The War of Art Summary 2024 - Deepstash

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The War of Art Summary

About The War of Art Book

What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline.

Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself.

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The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

This book was recommended to me and it did not disappoint. These were the key insights. Identify and follow your dreams!

Finding Your Purpose

Finding Your Purpose

Finding what we are really good at is only half the battle, the hardest part is putting forth the effort and motivation to actually work towards it

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We All Have Internal Resistance

We All Have Internal Resistance

Everyone struggles with Resistance. Resistance is the little voice that tells us to procrastinate, avoid, and do anything but work on our passion

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<p>Resistance manifests itself...

Resistance manifests itself in the form of fear of failure, procrastination, and self-doubt

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RESISTANCE IS WHAT'S STANDING IN THE WAY OF YOUR SUCCESS

  • Exercise and diet are the most common forms of failure that most will experience. Most of us will bring home a piece of exercise equipment or pay for a gym membership, only to skip the workout
  • If you've ever experienced an internal battle that prevents you from achieving a goal you've set for yourself, you've experienced what calls "Resistance"
  • Resistance is a toxic force that brings poverty, disease and dysfunction. It deforms your spirit and keeps you from accomplishing your dreams.

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RESISTANCE GETS STRONGER AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE GOAL

  • Resistance comes in at onset of you acting towards your dream and stays with you throughout the journey. 
  • Resistance becomes even worse as you get closer to achieving your goal.
  • Resistance will often manifest itself in different ways, including fear, procrastination and criticism. Of these, self-doubt is the greatest enemy. It can serve as an indicator of aspiration because it reflects our love for our dreams. It lies to us, making us believe we are on the right path to achieving goals. Lastly it paralyses us and prevent us from going for what we set out to achieve.

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TO MOVE PAST RESISTANCE, YOU'VE GOT TO MOVE PAST BEING AN AMATEUR

  • Individuals who can past Resistance are those who accept they are amateurs. These individuals accept where they are when it comes to their skills levels. This doesn't mean they have no interest in improving their skills.
  • To beat Resistance, you cannot go at your goals half-assed. Part time pursuits will not get you to the level that you want. You've got to be a professional who takes on their goal full-time. 
  • You've got to have the necessary dedication to achieve perfection within your field of choice.

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Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art” reveals how to conquer internal resistance, embrace discipline, and unlock your creative potential for extraordinary achievements.

Understanding Resistance

Understanding Resistance

Resistance is the internal force that prevents us from pursuing our creative dreams and goals. It manifests as procrastination, self-doubt, fear, and distractions. Recognizing resistance is the first step to overcoming it and achieving our true potential.

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The Role of The Professional

Pressfield differentiates between amateurs and professionals. Professionals show up every day, regardless of motivation or inspiration. They are disciplined, committed, and treat their creative work as a serious, daily practice. This mindset helps overcome resistance.

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The Power of Habits

Establishing consistent habits is crucial in combating resistance. By creating a routine and sticking to it, we can build momentum and make progress even on days when we don’t feel like it. Small, regular efforts accumulate into significant achievements over time.

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10 transforming ideas from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield to change your creative life.

Resistance Is The Enemy

Resistance Is The Enemy

Our biggest obstacle to creativity isn’t external but an internal force called esistance.

Resistance is persistent and thrives on our fears and self-doubt.

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Fear Is A Compass

Fear Is A Compass

The projects and goals that scare you the most are likely the ones worth pursuing.

Fear signals importance—lean into it rather than avoiding it.

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Resistance Disguises Itself

Resistance Disguises Itself

Resistance disguises as procrastination, perfectionism, or logical excuses like “I don’t have time” or “I’m not ready.”

Recognising its disguise is the first step to overcoming it.

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Why are you procrastinating?

You never say "I'm not going to write my book", instead you say "I'm going to write my book, but I'll start from tomorrow". Well it's 'Resistance' which is forcing you to procrastinate. It is this resistance which distracts you to do something less important.

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What is Resistance?

Steven Pressfield says that there is a negative force, 'Resistance', surrounding you, which prevents you from doing your work.

The more important the work the more is the resistance. Similarly, the less important the task, the less resistance you feel. It is this resistance which diverts your mind to less important task surrounding you, which gives you instant gratification and satisfaction.

You know that preparing for the upcoming exam is the most important task to complete. But resistance will force you to find satisfaction in watching a Youtube video, or say read a blog.

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How to fight Resistance?

The only way to fight resistance and overcome procrastinating is to sit down and start doing the most important task. And eventually, you will become a 'professional'. Even if you have zero progress, you just need to sit down and think of doing the task. You need to think like a professional and avoid the 'amateur' inside you.

If you feel more resistance while performing any task, remember, it's the most important thing for you to do.

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We tend to get stuck in our creative process no matter what our line of work/hobby/interest is. And we often at times think that we are the only ones that find ourselves in this stuck position. But reading a great author like Steve Pressfields book and getting to know in his own words that he once also found himself stuck as well as how he overcame it can be very useful.

For Creativity

This book can be helpful with inspiring on how to overcome struggles with creativity!

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