005 Overcoming Resistance - ProductivityCast

005 Overcoming Resistance – ProductivityCast

On this cast, Ray and Augusto discuss overcoming resistance, using Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and the psychological and practical aspects of dealing with resistance.

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In this Cast

Ray Sidney-Smith

Augusto Pinaud

Show Notes

Resources we mention, including links to them will be provided here. Please listen to the episode for context.

Steven Pressfield

The Legend of Bagger Vance (book) (movie) (IMDB)

The War of Art

Turning Pro

Do the Work

Seth Godin

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Criticism of The War of Art by Psychologist Frederick Heide (See section entitled, “Criticism”)

Changeology by John C. Norcross, PhD (Productivity Book Group discussion) (website with exercises)

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman, PhD

Pugh decision matrix

Raw Text Transcript

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are you ready to manage your work and

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personal world better to live a more

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fulfilling productive life then you’ve

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come to the right place

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welcome to productivity cast the weekly

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show about all things productivity here

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are your hosts ray Sydney Smith and

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gusto pan out welcome back everybody

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this is Ray Sidney-Smith and Augusto

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Pinaud good morning good morning how’s

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it going this is productivity cast the

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weekly show about all things personal

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productivity and today on this show we

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are gonna be talking about resistance

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there is probably nobody better to

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discuss resistance than the author that

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we’ll be discussing and his book which

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is Steven Pressfield and the war of art

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so who’s to tell us a little bit about

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Steven Pressfield

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I know his sort of his Wikipedia

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biography but I think you know him a

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little bit better in terms of the

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background and why this book you brought

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up the topic and you sort of have

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championed this this topic and so I’m

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I’m curious about you know what really

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jumped out about pressfield’s background

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and and what you know sort of sparked

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your interest in his work and just as

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sort of a little bit of a background for

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folks before you get started at gusto is

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that Pressfield at least at the time

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we’re recording

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I think his 73 or 74 years old and he is

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an American author he’s written both

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fiction and nonfiction and screenplays

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and people probably most likely know him

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from The Legend of badger fans that’s

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probably as big as because it’s turned

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into that you know the 2000 film as of

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recent in couple last years several

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years ago he has started a publishing

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house called black Irish books and he

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started that with his his agent Sean

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Coyne and so he has a small publishing

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house but anyway tell us tell us a

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little bit more about Steven Pressfield

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and what makes this topic so near and

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dear to you Lucedale you know press

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field as you said most people know who

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is because of the first book he wrote

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got into

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a movie and and that’s you know sadly a

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lot of the reference for the people to

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know that is if the the movie more than

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more than that that said he has

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participated in other movies even some

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of them that people really know but but

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he’s here’s a quite interesting story

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when he wrote he wrote a book that I

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have no way to to to prove what I’m

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going to say but I think he wrote the

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war of heart for himself and I thought

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telling a story for what his his

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struggles to be in a writer and honestly

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I don’t think he thought he was going to

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have that much success but that’s

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because he was as he details in the book

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he was homeless living out of his car at

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the time he was writing the war part

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that’s why he probably didn’t think it

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was gonna be one success well you know

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uh press Hilton right now enjoy a

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certain status as a writer he published

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he bombs delay your burger ones he had

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published some books on his history

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if you fiction history or historic

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fiction if you like history and Romans

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and World War two really his I maybe I

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like them so his books even though some

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of them are our fiction are amazing on

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the content on the historical facts that

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tied up was that fiction to the point

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that really you can come and run and if

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you don’t know enough about some of

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those stories you know come and think

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that they have more reality than fiction

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that is one of the things that actually

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make him amazing as a writer his his his

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second novel gates of fires is taught to

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the US military the Naval Academy and at

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Quantico four Marines this is this is

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not like second-class historical fiction

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this is hardcore stuff right right

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one of the things that make him really

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cool really special as a writer is he

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has been able

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to show his humanity you know it takes

