The Invisible Force Holding You Back
How to Identify and Overcome Resistance (Live, Leave, or Change - part II)
It’s not just about laziness and procrastination. Even the good stuff can get in the way.
Have you ever set an exciting goal only to find yourself stuck? You plan and prepare, but something holds you back—that invisible wall you keep hitting. Steven Pressfield calls it resistance. It’s the universal force that works against creativity.
In The War of Art, Stephen Pressfield describes resistance as a force that opposes any forward movement. Its sole mission is to keep things the way they are. Whether launching a project, working toward better fitness, or simply trying to be more disciplined, resistance shows up.
But here’s the twist: resistance isn’t always a negative. Sometimes, it can come from good things. The question is, how do you tell the difference?
Understanding Resistance
Resistance’s primary goal is to keep things exactly as they are. That inner force refuses to let us act, even when we know it’s good for us. The element within us refuses to comply with the action or goal you’ve set forth.
Before we discuss whether to live with it, leave it, or change it, let's explore resistance.
Resistance comes in two forms:
Negative Resistance: This is the obvious kind—the distractions, bad habits, or procrastination that keep us from doing what we need. It’s the snooze button when we know we should be getting up for the gym or binge-watching TV when there’s a project due.
Positive Resistance: This one's trickier. Sometimes, even good things can act as resistance. Think about it: helping others, caring for your family, or working on a passion project can keep you from other important goals. These are valuable activities, but they can create tension when they prevent us from pursuing something equally or more important.
So, what do we do? First, we must prioritize.
Step 1: Recognize the negative resistance in our lives—laziness, bad habits, or poor time management—and actively work to eliminate it.
This might sound like a no-brainer, but it is rarely focused on. We must “clear the space” to prepare for the best next step.
Step 2: The more challenging part is dealing with positive resistance. Here, you might have to make tough choices. It requires you to assess where you want to be and let go of something good to make room for something better. It’s not easy, but achieving meaningful goals requires difficult sacrifices.
How to Start:
List your resistances - the things that might be holding you back. Spend some time on it to think. Challenge yourself to write as many positive items as possible, as this is tricky.
Sort them out. Ask yourself: Is this resistance bad, or is it something good just standing in the way of something else right now?
Take action. With the list of resistance, rank them in order of value to you. Rank the least value first, then continue until the list is complete.
If you’re like me, you’ll find that the most challenging resistance to acknowledge isn’t laziness or bad habits. It’s the good things you might need to adjust to make room for your bigger goals.
You created your punch list as you take your next strides to reach your goals.
Remember, resistance is a part of life. But the more you understand it, the better you can manage it.
