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Long story short, “The War of Art” is about fighting and overcoming the creative battles of procrastination that lie within our minds each and every day. Each of us a muse or artistic outlet, where we aspire to achieve our goals while battling the obstacles of procrastination.
What is the difference between a published book and a blank page? A business and an entrepreneur who never ventures? A champion and an athlete who doesn’t train?
PROCRASTINATION
Public enemy number one to productivity and results, Procrastination is the monster inside of our heads that separate the have’s and have-not’s of the world.
Each of us has a special set of talents, interests and passions, yet all of these great traits seems to be slumbering somewhere in the corner of our minds. In order to awaken these talents, we would need to understand how to overcome this never ending battle against the force of resistance.
Not to be confused with the Sun Tzu classic, the War of Art is Steven Pressfield’s way of illustrating the creative battles that go inside our minds each & every day and expressing the disdain for Procrastination.
For those who don’t know
Long story short, Steven Pressfield is an author publishing both non-fiction and fiction works. He is most famous for documenting the artist’s journey and its struggles through the War of Art.
Pressfield outlines a three step process of handling these creative battles by identifying the root causes, fighting the excuses and enhancing your mind to overcome future obstacles.
Long story short, the steps to defeating Procrastination is to aim, fire and unlock.
Resistance- Identifying Procrastination
As feeling of doubt or hesitation being to creep in, identifying this feeling is always the first step towards defeating procrastination. Being mindful is essential when we are caught up in moments of distraction.
In other words, feeling fearful, ashamed, restricted and self-doubt are all signs of procrastination.
One of the essential ways to win a battle is to understand the enemy.
Procrastination can take place in three forms:
Not confronting the realm of uncertainty
Hesitation of starting or completing a task towards one’s goal
Blaming external factors and the environment for misfortune
In theory, Procrastination is resistance that prioritizes short-term gratification over long-term results.
We must understand that this is the difference between results and excuses. By acknowledging this, whenever progress is being made for any type of task, we must focus on moving towards the finish line.
“Keep fighting as we cannot lose to the enemy.”
Combating Resistance- Defeating Procrastination
After identifying procrastination, they key to defeating this is by going from an amateur to a professional.
#2: Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Black Irish Entertainment, 2012.
Amateurs do the the job when they feel like it. Professionals get the job done no matter what.
In order for us to evolve from amateurs to professionals, we must dedicate our lives to a specific calling. When someone decides to pursue the arts, athletics, science or business, this becomes a calling or muse for professionals to develop at all costs.
Pressfield illustrates three main traits to describe a professional:
The act of honing your craft or developing a technique
Overcoming obstacles in your path and accepting no excuses
Continuing to learn and grow despite the opinions and rejection of others
Beyond Resistance- Unlocking your Creativity
While there are forces of procrastination to prevent us from accomplishing our goals, there are also forces that push us towards completing them.
If the power of resistance comes from procrastination, the power of freedom comes from anticipation.
The opposite of procrastination is anticipation. With anticipation, we unlock our creativity to inspire our calling. The act of anticipation is to choose the option that makes you feel the most free.
This enables us to pursue these goals, find out who we are, and actually become them.
Each and every day, the forces of procrastination and anticipation clash. Every day is a battle, but as professionals we still need to pick up your pen, go to the gym, conduct that lab experiment, execute that business plan and GET THE JOB DONE.
If you would like to give Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art a read while supporting the blog feel free to click below:
#2: Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Black Irish Entertainment, 2012.
