Every morning, I wake up with the best of intentions. I have a neat little timetable, written the night before, staring back at me. It's a masterpiece of organization, if I may say so myself. The first hour? I’m a productivity machine! But then… the crash.
Disaster strikes, usually in the form of an email or an innocent search. One link leads to another, and before I know it, I'm waist-deep in a rabbit hole, surrounded by articles, videos, and the occasional cat meme. My day’s plan? It’s not just off-track—it’s in the trash.
Tomorrow will be better, right? That's what I tell myself.
Ah, The Glory Days...
Once upon a time, I was a disciplined machine, especially during my last year as a physics student. The photo of my journal from that time would make even the most hardcore planners weep with joy.
My life had structure, precision, and—dare I say—perfection.
But then came a revelation, one that turned my orderly world upside down: creativity doesn’t always follow a plan. As I entered the world of science, I realized that the magic of new discoveries often comes when you veer off the path. Suddenly, “following the clues” meant abandoning the plan and embracing the chaos.
Living in the Tension
Since then, my life has been a never-ending tension between these two forces: the need for self-discipline and the irresistible pull of spontaneous creativity.
It’s a battle. One day, the disciplined side wins; the next, the creative chaos takes over. And it seems like lately, chaos has been putting up quite the fight. To make sense of it all, I decided to seek advice from someone who understands this inner conflict. Enter: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Enter the Resistance
Pressfield's book is a game-changer. Right from the start, he explains that the moment you embark on any ambitious journey—be it writing, creating, starting a business, or just trying to stick to a diet—you will meet a formidable enemy: Resistance.
Here is Pressfield's list of activities that attract immediately the Resistance:
- 1) The pursuit of any calling in writing, painting, music, film, dance, or any creative art, however marginal or unconventional.
- 2) The launching of any entrepreneurial venture or enterprise, for profit or otherwise.
- 3) Any diet or health regimen.
- 4) Any program of spiritual advancement.
- 5) Any activity whose aim is tighter abdominals.
- 6) Any course or program designed to overcome an unwholesome habit or addiction.
- 7) Education of every kind.
- 8) Any act of political, moral, or ethical courage, including the decision to change for the better some unworthy pattern of thought or conduct in ourselves.
- 9) The undertaking of any enterprise or endeavor whose aim is to help others.
- 10) Any act that entails commitment of the heart. The decision to get married, to have a child, to weather a rocky patch in a relationship.
- 11) The taking of any principled stand in the face of adversity.
Resistance is sneaky. It’s that invisible force that distracts you, convinces you to procrastinate, and makes the couch look way more appealing than your to-do list. You can’t see it or touch it, but you can feel it—oh boy, can you feel it.
We often think the distractions are external—email notifications, social media, that random video about baby sloths. But Pressfield is clear: Resistance comes from within. It’s the internal saboteur, the enemy lurking in the shadows, waiting to throw you off course.
The Many Faces of Resistance
Resistance is crafty. It’ll take on any form necessary to stop you. Maybe it pretends to be a lawyer, convincing you with logical arguments about why now isn’t the right time to start that project. Or perhaps it shows up as a stick-up man, holding a metaphorical gun to your head and demanding that you Twitter-binge instead of write that chapter.
And the worst part? Resistance lies. It’ll say anything to keep you from doing the work.
But Wait, There’s More…
Pressfield’s ideas about Resistance reminded me of another thinker—Boris Mouravieff. In his work Gnosis, Mouravieff (of Gurdjieff circle) takes it a step further, suggesting, between the lines, that these forces of Resistance might not just be psychological—they could be hyperdimensional. Yep, you heard that right. According to him, there might be an “Intelligence” whose job is to keep us from growing, both psychologically and spiritually.
Both Good and Evil may well reside in higher dimensions. I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse, but it’s an intriguing thought. With the help of hyperdimensional forces we can develop higher centers and use obstacles to learn and to grow.
Embracing the War
Regardless of whether Resistance is a personal psychological battle or part of a larger cosmic game, Pressfield’s advice resonates deeply with me. As I continue to navigate the tension between too much order and too much chaos, The War of Art offers a kind of road map for this internal battleground.
And perhaps, tomorrow, I’ll win the day a little more. Or maybe not. But hey, the war continues—and that’s what makes life interesting, right?
Final Thoughts: If you, like me, are grappling with that constant tension between self-discipline and creativity, I recommend giving The War of Art a read.
Who knows? It might just help you declare victory over Resistance… or at least win a few battles along the way.
