Reading is an important part of my growth and development as a leader and entrepreneur. Much of my reading comes from recommendations from blogs I follow, friend and books I am currently reading or have read.
Where do you get your reading list from?
Do the work by Steven Pressfield.
On the field of the self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon ~ Steven Pressfield
“Do the Work” is a book that helped me move from my position of inertia to completing my first blog and many other projects. The book is designed to coach you through a project such as writing a book, starting a new business venture or a philanthropic enterprise from conception and seeing it through to finish.
Resistance
Steven Pressfield gets strait to the point of telling you that you will need to overcome resistance and get out of your own way if you want to accomplish anything as an artist or an entrepreneur.
According to Pressfield, there are three forces aligned against you in your pursuit of your dream as an artist or entrepreneur. These are:
- Resistance, which is fear, self-doubt, procrastination, distraction, timidity, perfectionism and the list, goes on.
- Rational thought.
- Friends and family.
And I quite enjoy reading through the list of eleven activities that commonly elicit resistance as see myself engaging in these activities and actually feeling the resistance. I will only mention the first three, as you will need to read the book for a comprehensive list.
- The first is the pursuit of any calling in writing, music or creative art.
- The second is the launching of any entrepreneurial venture or enterprise for profit or otherwise.
- And finally any diet or heath regime.
Solution
The fear of failing will hold you back. Rational thought will paralyses you as you over analyse, over plan and over research your project. Friends and family will offer well-meaning advice clouded by their own vested interest at maintaining the status quo.
The bulk of the book is all about Pressfield’s solution, which is to “Do the work”, just get on with it. Of great value for me are his tips on the need to:
- Start before you are ready
- Suspend all self judgment
- Pull the trigger and ship it.
The book is filled with stories and personal experiences, “Do the Work” is a must read for you budding entrepreneurs, artists and anyone with a dream of making a change in his or her own life and in the lives of others.
Challenge
Here is my challenge for you this week. What project have you been thinking about doing for a long time? What is holding you back?
I doesn’t matter up to this point what has been holding you from getting started on your ideas. All that matters now is for you to get on with it. Do the work. Decide on your next step and get on with it.
Make the effort to overcome resistance at every stage and see the project through to finish. You need to know that its not just about starting, its also about finishing. If you can’t finish, all your work is for nothing.
Have you read this book? Why not leave a comment on its impact on you.