Productivity

October 13, 2023

Is there a task you know you should be doing but are hesitating to start?

What is the nature of the task and why do you think you are avoiding it?

Have you ever found yourself delaying a task that you really want or need to complete?

The more time passes, the more you regret not taking action.

Sometimes, you might attribute this to a lack of motivation, but that's not necessarily the case.

If you're reading this, it's clear that you're motivated to do it, yet something is still holding you back.

According to Steven Pressfield's book, "The War of Art," the root cause of our procrastination is something deeper called Resistance.

He explains that Resistance is what prevents us from turning our ideas into reality, and it's what causes us to avoid doing things that are important to us.

What is Resistance?

Resistance is something that cannot be seen, felt, or heard.

But it is always there.

It takes different forms to stop you from getting things done.

For you, It might take the form of the voice in your head that tells you that it’s okay to watch another episode even though you have homework to do and it’s 11:00 PM.

For someone else, it might take the form of perfectionism. You never feel like you’re good enough to do something.

For a long time, I never felt like my ideas were good enough to share with people online and it held me back for years.

In its worst form, it takes up the form of instant gratification. These are the things like social media and video games that distract you from the important work.

When do you feel resistance?

Whenever we are faced with a task that we know we have to do, we often feel a sense of resistance.

This is especially true when the task is urgent or something we are passionate about, such as creating a YouTube video, making a sales call, or designing clothing.

This resistance can also make it difficult to break bad habits like phone addiction, junk food, and porn.

However, it’s important to remember that we only feel this resistance towards tasks that have the potential to change our lives for the better, not towards smaller, less important ones.

It’s easy to get caught up in the less urgent tasks and avoid the ones that really matter, which can result in a lack of productivity and progress.

I can "work" for hours and get practically nothing done because I was doing unimportant tasks and avoiding the lever-moving ones.

For me, the most important tasks are writing, recording, and editing.

When resistance strikes, I might avoid those tasks by checking my email, replying to comments, or organizing my home page.

But deep down inside I know what I should be doing.

So essentially, the stronger you feel resistance towards something, the stronger the sign that you should be doing it.

How to Overcome Resistance.

“Resistance is the opposition to flow”

This is the term used to describe the property that slows down the flow of electrons in a circuit known as resistance, which is a crucial component in the current.

(If it makes it easier to understand you can think of this as water in a hose instead of electricity)

You can think of the work that needs to be done as the current and the resistance as the obstacle that needs to be overcome.

If your voltage is too weak, you won’t be able to do the work because it is being overpowered by resistance.

The current is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

This means that increasing the voltage will increase the current and increasing the resistance will decrease the current, causing you to procrastinate further.

How to decrease resistance.

To decrease resistance, it's crucial to eliminate all possible distractions. Start by identifying what is interrupting your work and distracting you, and then take steps to remove or avoid it.

For most people, common distractions come in the form of instant gratification activities such as scrolling through social media or watching TV.

If you find that your phone is a constant source of distraction, consider putting it in another room.

If you feel like you spend too much time on social media, try deleting the apps for a while.

If you struggle to stay focused when you're alone, consider changing your environment.

For example, you could go to the library or a quiet coffee shop to work.

Remember, the key is to eliminate distractions and focus on the task at hand.

So, unplug the TV, hide the remote, or do whatever it takes to help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

How can we increase the voltage?

Now that we have reduced the resistance, we still need to strengthen our ability to put in the hard work.

In our analogy, discipline represents voltage.

Discipline is simply the art of showing up.

In his book, Pressfield compares the difference between a professional and an amateur to illustrate discipline.

Amateurs act on inspiration and are driven by their mood.

They are not committed and their goals are often focused on having fun, making money, or gaining status.

Professionals, on the other hand, prioritize their work and are committed to succeeding.

They are determined to follow their inner drive and their goals are focused on their passion.

The only way to overcome procrastination is to become a professional in what you do.

A professional takes pride in their work, shows up daily, and works through adversity.

They are open to criticism and understand that fear is a natural part of their work.

Professionals are aware that they will face resistance every day, but they work through it.

So, if you approach your work with the mindset of a professional, you’ll be much better suited to handle resistance.

Once you start, you’ve already done the hardest part.

And once you get a positive feedback loop from that hard work, the more motivated you are to do it again.

This is because you are aligning yourself with your purpose.

After that work is done, you’ll feel proud of yourself.

Even if the work doesn't come out the way you want it to, you still level up your discipline because you put in the hard work even though you didn't feel like it. (no this is not a Hamza reference)

You need to make this realization so you can have the mental clarity required to become more disciplined.

Summary

Resistance is the root cause of procrastination, preventing us from turning ideas into reality and avoiding important tasks.

It takes different forms, such as distraction, perfectionism, and instant gratification.

Overcoming resistance requires eliminating distractions and increasing discipline.

By approaching work with a professional mindset and aligning with our

purpose, we can handle resistance and become more disciplined.

Remember, I'm not here to give you motivation, I'm here to give you clarity.

Until next time,

-Abraham