Notes on Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

I really enjoyed Steven Pressfield's The War of Art so I decided to read the short follow-up, Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way. It really kicked my butt and made me realize how important the drudgery and hard work really is to any creative endeavor. I loved the concrete examples and memorable language describing resistance as a dragon and evil force that will never go away but which can be (and must be) defeated every day you work.

​Introduction
Orientation
Enemies and allies
Enemies
Any act that derives from our higher rather than lower nature elicits resistance
The more important a call to action of our soul the more resistance we will feel towards pursuing it
Fear doesn't go away
Rational thought is worst enemy of fight against resistance
The deeper the source we work from the better
Friends and family are enemies of unmanifested u
Allies
Stupidity: ignorance and arrogance best states of mind
Don't allow self to think or doubt or hesitate
Don't doubt, act
Be stubborn once start
In till the finish
Blind faith is mighty ally
Passion

1 beginning
Start before ur ready
Don't give brain time to find excuses
Begin it now
Research diet: only allowed to read 3 books on subject before beginning
Better to be primitive than sophisticated
Birth takes pain between chaos, pain, and blood
Don't overthink or overprepare
Quick single page outline is enough to start
Break it up in 3 sections: beginning, middle, end
Start at the end/the finish
Answer the question: what is this about
Thoughts vs chatter
Chatter is resistance
Stay primitive
Trust the soup
Swing for the seats
Be ready for resistance

2 middle
Resistance can never be defeated permanently. Will always be there. Must be respected. Can be outwitted with lots of work. 
Fill in the gaps
7-8 major movements/parts to something
Do research now but stay on diet
Never do research in prime working time
Soak up what u need to fill in the gaps only
Killer opening sequence, killer climax, killer couple scenes in between
Finally fill in the gaps between the gaps
Cover the canvas
Get to first full draft asap. Speed and completion, not quality. Don't stop, don't think, suspend self-judgment. 
The crazier the better. Liberate self from conventional expectations. Violate rules. Stay stupid. 
Ideas do not come linearly. Record ideas the minute they come. 
Action and reflection separate steps of process of idea creation
Never do both together
Never doubt the soup
The answer is always yes
Momentum is everything. Keep working every single day.
Ignore false negatives and positives. Keep working. 
Act then reflect
Keep asking self what is this thing about
Everything must serve theme
Ask set what's missing and fill in that gap
Then u hit the wall in the middle of the work
Principles
There is an enemy
Recognize there is evil force in world
This enemy is implacable
Its aim is to kill
This enemy is inside you
Not external person or force you can escobar
The enemy is inside u but it is not u
U r not to blame or have done anything wrong for the resistance u feel
The real u must duel resistance u
Knight vs dragon
Only intercourse possible is battle
Resistance arises second
What comes first is idea and passion 
First urge is love, life, creative force
Remember and draw strength for it
Opposite of resistance is assistance
Can align ourselves with universal forces against dragon
Resistance’s two tests
How bad do you want it
Scale of how much ur interested in something: from dabbling to interested to totally committed
If answer not totally committed then stop what ur doing
Why do u want it
Power fame or for vision are not enough 
If anything other than “because I have no choice” or “for fun or beauty” then need attitude adjustment
Attitude adjustment chamber
Check ego at door and anything else acquired at birth or through work
Only things to keep are love for the work and will to finish

2 middle the big crash
Will always be major setback at some point
Will we quit or not
Crash doesn't mean we are losers
It means we need to grow
Creative panic is good
Greatest fear is fear of success
Panic is a sign we are growing
Allies: stupidity, stubbornness, blind faith
The problem is not us. The problem is the problem. 
Work the problem. Rewriting. 

3 end
Finishing is critical part of any project
Fear of success makes us stop
Exposure is created when we ship
Start again before ur ready
Begin the next one tomorrow

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