This is a guest post by Andrew McBeth.
No matter the tenacity you put forth to dismiss it, that thought lodged deep at the back of your mind—the life adventure you’re too scared to face—won’t back off.
At this point the thought comes on mild, like growing pains. (I recall the summer of 1992: absolute freedom; all day bouts of Road Hockey ending in all night bouts of leg pain. Whoever said childhood was all sunshine and lollypops, lied.)
What freaks you out the most though, knowing it’s only a matter of time before this dull mind ache takes on a life of its own.
You know the more you resist the urge the stronger it’ll come on. Soon enough desire will become compulsion.
Why resist though, why not act? Deep down you know how you want the story to play out, we all do. So, what’s holding you back from writing the script?
Fear of the unknown, that’s what.
Even though you’re unhappy, at least you’re comfortable within the confines of routine. There’s no reason to risk comfort in pursuit of desire, right?
Author Steven Pressfield blames our inability to act on Resistance—anything keeping one bound, imprisoned, unable to pursue their dreams.
Resistance Crops Up in Many Forms
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Fear
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Self-defeat & self-sabotage
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Negative opinions from friends and family
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Routine
The question then, becomes: how does one break the shackles of Resistance?
1. Define the desire. Figure out what you want (pay off debt, buy a house, take a trip, run a marathon, lose 50lbs, ext.) and write it down. Putting the desire to paper brings it to life. Dreams are great—pure passion, but, left in the mind, they rot, and eventually die off. We give up.
2. Do the work. Making any dream a reality is going to take sacrifice—you know, blood, sweat, and tears. Dig deep, hop into your trench and find the discipline to bear down and do the work .
3. Give your desire voice. Don’t be shy, talk about your dreams. Tell your family and friends. Chatting up a dream manifests passion and drive. And both are vital to the end result—dream becoming reality.
4. Don’t give up. No matter what, don’t lose sight; keep your eyes fixed on the prize. Resistance will come in a variety of forms including: friends and family members, crappy “wrong place, wrong time” situations, and self-doubt. At times you won’t only feel overwhelmed, you will be, but these are the moments that carry the most weight, these are the moments that define your will to advance.
5. Remember, this is fun. If pursuing a dream becomes woeful, take a time out and reassess why you are putting in the effort. Chasing a dream should be a fun adventure. Not a pain in the ass.
I want you to know I’m honored you took precious time out of your day and read this blog post. Please don’t shelve it away with all the other blogs you have forgotten about. Take what you read here and apply it to your life, today. Unless invoked, new found knowledge is useless. Stop spectating and get in the game!
“Walk away from your dream today and you will continue to walk away forever.”
Go ahead, step into the unknown, and fill the void. Besides, you only live once right? Trust me when I tell you, regret ain’t your friend.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain
Question: What forms of Resistance run-a-muck in your life, and how do you push through them?
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All drawings were created by Rob Middleton from Joy of Cartoon Pictures.
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I’ve found a lot of good in talking about my dreams. I always find someone who is willing to help me reach my goals.
On the other hand, Derek Sivers says we should keep our goals to ourselves. Its compelling, but maybe not enough to outweigh the perceived pros. http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html
Blessings on you bro!
Good blog post article.& I just finished press fields the war of art…
The Lord has given him wisdom and he may be close the Kingdom!
’till the Marraige Supper keep on “notating”.
George
Thanks George.
War of Art is a great read – highly recommended, offering an original slant on a familiar issue we all tend to deal with.
Awesome drawings!
Thank you for this thoughtful reminder, Andrew. I would have to say that for me, fear of failure is right there on top. I know it. I can spot it. Yet, it’s not so easy to get over. But it’s a process of growth, continuous journey to keep moving forward, going for dreams. And that’s the key. To keep going, despite the fear.
Well said Dolly!
I believe to one extent or another we all deal with a fear of failure. Failing isn’t easy, and let’s face it, failure sucks! But, we press forward, because failure is a part of life, and we can’t let us stop living, and experiencing this awesome gift called life.
Hi Andrew,
I remember the The War of Art. It is an awesome book. I think when it comes down to it there is no getting around the simple reality that we mus do the work.
Personally, this is the most powerful tool that I learned from Steven Pressfield. I think once I accepted that there is no “secret sauce” but rather just a commitment to do the work it completey changed my life.
Hey Izzy,
Funny how uncomplicated our struggle with resistance is when we simply sit down and do the work.
Currently I’m in the middle of writing the second draft of my first book. And the only way I’ve gotten this far, is because I’m doing the work.
Funny concept eh, that it takes “doing” on our part to accomplish anything in this life.
This is a great reminder of Pressfield’s philosophies. I just read Do The Work and it’s an awesome, quick read. Has anyone read his latest, The Warrior Ethos?
Great reminder Andrew.
I would add that resistance is a very important emotion to acknowledge (in whatever state it manifests – ie anxiety, feeling unmotivated etc).
For me, resistance is a form of protection because it means I’ve been triggered by fear. It’s a beacon, a flashing red light that says “hey you, something doesn’t feel right!”
Then I can start to unravel exactly what triggered that feeling and then begin to look for ways that I could transform the resistance into acceptance and take action in line with what I really want to feel. I do a 180 on fear and start facing joy.
Thanks Tahlee!
I commend you for using the resistance as a warning that drives you to take action. Well done!
All great steps! Fear is only the first hurdle. While It’s great to “talk” about our dreams, unless we define them and the steps to achieve them, then take action to make them a reality, they stay just that, dreams.
Great post and a well needed kick in the pants for anyone who’s still just talking!