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at least on my experience when you look

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at writers and famous people you really

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find two kind of them the ones who are

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perfect and never struggle okay and it

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was expected but they were going to get

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there and the ones who show you all the

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marks that they were led you in their

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way you know I I can tell you as a

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writer I have published II you know

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eleven books and I wish to tell you the

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second one was easier than the first one

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and Dale Evans was easier than the

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second one and sadly that’s a lie

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at least has been a lie for me every

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book causes a struggle I’m right now

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finishing a book that is it’s difficult

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you know there is a point on writers

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that’s what I call the valley of despair

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whatever in his dark mushy you know

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everything that you kind of dislike and

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the only way to finish that book is to

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grow through that valley of despair and

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the work of art come to tell you

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Pressfield version of that he talks to

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what he called the resistance and the

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resistance as he define it is that

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little thing that little voice that tell

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you not to do it but tell you all the

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reasons why you should not do it and

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tell you all the reasons why you should

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quit and when he published that book I

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think it was around 2002 it was really

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this up at the book on his phone it was

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the first time that somebody pinpoint

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that resistance and pinpoint the

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difference between what he called an

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amateur and Arana Pro when he’d make the

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distinction the difference is not that

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the pro doesn’t have this resistance the

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difference is the proud owner stop

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because the resistance and he make all

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the difference and even tell his own

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story of when he as a writer changed

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from being what he called

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an amateur rider to being a pro rider

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and an old holder change and for people

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who do are you will be able if you get

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lucky and are able to break from them

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amateurish level of art to the pro level

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of art you will find exactly the same

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you will see the resistance you will

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deal with the resistance but you will do

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it anyway and again it was a first book

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of that kind he has after that you know

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published two more books 2011 he

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published one called turning pro then he

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did one called do the work also all in

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the tree in the same lines okay and his

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message has been grabbed for at least

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two or three utters one of them was have

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gotten who took the term persistence and

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tried to make a distinction out of the

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world of art because when you read

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press’ll book he obviously canalize his

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book to the art the writing to to being

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an artist and the reality is resistance

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applies to everybody who is doing

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something great because even that it’s

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not necessarily conveyed that way on the

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book you know when you are an

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entrepreneur you are an artist when you

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are a solopreneur

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you are an artist when you are an

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intrapreneur you are an artist even if

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you don’t recognize yourself as such if

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you are any of these things you are

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doing art for business you are bringing

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something that this unique something

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that is new something that do not exist

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or you are doing it in a way that

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haven’t been done before you will find

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all this and you will deal with all this

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you know the people who listened to our

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show and who read productivity and who

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are in the quest for being more

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productive to lead a better life in a

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way the art of productivity it on the

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people who is in turn in playing there

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are artists that are trying to do

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something different something better and

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in a different way and they will fight

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with resistance and they will do it and

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if not think about the following when

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you begin your journey on the

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productivity world that persistence ok

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came to you unfaded ok with you were a

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GT dear ok the first weeks the

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collection was difficult and then

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finally to conquer collection but then

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it was processing ok and then it was a

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weekly review and every other things

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every time you fail on those it was the

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resistance you didn’t fail

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you know the weekly review because you

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say oh this is not important not you

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knew what’s important you knew it was

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helpful but what happened well your

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brain start telling you or you don’t

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have the time all you’re so busy or you

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how you’re going to waste 2 hours of

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your time old you fill in the blank and

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that is resistant persistence is on

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everything because I then of the day

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doesn’t matter what you do I don’t

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doesn’t matter if you are a business

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owner doesn’t matter your intrapreneur

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doesn’t matter you’re an intrapreneur

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doesn’t matter if you’re an accountant

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or a lawyer what do you do on the day

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today if you are good at it you are

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doing art after you are doing art you

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are going to need to fight with that

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difficult challenge of your own mind

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telling you that what you are doing is

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not worth it and that what you are doing

