You’ve thought about taking a dance/art/acting/whatever class but know you’ll be nothing but awkward.
You want to start a blog/YouTube channel/TpT shop/whatever but then realize your ideas are all crap.
You wake up early to write a chapter of your book but decide instead to organize your desk, answer emails, and fill out tax return forms.
(Wait, maybe that’s just me?)
Why is it that we don’t do the things we say we want to do? Turns out, there’s an invisible and incredibly powerful monster stalking us. It’s name is Resistance.
My super-smart co-worker and writing group homegirl Leigh explains that anyone who wants to create something is going to have to confront and slay this monster, a diabolical critter that shape-shifts to capitalize on each person’s greatest insecurity.
The idea comes from Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, a quick but meaty read. The book is a kick in the…pants to those of us who surrender to distractions or defeating thoughts when we should be doing the work that most matters to us. If you don’t have time to read the book, here’s a recent interview where Pressfield discusses these ideas:
Buoyed by Leigh, Pressfield, and my buddy Tom, I was able to write a few pages this week. And even though I battled Prezi-pocalypse 2019, a particularly nasty form of Resistance, this week, I do feel a bit better about my progress on this year’s 20Time project. I’m still at it.
Okay, my friend, ugly truth time – what has Resistance prevented you from accomplishing? Confess in the reply box below because my misery loves your company.
Resistance has kept me from many things- starting my own social media/website business, getting my master’s degree, speaking my mind when I’m being treated poorly or unfairly. Gosh, the list is long and varied. Recently I’ve begun to push back against this monster, and I’ve actually started accomplishing some things I’ve been dreaming about. Then another monster visits me- Doubt. But that’s another monster for another day.
Yup, Johnston’s Gems, this is a monster that’s sneaky, for sure. And, according to Pressfield, it’ll always be there with us no matter what level of success we achieve, taking new forms and trying new strategies as we change and grow. Stay strong and keep fighting it! We ALL face doubts and distractions along our paths of growth and the battle is ongoing.
This is great! I am a new teacher, (finishing up my student teaching this week) and I am working on my ‘first weeks of school’ lesson plan ideas. I would like to include a ‘growth mindset’ toolkit/lesson plan with the ‘all-about-me’ narrative pieces. I think it may be a great way to cover all my bases, and much of the content has to do with slaying that monster in your mind, and it is an introduction activity to get to know my students; lastly, it’s a lesson that can be easily remediated if I have any late-adds to my class. Now I just need to create it! Thank you so much for this blog, and all you do in the field of education. I have been using your MUG shots as my daily ‘do now activities’, and they have been awesome. As a new teacher, it is amazing to have these online resources.
So glad you found the blog, Heather! Welcome to this side of the teacher’s desk. 🙂