Break through the blocks

The War of Art

Steven Pressfield

Cover of The War of Art
The War of Art
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Creativity#creativity#productivity

The War of Art

Break through the blocks

Portrait of Steven Pressfield
Written bySteven Pressfield

A short, punchy book about the invisible force Pressfield calls Resistance: the procrastination, doubt and distraction that stop us doing our real work, and how to beat it by turning pro.

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  • Published2002
  • GenreCreativity
  • Key ideas5
  • Summary1 min read

Read it if you…

  • feel stuck creatively
  • keep putting off the things that matter
  • struggle to show up consistently

The summary

Key ideas in 1 minute.

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  1. 01Name the enemy

    Resistance is the force that keeps you from the work you’re meant to do.

  2. 02Resistance points the way

    The more important the work, the more Resistance you’ll feel. Use it as a compass.

  3. 03Turn pro

    Amateurs wait for inspiration. Professionals show up every day, no matter what.

  4. 04Don’t take it personally

    Professionals separate their self-worth from any single success or failure.

  5. 05Help arrives

    Once you commit and start, unexpected help tends to show up.

  6. Want the stories, examples and depth behind these ideas?

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Try one idea today

Name the enemy

Resistance is the force that keeps you from the work you’re meant to do. Pick one small way to put this into practice before tonight.

Try a 7-day challenge
“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”

— Steven Pressfield

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons — Steven Pressfield: Ciro612 · CC0 (cropped)