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while you’re wasting your time and why’d

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you are not doing something else I think

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it’s really interesting for us all to

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take heart to the fact that being

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productive requires a certain level of

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friction that is there’s an appropriate

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amount of friction that’s necessary for

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us to be able to make progress and that

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comes into into account and this is more

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psychologically but you know the reality

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is is that if you have take the analogy

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of your the wheels on your car won’t go

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you know what will take traction and

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we’ll be able to move forward on the on

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the street the same thing applies when

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it comes to productive

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personal productivity in the sense that

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you know if we don’t have enough of a

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challenge then the mind is numbed to

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what needs to be done and therefore it

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sees no reason to do it so it needs to

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reach a threshold it needs to reach this

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level of you know what we’re doing and

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as it relates to creative output I think

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you’re correcting gusto you know there

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there’s a wide range of things that that

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are creative output that we don’t

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necessarily categorize as such but I

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generalize because it just makes sense

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right so creative output for me is just

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the brain doing pattern recognition it’s

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creating connections among things that

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seem to spare it they seem disconnected

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from one another and when we make those

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connections that is either

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problem-solving or creativity you decide

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on the semantics of it but that’s really

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what it is and so I think what

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Pressfield does and this idea of

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resistance within creativity is that

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we’re able to recognize the things that

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both start us and and excite us like

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passion you know interest and those

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things that try to stop us this

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universal force that Pressfield talks

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about that attempts to keep us where we

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are from things not changing and from my

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perspective change is inevitable right

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you know you’re going to age whether or

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not you like it or no matter how much

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Botox or rest’ll an injection or or or

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other kinds of cosmetic surgery you do

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right you’re going to age and that’s

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just what it is

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time is gonna go forward what you do at

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that time is very different and I think

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that’s the real power of resistance here

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is that it can be a truly motivating

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force and I think there’s some good

0:12:50.800,0:12:54.940
constructive criticism out there of

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pressfield’s concept there I know that

0:12:54.940,0:12:59.770
the psychologist Frederic Ida you know

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he has some sort of constructive

0:12:59.770,0:13:04.480
criticism regarding Pressfield but I

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think no matter how you how you look at

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it whether or not you look at it as

