Resistance Quotes
“It took me years to learn to finish a project. In other words, to develop killer instinct. Seth Godin prefers the verb ‘ship.’ He means if we’ve been designing the new iPhone for the past eight years and it’s finally ready… Ship it! That’s killer instinct. What, exactly, are we ‘killing’? We’re killing Resistance. We’re sinking our dagger into the insidious, pernicious, rotten, sneaky, evil force of our own self-sabotage. Our own hesitation. Our own fear of success (or failure). Killer instinct is not negative when we use it to finish off a book, a screenplay, or any creative project that is fighting us and resisting us to the bitter end.”
Steven Pressfield, Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be (Page 121)
Tony Robbins Quote on Complexity and How It’s The Enemy of Execution
“Complexity is enemy of execution.”
Tony Robbins
Beyond the Quote (Day 380)
I have two bamboo plants. One in my living room and one in my kitchen. The one in my living room is dying. The one in my kitchen is thriving. Same bamboo. Same house. Same caregiver. Same fondness for both. The only difference is their location.
Read More »Tony Robbins Quote on Complexity and How It’s The Enemy of ExecutionKeshavan Nair Quote on Being Lazy and How Productivity is a War, Not a Battle
“When I say I lack the time to exercise, is this really true given that I have time to watch television? Perhaps it is just difficult for me to admit that I may be lazy.”
Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership
Beyond the Quote (265/365)
I am lazy. I am definitely not born with a “do more than I have to” nature. I desire the “comfortable” option. All of the time. I don’t want to wake up early. I don’t want to write every day. I don’t want to exercise. And I definitely don’t want to only ever eat healthy food. The easy way out is always at the forefront of my mind. The mind-numbing activities are always calling my name. And the option to do less is always looking mighty nice. Yet, day-in and day-out, I choose otherwise.
Read More »Keshavan Nair Quote on Being Lazy and How Productivity is a War, Not a BattleSteven Pressfield Quote on Creative Work and How To Overcome The Resistance To Express It
“Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action. Do it or don’t do it. It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God. 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.”
Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
Beyond the Quote (189/365)
Don’t think that just because I write every day that it’s easy for me. Writing is always hard. Just like sprinting is always hard. Neither ever gets easier—you just get better. Just today, for example, I sat down to write and noticed—really felt—the potency of the resistance that I had to overcome in order to begin. Here’s what the start to my writing looked like:
Read More »Steven Pressfield Quote on Creative Work and How To Overcome The Resistance To Express ItIain Thomas Quote on What To Do When The World Is Wearing You Down
“The world will always wear you down, so let it wear you down until only the good remains. Hold on to the incredible parts of you that survive.”
Iain Thomas, Every Word You Cannot Say (Page 93)
Beyond the Quote (180/365)
The world will always be this way. Life will continue to be relentless and will certainly try to wear you down. So, let it. If you can’t control the world, why bother trying to control it? Don’t resist what happens. Don’t resist what is. Let life send its blessings your way and let life send its storms, too. If the world is going to wear you down, let it wear down the worst parts of you. Don’t let it break down what’s beautiful. Don’t let it harden you up. Don’t let it steal away your vulnerability. Hold on to the parts of you that make you proud to be you. Hold on to hope and love and beauty and joy and gratitude and individuality. And let the storms wear down and wash away what’s faulty, unnecessary, and not you.
Read More »Iain Thomas Quote on What To Do When The World Is Wearing You DownSteve Carlton Quote on Getting Out Of Your Own Way
“You’ve gotta find a way to get out of your own way, so you can progress in life.”
Steve Carlton
Beyond the Quote (63/365)
The ideal way to go from thought to end destination is through appropriate action. Simple enough, right? That’s the way you bring entrepreneurial ventures from thoughts to life. It’s how you incorporate healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine. It’s how go from grade school to high school to college to job to career to living your imagined lifestyle. And it all happens through the appropriate actions that you take once the appropriate thoughts get confirmed in your head. But, as I’m sure you’re aware, taking appropriate actions isn’t all that simple. Before you can take an appropriate action, you have to have the appropriate thoughts in your head confirmed. And THIS is where most everybody gets tripped up.
Read More »Steve Carlton Quote on Getting Out Of Your Own WaySteve Jobs Quote on Simplicity and How Simple Can Be Harder Than Complex
“That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Steve Jobs
Beyond the Quote (42/365) Part 2: On Simplicity
Read First: Steve Jobs Quote on Focus and Working Hard To Keep Thinking Clean (Part 1)
Once we become aware of the fact that we’re in the midst of a full-blown battle for attention and that we’re literally being wired to enjoy distractions, we can start taking the proper steps to regain control. If we don’t even know we’re in a battle or that we’re being rewired, after all, how can we know to do anything about it? If we want to produce the best work of our lives then blocking out distractions and focusing our attention on the deep and thoughtful type of work is key.
Read More »Steve Jobs Quote on Simplicity and How Simple Can Be Harder Than Complex“Resistance can be overcome by doing the smallest possible step. For meditation, I just had to get my butt on the cushion. For writing, I just had to open up a document and write a few words. For cooking healthy food, I just had to get out a knife and an onion. For studying a language, I just had to press ‘play’ on the audio lesson. For yoga, I just had to get into child’s pose. For blogging, I just had to open up the form for writing a new post. For flossing, I just had to floss one tooth. For reading, I just had to open up the book and read a sentence. I think you get the point. Find the minimum viable habit. The smallest increment of doing the activity. The least objectionable version. And the resistance is overcome.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 80)
“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. Remember our rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” ~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
“Look in your own heart. Unless I’m crazy, right now a still small voice is piping up, telling you as it has ten thousand times, the calling that is yours and yours alone. You know it. No one has to tell you. And unless I’m crazy, you’re no closer to taking action on it than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. You think Resistance isn’t real? Resistance will bury you.” ~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art