Beyond Resistance
Resistance is universal. Anyone who writes, dances, acts, paints, creates, or sets out on an entrepreneurial journey feels resistance. In fact, everyone will experience resistance.
I go to war every day when I sit down to write. When I say war, I mean I am in a battle with resistance. As I sit to write, it’s like I get attacked by thoughts that want to pull me away from doing what I set out to do! The theme song from Jaws starts playing in my head. Seriously, resistance is like a shark just waiting to bite me in the ass and say, “Don’t you have laundry to do?” “Go clean up the kitchen!” or “Scroll through social media!” Resistance is a shark out to get me every time. I am in a battle with my own damn thoughts!
It sounds funny, but I go through this every time. My mind will provide a list of things I need to do before I write, but the only thing I need to do is sit down and write. I always feel amazing after I write a blog post or a chapter. Getting there is the challenge.
If I let it, resistance will be my guide. Oh, by the way, this isn’t just for creatives or entrepreneurs; it is for anyone wanting to commit to a diet, a spiritual endeavor, or any type of education. How many times have I signed up for a workshop and quit after the first week? Many! Guilty as charged. Resistance is self-generated.
Combating Resistance
So how do we combat resistance? It is an ongoing battle within. I have to be consistent and do my work. As an entrepreneur and creative, I set my own hours and I decide when I write. It is crucial that I have a consistent routine, otherwise Jaws will attack. If you haven’t already, you must read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I recommend you listen to him on Audible. This book is a great reminder of just how powerful resistance is.
The goal is to get beyond resistance. Instead of saying, “I’m stuck,” I now know I am deep in the grips of resistance. I am not stuck! I am letting this debilitating shark get the better of me. The goal is to kick resistance in the face and do the work—no matter what.
And as Jesse Itzler says, “I do not negotiate my goals.” So I sit and write no matter what. Back to how I combat resistance. I have a consistent routine. More importantly, I have a morning routine. Why? Because if I start my day with a good intention, I guide how the day will go. This cannot be a free-for-all. I have to have a morning routine and set the day with empowering intentions.
How does this look? How do I get beyond resistance? I pray first and I get grateful. I ask God for help and guidance on my journey. I say, “Thank you.” It is amazing how well the day will go when you start off this way!
Then I look at my list of topics or ideas for writing and I ask for more guidance. I sit in silence and meditate on where I want the day to go. I continue my morning routine. Once I feel I am in a good mindset, I check emails and then I prepare for my writing session. I make sure I have a quiet, interruption-free space. I write for one to three hours. Sometimes I just riff. Other times I knock out one to three chapters. I write one to five blog posts a week.
Writing through Resistance
Someone asked me, “How do you decide what you will write about?” Great question. My topics usually find me. I will hear, read, or experience something that I think others would like to read about. Usually experience. Why? Because we all get triggered and have disappointments. When that happens in my life and I am looking for solutions, the first thing I think is, “Well, if this is affecting me, I bet other people have this experience, too, so why not write about it?”
Given that resistance affects me a lot, I thought I would write about it. How many times have you heard someone say, “I should write a book” or “I want to run a marathon”? The one that I hear most is, “I have a great idea for a business.” Sound familiar? Many times in my life, I thought I had a really good idea but did not take any action.
What Are You Resisting?
I was reading an article a few weeks back about some patients who were told their disease was terminal and how everything went out the window at that precise moment. What if you were at the end of the road? What would you do? Would you paint that masterpiece? Would you write that novel? Would you fly across the world for a bucket list experience? What are you resisting?
When those patients started doing what was in their heart to do—painting, writing, creating—they went into remission. Interesting!
Even from a young age, I always wanted to write. When I was at an elementary school called Carr Elementary, my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Coats, inspired me to read and write more. She encouraged me to write a poem for a writing contest. She saw and believed in my talents. She was my very first fan. I wrote that poem, and even though I did not win that contest, I fell in love with writing.
Because of resistance, it took me fifty years to come back to writing. Do not wait that long! If you feel in your heart you want to run a marathon, join a running club. We all start at the bottom of the mountain, looking up. Beyond resistance, we get to the top!
I encourage you to write down and visualize what you really want to do, whether it is losing ten pounds or starting a business. Whatever it is, stop resisting. If not now, when?
Resistance is the enemy. Are you ready to go to battle? You got this! We got this!
As the Dalai Lama said, “The enemy is a very good teacher.”
