Today, let’s dive into Steven Pressfield‘s trilogy:
Despite being know primarily as a fiction writer, Steven Pressfield wrote these three non-fiction books based on his own experience in becoming a true professional writer. “The War of Art” was his first non-fiction work, published in 2002. Within the following ten years, he published two related non-fiction books, “Turning Pro” and “Do the Work.”
Each book centers on a clear core idea:
- “The War of Art” introduces the concept of Resistance, a force that works against us whenever we try to do something out of the ordinary. To overcome Resistance, Pressfield argues we must turn pro.
- “Turning Pro” explores the following questions: Who are we before turning pro? What are the characteristics of the people who turn pro? How does turning pro help us overcome Resistance?
- In “Turning Pro”, Pressfield argues that most of us feel comfortable being amateurs in whatever we do. But to achieve our ambitious goals – goals that stretch our current abilities – we must turn pro. We must craft our skills, work hard, and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. The process can be long, hard, and painful, but the end result is extremely rewarding.
- “Do the Work” outlines the process of engaging with projects we are determined to do. Pressfield provides the reader with an actionable roadmap for getting projects done from start to finish. He discusses what each step of the process entails, how to overcome Resistance and how to ultimately finish and deliver.
All three books focus on the core theme of Resistance and how to overcome it by turning pro. We must sit down and do the work to turn pro. There is no other way. We must keep working, day in and day out, one day at a time. Otherwise, Resistance will take control of our lives and we will stay forever as amateurs.
Before diving into each book individually, let’s take a look at Steven Pressfield’s journey to becoming a renowned writer. Several moments stand out in his journey:
- At age 25, he finished 99% of a novel. But he did not finish it.
- There was another work that was completed 99.9% of the way, but again he abandoned it. Resistance took over.
- After 17 years, he finally finished a book at the age of 42. But that book did not find a publisher. In his own words, it was not good enough.
- It was several more years until he succeeded in publishing his writing and getting rewarded for it.
- From the age of 25 to 42, he was poor, broken, and lived in his van for many years traveling across the country. He drove long-distance trucks, picked apples in Washington State in cold weather, and moved around between the east and west coasts.
- Despite drifting around for many years, he did not give up give up on his dream of becoming a writer. He always had his type writer, a Smith-Corona, with him during those years, despite it being berried under pile of belongings in his truck for long stretches.
In summary, his life before becoming a true pro was filled with ups and downs, but primarily struggles. The process of turning pro was long and brutal for him. Despite many obstacles, he eventually succeeded and became a renowned writer.
The War of Art
What is the War of Art? At its core, it’s the war against Resistance, a malevolent force that works against us. Pressfield opens the book with what I consider an excellent observation:
“It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.“
This theme – “sit down and do the work” – Pressfield repeats many times across all three books. How often do we struggle to go to the gym? But once we’re there, we start exercising and enjoying it without much internal resistance? What’s hard is putting on our workout clothes and getting out of the house. How often do we struggle to start the work we planned to do for the day, but once we sit down and start, we quickly find our rhythm and enjoy it? Those situations exemplify what Pressfiled is talking about.
The question: Why is sitting down to work so hard? The answer, according to Pressfield, lies in a force called Resistance. Resistance is “the most toxic force” in this world, he argues. It causes more unhappiness in our lives than anything else. It stands between who we are and who we want to be. Before we can deal with Resistance, Pressfield insists we must first declare it evil. Resistance is evil, and it’s always there to keep us from sitting down and doing the work.
Part 1 of “The War of Art” focuses on defining Resistance and cataloging its characteristics and symptoms. Once we’re aware of these characteristics, we can identify our enemy and engage in strategies to defeat it.
Pressfield begins by identifying activities that elicit Resistance. These pursuits share a common thread: they prioritize long-term growth, health, and integrity over immediate gratification. They include:
- Any creative calling (music, painting, writing, art)
- Business ventures and entrepreneurship, new venture
- Health, diet, and exercise programs
- Political, moral, and spiritual endeavors
- Actions aimed at overcoming bad habits, addiction or self-destructive behaviours
- Education
- Efforts aimed at helping others or sacrificing for others
Those activities all stem from our higher nature rather than our lower impulses. They demand long-term commitment to growth, health, perseverance, integrity, and accountability. Resistance shows up to keep us from pursuing those activities.
The Thirteen Characteristics of Resistance
Pressfield meticulously outlines 13 characteristics of Resistance, providing a comprehensive portrait of this internal force. beginning with its most fundamental trait: invisibility.
- Invisibility.
While resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled, it can be felt. As Pressfield describes it, “It’s an energy force that radiates from a work-in-potential. It’s negative.”
2. Internality.
Though we might blame external factors – like our jobs, bosses, children, or even spouses – Resistance is fundamentally internal. It lives within us, making it an especially formidable opponent.
3. Insidiousness.
Resistance is perpetually dishonest, employing bullshit. It will falsify, fabricate, and bully, or anything that can deceive us. Most dangerously, it shape-shifts to suit its purposes, and will double-cross us.
TO BE CONTINUED…