resistance clouds my brain in such a manner that I cannot remember how to put even one word on a piece of paper. My Resistance avoids this chair I am sitting in because it knows that once seated I might just find the strength to push the demon away. You see you can't permanently slay this dragon.  You can only quiet it long enough to get the Work done.

Do The Work is the first book I've read on my brand new iPad. If you have one of these handy gadgets you know how easy it is to highlight your favorite passages. I won't list all of mine here because, really, it would be easier for you to just read the book. Which I suggest you do.

But I will share this one.

"Start before you are ready."

That is what I did yesterday when I realized that I had won over my monster on all counts except writing this blog.

Are you doing the work or fighting the resistance?


Do The Work is recommended reading as is another of Steve's books on the subject of Resistance, The War of Art.  The Kindle edition of Do The Work is free thanks to the generous sponsorship of GE and Seth Godin's innovative new publishing company The Domino Project,  but if you are like me, you'll want a hardcover edition as well. This is the kind of reading, bookshelves were made for.