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something that’s

0:13:07.570,0:13:14.620
agonistic versus something that can be

0:13:11.430,0:13:16.130
motivating right I think that we we

0:13:14.620,0:13:17.750
should look at this as

0:13:16.130,0:13:19.160
something that could be useful in

0:13:17.750,0:13:21.820
productivity and personal productivity

0:13:19.160,0:13:25.610
that we can actually harness this energy

0:13:21.820,0:13:28.220
whatever this energy is and and okay so

0:13:25.610,0:13:31.550
do you see it as as I mean since

0:13:28.220,0:13:34.340
Pressfield sort of analogizes it to this

0:13:31.550,0:13:37.210
quote-unquote universal force do you see

0:13:34.340,0:13:45.350
it as an energy that’s many billable I

0:13:37.210,0:13:47.030
see it more as something who suck the

0:13:45.350,0:13:50.450
energy more than the more than the

0:13:47.030,0:13:53.930
manipulate energy it takes the the

0:13:50.450,0:13:57.230
energy out of you so if you if we go to

0:13:53.930,0:14:01.490
the analogy of a vehicle okay imagine

0:13:57.230,0:14:03.980
you come and take the cable out of this

0:14:01.490,0:14:06.020
Park Blocks okay if you do that I don’t

0:14:03.980,0:14:08.360
care how in good shape your vehicle is I

0:14:06.020,0:14:10.340
don’t care how far you want to drive I

0:14:08.360,0:14:13.010
don’t care how much gas you put on the

0:14:10.340,0:14:14.750
vehicle if the cable is not connected to

0:14:13.010,0:14:16.840
the spark plugs you’re not going there

0:14:14.750,0:14:18.770
and that’s what resistance does

0:14:16.840,0:14:20.390
resistance told you why do you need this

0:14:18.770,0:14:24.980
kill all you don’t need this cable take

0:14:20.390,0:14:30.680
it out you know who cares and it is it

0:14:24.980,0:14:34.190
it released it robs the energy of what

0:14:30.680,0:14:37.870
you want to do and it takes you know

0:14:34.190,0:14:40.520
press’ll said on the war of art says

0:14:37.870,0:14:44.210
resistance has no strength of his own

0:14:40.520,0:14:47.540
every ounce of use it possesses come

0:14:44.210,0:14:50.780
from us we feed it with our power and

0:14:47.540,0:14:55.220
our fear of it after the fear and you

0:14:50.780,0:15:00.320
will conquer resistance and and the

0:14:55.220,0:15:03.350
reality is that when you are able to

0:15:00.320,0:15:06.050
identify problem with resistance the

0:15:03.350,0:15:07.760
resistance is like a con-artist

0:15:06.050,0:15:10.580
you don’t know you’re dealing with

0:15:07.760,0:15:12.080
resistance untold you now and I wish to

0:15:10.580,0:15:14.930
tell you oh there is a magic formula

0:15:12.080,0:15:16.790
that I can give you you follow one two

0:15:14.930,0:15:19.460
and three and discover resistance with

0:15:16.790,0:15:22.250
resistance as a good con art this is

0:15:19.460,0:15:25.880
really tricky but in my experience when

0:15:22.250,0:15:28.660
you identify that your arguments on your

0:15:25.880,0:15:31.940
excuses are resisting

0:15:28.660,0:15:34.670
immediately as soon as you call it what

0:15:31.940,0:15:38.690
it is your relationship with that

0:15:34.670,0:15:41.740
feeling change and that problem of

0:15:38.690,0:15:45.680
energy disappear it is a really

0:15:41.740,0:15:48.320
fascinating phenomenon that I that I

0:15:45.680,0:15:52.190
wish could be explained better than in

0:15:48.320,0:15:53.839
the way I just did but if as soon as you

0:15:52.190,0:15:56.120
you know you are dealing with this fear

0:15:53.839,0:15:57.830
or and then finally you know this call

0:15:56.120,0:15:59.540
I’m just dealing with her assistance as

0:15:57.830,0:16:02.450
soon as you call it what it is

0:15:59.540,0:16:05.420
it lose all his power so because of that

0:16:02.450,0:16:08.720
no I don’t think if an energy as much as

0:16:05.420,0:16:13.880
I think is something that Rob’s or steal

0:16:08.720,0:16:17.330
or all your energies so I’d like to move

0:16:13.880,0:16:21.320
us in the direction of the applicable

0:16:17.330,0:16:24.230
the application the practical and talk a

0:16:21.320,0:16:27.620
little bit about how resistance works in

0:16:24.230,0:16:31.339
our own lives in our own productivity

0:16:27.620,0:16:32.930
you know sort of systems and tools you

0:16:31.339,0:16:36.140
