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The War of Art: You’re A Pro Already

The War of Art: You’re A Pro Already | Note 472

 

Are you an amateur or professional?

 
This week, I’m talking about some of my favorite books. Today, I’m sharing the insights I gained from The War of Art, a great, quick, easy-to-read book by Steven Pressfield.
 
Fear shows up as resistance. Resistance stops us from growing and fully expressing ourselves as true professionals.
 
In The War of Art, Pressfield identifies the enemy—what he calls Resistance, i.e. fear, self-doubt, procrastination, perfectionism, all the forms of self-sabotage that stop us from doing our work and realizing our dreams.
 
As Oprah once said, “Resistance is a force of nature? You mean I’m not to blame?”
 
We are all pros already, at least in something — at least in one area. The professional knows you have to show up every day — no matter what and stay on the job all day. They commit over the long haul and accept ramifications for their labor.
 
The professional masters the technique of their job and receives praise or blame in the real world. On the other hand, the amateur does not show up every day. They don’t show up no matter what.
 
The amateur has not mastered the technique of his art and does not expose themselves to judgment in the real world. The amateur doesn’t get paid.
 
Why wait to do the work? Fear can’t be overcome. A professional knows this, feels the fear, and does it anyway.
 
When will you realize you have to become a professional?
 
The professional accepts money, but he or she does his work for the love of it. They learned that too much love could be a bad thing. The more you love something, the more important it is to accomplish it — the more important it is to the evolution of your soul.
 
A professional is patient. A professional seeks order. A professional demystifies. A professional acts in the face of fear. A professional accepts no excuses. A professional plays it as it lays. A professional is prepared. A professional does not show off. A professional dedicates himself to mastering technique. A professional does not hesitate to ask for help. A professional distances herself from her instrument. A professional does not take failure or success personally. A professional endures adversity. A professional self-validates. A professional recognizes her limitations. A professional reinvents himself. A professional does it for the love of the game.
 
Again, we are all pros — at least in something or in one area. The most important thing is you sit down every day and do the work.
 
It’s time to recognize, confront, and overcome resistance. It’s time to acknowledge the war of art. You’re a pro already.
 

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Notes: Motivational Podcast, Mindset and Motivation Podcast, Motivational Quotes, Podcasts for Women, Bite-Sized Learning, Mindset Coach

 

Queen of Bite-Sized Motivation | Strategist | NOW: I help creatives build profitable businesses. | THEN: Playboy. Hilton. DIRECTV. Ogilvy. TheDrive. | Creator: SincerelyHER.com