Lessons from Steven Pressfield

Here are the most impactful quotes and central learnings from the acclaimed author Steven Pressfield, known for his powerful insights into creativity, discipline, and the artist's life. His concepts of "Resistance" and the "Professional" mindset have been influential for creators in all fields.

The War of Art

This book is the foundation of Pressfield's philosophy, introducing the concept of "Resistance", the internal force that opposes our creative endeavors.

Key Learnings from The War of Art

Resistance is the primary enemy: It is an invisible, internal force of self-sabotage that prevents you from doing your work. [1][2] It manifests as fear, procrastination, and self-doubt. [2][3]
The more important the work, the more Resistance you will feel: Resistance is a compass that points to what you most need to do. [1][2] The fear you feel is an indicator of the importance of your calling. [4]
Fear is a constant, not something to be overcome before you start: The professional acts in the face of fear. [1][5] The real artist is scared to death. [2][4]
Turn Pro in your mind: This is a conscious decision to show up and do the work, regardless of inspiration or mood. [6][7] It's about commitment over the long haul. [7]
Your work is a gift to the world: Creating is not a selfish act. Don't deprive the world of your contribution. [1]

Quotes from The War of Art

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance." [3]
"The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it." [1][2]
"Are you paralyzed with fear? That's a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do." [4]
"The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death." [2][4]
"The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying." [4][5]
"Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work... Resistance is always lying and always full of shit." [2][8]
"Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it's the easiest to rationalize." [2][3]
"The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day." [1][3]
"Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it." [4][5]
"We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause." [4][5]
"Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got." [1]
"It's better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot." [1]
"The professional learns to recognize envy-driven criticism and to take it for what it is: the supreme compliment." [1]
"Grandiose fantasies are a symptom of Resistance. They're a sign of an amateur. The professional has learned that success, like happiness, comes as a by-product of work." [1][2]
"There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don't, and the secret is this: It's not the writing part that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write." [9]

Turning Pro

This book expands on the idea of what it means to adopt the mindset of a professional.

Key Learnings from Turning Pro

The difference between an amateur and a professional is their habits: An amateur has amateur habits, while a professional has professional habits. [10][11]
Turning pro is a conscious decision: It's a mindset shift where you commit to your calling every single day. [6][12]
The professional shows up no matter what: They are patient, committed for the long haul, and act in the face of fear. [7]
Embrace your ambition: Your ambition is the core of your being and the reason for your existence. To act on it is to embrace your unique calling. [10][12]
Life becomes simpler when you turn pro: Your hours are structured to confront and overcome fear, rather than to flee from it. [13][14]

Quotes from Turning Pro

"Turning pro is a mindset. If we are struggling with fear, self-sabotage, procrastination, self-doubt, etc., the problem is, we're thinking like amateurs." [6]
"The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits." [10][11]
"Ambition is the most primal and sacred fundament of our being. To feel ambition and to act upon it is to embrace the unique calling of our souls." [10][12]
"When we turn pro, we stop running from our fears. We turn around and face them." [10]
"The professional does not wait for inspiration; he acts in anticipation of it." [7]
"Our work is a practice. One bad day is nothing to us. Ten bad days are nothing." [7]
"Turning pro is free, but it's not without cost. When we turn pro, we give up a life with which we may have become extremely comfortable." [7]
"Before we turn pro, our life is dominated by fear and Resistance. We live in a state of denial. We're denying the voice in our heads. We're denying our calling." [7][13]
"The amateur plays for fun. The professional plays for keeps." [2]
"When we're living as amateurs, we're running away from our calling... Addiction becomes a surrogate for our calling." [10][12]
"The amateur tweets. The pro works." [11][12]
"When you turn pro, your life gets very simple." [10]
"What we get when we turn pro is, we find our power. We find our will and our voice and we find our self-respect." [12]
"Turning pro is like kicking a drug habit or stopping drinking. It's a decision, a decision to which we must re-commit every day." [12]
"The hero wanders. The hero suffers. The hero returns. You are that hero." [10]

Do the Work

This book is a practical guide to pushing through a project from start to finish, emphasizing action over preparation.

Key Learnings from Do the Work

Start before you're ready: Don't get bogged down in preparation, which can be a form of Resistance. [15][16]
Stay stupid: Don't overthink. Act on your crazy ideas without letting your rational brain get in the way. [14][15]
Action is the antidote to Resistance: We can only accomplish something by acting, not by thinking about acting. [14][15]
Love is the opposite of fear: Embrace the love of the challenge and the work itself. [14][15]
A work-in-progress creates its own energy: Your passion and effort generate momentum that helps carry the project forward. [14][15]

Quotes from Do the Work

"Start before you're ready. Good things happen when we start before we're ready." [15][16]
"Don't think. Act. We can always revise and revisit once we've acted. But we can accomplish nothing until we act." [14][15]
"Stay stupid. Follow your unconventional, crazy heart." [14]
"A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It's only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate." [14][15]
"The opposite of fear is love - love of the challenge, love of the work, the pure joyous passion to take a shot at our dream and see if we can pull it off." [14][15]
"A work-in-progress generates its own energy field. You, the artist or entrepreneur, are pouring love into the work." [14][15]
"The song we're composing already exists in potential. Our work is to find it." [14][15]
"Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel." [15]
"Research can become Resistance. We want to work, not prepare for work." [16][17]
"The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications, and a million reasons why we can't/shouldn't/won't do what we know we need to do." [16]

General Learnings and Quotes from Interviews

These are overarching themes from Pressfield's interviews and other writings.

Discipline is paramount: It is the key to success in any area of life. [18]
Consistency is power: Daily practice, even for a short time, builds momentum and leads to significant accomplishments over time. [19]
The battle is fought anew every day: Overcoming Resistance is not a one-time event but a daily commitment. [20]
Don't wait for inspiration: The professional acts in anticipation of it, knowing that showing up for the work is what summons the Muse. [7]
It's a long haul: Be prepared for the journey to take longer and be more difficult than you anticipate. [13]
"On the field of the Self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon." (from an interview with Jeff Goins). [21]
"The professional arms himself with patience... he steels himself at the start of a project, reminding himself it is the Iditarod, not the sixty-yard dash." (The War of Art). [13]
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." (This is a quote from Marianne Williamson that Pressfield uses in Do the Work). [14][17]
"When we experience panic, it means that we're about to cross a threshold." (Do the Work). [13][16]
"The professional is committed over the long haul. For the professional, the stakes are high and real." (Turning Pro). [7]

Learn more:

Lessons from Steven Pressfield

The War of Art

Turning Pro

Do the Work

General Learnings and Quotes from Interviews

Written by Antoine Buteau

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