The Path of Most Resistance

Much has been written on the subject of Resistance, Steven Pressfield’s coined term for the power that causes us to put off our goals (artistic or otherwise). It’s discussed so often because it is so common to everyone; the initial spark of creativity that blasts through your head, the excitement that you will create this…this thing!

Then two weeks later, that masterpiece is a mere after-thought, laughed at as a silly idea, or dismissed because of time constraints.

I see resistance in myself nearly every day. I’m reasonably productive (compared to non-productive people at least), but when I really analyze how I spend my time, there’s more effort spent thinking about something than actually doing it.

So I’m trying a new solution…hopefully. I figure if I write about the instances of Resistance throughout my days, then I’ll be more aware of it. Supposedly bad habits can only be broken by being aware when you commit to the habit. You’re now not blindly following a routine that you’ve established within yourself, but you’re actually thinking about it. This TED talk from Judson Brewer goes more in depth into the theory of meta-cognition as a solution for breaking bad habits.

I want to put the theory to the test and discuss these disgusting Resistances! Here’s one from today:

I’ve been putting off updating my Megachurched blog (and Medium posts) for months. Why? No, not because it’s not finished. Of course it’s not finished! But that’s why I’m posting it in the first place; to get feedback.

Nope, the real reason is because…I needed to take pictures off of my hard drive. I finally did this tonight and it took a maximum 5 minutes to complete.

Again, this is why I put off showing off the world years of hard work I’d undergone. A five minute task.

Of course the hard drive wasn’t the real reason. Behind the hard drive was fear. I’m afraid to show the world the years of hard work I’d undergone.

Because what if it’s bad? What if I spent years and countless hours researching only to find that it was a waste of time?

One thing is certain. If I don’t ever post the words, then it truly was a waste of time.

So the files are transferred, everything is written. If this experiment is successful, you’ll see chapter 2 of Megachurched up in the next day.

If you want to challenge yourself, post your own experiences with Resistance below in the comments section.

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