What comes first is the idea, the passion, the dream of the work we are so excited to create that it scares the hell out of us. Steven Pressfield from “Do The Work”
Do you need a good kick in the butt to start a project? Or are you in the middle of the project and hit a wall? “Do the Work” is exactly what you need. I loved this book.
Steven Pressfield, author of “The War of Art” has followed up with the book “Do The Work.” It is not a deep book, in fact it isn’t even profound. It’s more like the drill sergeant that gets in your face and indoctrinates the recruit into the ways of the military, Steven indoctrinates the reader into the reality of resistance we all encounter in our pursuits.
It’s written to be a companion as you work through your project. It’s crass and even rude at times, but it’s effective. He coaches you through every wall, rut, and the discouragement of friends you may encounter. Here’s one of my favorite passages from the book:
And then we hit the wall.
Out of nowhere, terror strikes. Our fragile confidence collapses. Nighttime: we wake in a sweat.
That “You suck” voice is back, howling in our head.
Did we stand up to someone in authority over us? Now we crawl back and grovel to him. Did we face up to someone who was treating us with disrespect? Now we beg him without shame to take us back.
We’re poised at the brink of a creative breakthrough and we can’t stand it. The prospect of success looms. We freak. Why did we start this project? We must have been insane. Who encouraged us? We want to wring their necks. Where are they now? Why can’t they help us?
We’re halfway, two-thirds through. Far enough to have invested serious time and money, not to mention our hopes our dreams, or identity even – but not far enough to passed the crisis point, not far enough to glimpse the end.
We have turned the round cape Horn and the gales are shriecking; ice encases the masts; sails and sheets are frozen. The storm howls dead in our faces. There’s no way back and no way forward.
We know we’re panicking but we can’t stop; we can’t get a hold of ourselves. We have entered…. The Belly of the Beast!
Enough said… Get the book to learn how to get out of the belly of the beast!