How Steven Pressfield Wrote My Favorite Book I’ve Never Read
Surprising advice from a classic word-of-mouth campaign
He said it best:
“Get your ass where your heart wants to be.”
The idea that one book, published in 2002, with no marketing campaign, manages to remain in conversations even in 2021, speaks to the pearls of wisdom that must dance inside the pages of my favorite book I’ve never read: The War of Art.
The book was written by Steven Pressfield and has had Oprah, Marie Forleo, and Tim Ferris shout its praises.
By the way, It’s not like I haven’t tried to buy the book…
It’s just that not one book store in my country has it. And, with the state of the world, who knows when the copy they have ordered will arrive on the shores of South Africa.
But, the day my copy arrives, watch out for my “Out of office” auto-generated email response because I’ll be taking a personal day.
And if you’re thinking, “Come on Margs, you can get in online…”
Fair point.
I just spend the whole day in front of a screen already. A physical book is like strapping on a backpack and getting lost in a mountain of adventure.
Don’t take that away from me.
So, if you are unsure about why I love this book so much, even though I haven’t read a single word about what is inside- let me share some of the teasers that have been shared through conversations online.
Naming The Feeling
Steven was interviewed by Tim Ferris and he shared vulnerably about self-sabotage.
If you have ever put yourself out there but then felt as if you were hit in the face with every reason in the world why you are not good enough to try, then Steven has come up with a diagnosis for what you may be feeling:
Resistance.
“Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.”
I cannot tell you how many times I have been the root of my own failures.
But, having the ability to name self-sabotage “resistance”, and realizing that everyone faces it- gives me hope to try. And, it makes me want to learn more about the topic.
In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the power of groups of people feeling passionate about a product, and how that contributes to catapulting success.
Well, Tim Ferris has one heck of a loyal audience, and if he is raving about how The War of Art helped him face resistance, I’m not proud to admit how influenced I am, but I am.
Being A Professional
I’ve at times struggled to differentiate who I am from what I do.
It takes everything I have to create something, but in the early days, I felt insignificant if what I made didn’t have the response I hoped for.
“The professional loves her work. She is invested in it wholeheartedly. But she does not forget that the work is not her.”
Preach it, brother.
This lesson has shaved the shell of stress and anxiety that had previously colonized my upper back.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with what I do, reintroduces playfulness and wonder to my craft. I used to feel desperate in the hope of something materializing, now I’m just happy I arrived and did the work.
Having a life outside of what I do, fuels anything I create and also leaves me hungry to get back to work.
The idea that someone speaks to more than just “the hustle” rejuvenates how I approach work.
The unique insight on a healthy boundary, when it seems that everyone else is finding their identity in their work, makes me aware of how much I still need to learn.
And, I’m happy to swipe my card to find out more.
Perspective
At the end of the day, why do we do what we do?
“Our job in this lifetime 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.”
I feel like this book gives us permission to step into who we are and own it.
But it’s not a sunshine and rainbows approach to getting work done.
It’s practical.
Finding out who you require some deep work. It may even require time with a professional, and power to you if you are brave enough to deal with dragons from the past in the quest to wholeheartedly outlining the future you desire.
This quote adds another layer to the work we choose to do.
When snippets of free content speak to my heart and inspire me to grow, I feel as if a generous exchange has occurred.
All I’ve done is pitch up.
No one asked for an email address, a webinar, or for me to buy them a coffee.
Whether I’ve heard about this book from Oprah, Marie Forleo, or Tim Ferris, it seems like everyone has been impacted by Steven’s written generosity.
And that’s why I love the book.
Even though I’ve never read it…
But, waiting to buy it.
Final Thoughts
Apart from the content coming across as genuinely valuable, just from the snippets that have been shared online - I’m also in awe of how powerful word-of-mouth marketing has been about this book.
This is organic marketing in its finest form.
That said, I’m also full of joy that we live in an age where we get to draw inspiration from content in ways that meet our current needs.
Listening to Steven being interviewed in a YouTube clip with Oprah, and then in podcasts with both Marie Forleo and Tim Ferris, provided me with tactical bits of insight I needed to take small steps towards what I wanted to achieve.
I’ve been able to move forward without spending a cent.
Learning that we all face resistance, but that it’s the professional who shows up, and doesn’t make their job their identity- well, this has inspired me to put my ass where my heart wants to be.
I’m so excited to get this book- can you tell?