know or how it might work against them

0:16:32.930,0:16:38.240
you know psychologically and how we cope

0:16:36.140,0:16:41.959
with them and maybe some some tools that

0:16:38.240,0:16:43.820
we can use to get out of that space you

0:16:41.959,0:16:45.560
know how to recognize it sooner you know

0:16:43.820,0:16:47.870
creating awareness which is really

0:16:45.560,0:16:50.540
important and then of course how to how

0:16:47.870,0:16:52.670
to utilize this this new knowledge right

0:16:50.540,0:16:54.920
if you if the if resistance is new to

0:16:52.670,0:16:58.010
you this Priscilla thien concept is new

0:16:54.920,0:17:00.440
to you how do you use the knowledge to

0:16:58.010,0:17:03.200
create awareness and to combat it and in

0:17:00.440,0:17:04.880
essence and my my world I’m gonna say

0:17:03.200,0:17:07.370
harness it I think that there’s a

0:17:04.880,0:17:11.360
there’s a real motivational there’s a

0:17:07.370,0:17:13.069
motivational impetus for me when I talk

0:17:11.360,0:17:15.020
about harnessing this resistance as

0:17:13.069,0:17:17.059
energy I see it from the flipside gusto

0:17:15.020,0:17:20.240
I see it as being something that is a

0:17:17.059,0:17:22.550
force it’s sort of like a black hole but

0:17:20.240,0:17:26.480
just like a black hole sucks energy in

0:17:22.550,0:17:30.559
I’m able to use that dark matter force

0:17:26.480,0:17:32.800
to slingshot myself away from it if that

0:17:30.559,0:17:37.700
makes any sense to those of you who love

0:17:32.800,0:17:39.620
astrophysics this makes sense to you but

0:17:37.700,0:17:41.929
but I really do believe that you can

0:17:39.620,0:17:44.570
harness resistance for it’s it’s

0:17:41.929,0:17:47.090
positivity and for its positive behavior

0:17:44.570,0:17:47.659
modification so so let’s talk about this

0:17:47.090,0:17:49.940
any more

0:17:47.659,0:17:52.519
ground-level stuff you know if we go

0:17:49.940,0:17:55.789
back to to the world part you know

0:17:52.519,0:17:58.190
press the list for what he called a

0:17:55.789,0:18:00.499
resistance greatest hits okay and he

0:17:58.190,0:18:04.279
said is in no particular order but he

0:18:00.499,0:18:06.409
said pursuit of any calling in writing

0:18:04.279,0:18:08.840
painting music film dance or any

0:18:06.409,0:18:12.470
creative art however marginal or

0:18:08.840,0:18:14.809
unconventional if you are trying to do

0:18:12.470,0:18:16.789
the same thing that other has done yeah

0:18:14.809,0:18:17.720
probably resistance doesn’t care because

0:18:16.789,0:18:21.019
we’re sisters

0:18:17.720,0:18:24.619
the objective of resistance is to

0:18:21.019,0:18:27.169
exterminate extraordinary he said also

0:18:24.619,0:18:30.019
the launching of any intrapreneurial

0:18:27.169,0:18:33.440
behringer or enterprise for-profit or

0:18:30.019,0:18:36.799
otherwise any diet or health regimen any

0:18:33.440,0:18:40.039
program of a spiritual advancement and

0:18:36.799,0:18:42.529
you know when you go to do big diet as

0:18:40.039,0:18:44.990
an example most people have t always

0:18:42.529,0:18:47.749
assistance most people has come in to a

0:18:44.990,0:18:51.320
diet program and failed and you don’t

0:18:47.749,0:18:53.690
fail because you kind of do it you fail

0:18:51.320,0:18:56.119
because that internal talking told you

0:18:53.690,0:18:58.129
all well you know you have been really

0:18:56.119,0:19:00.679
good for four days you really deserve

0:18:58.129,0:19:03.110
that ice cream you you have been really

0:19:00.679,0:19:05.509
well over this weekend you know tomorrow

0:19:03.110,0:19:08.450
at lunch you should get that that too

0:19:05.509,0:19:10.399
little coke okay odd you should you know

0:19:08.450,0:19:11.659
you have really worked hard into losing

0:19:10.399,0:19:12.499
the pounds wide you don’t need that

0:19:11.659,0:19:15.980
carrot cake

0:19:12.499,0:19:16.999
that’s resistance nothing else in his

0:19:15.980,0:19:19.519
more spewer

0:19:16.999,0:19:25.100
and simple form watch it that carrot

0:19:19.519,0:19:29.059
cake is totally on the table yes it is

0:19:25.100,0:19:32.330
you know it’s the problem you know and

0:19:29.059,0:19:35.389
again if you go back to to to the book

0:19:32.330,0:19:38.059
you know he he said persistence is the

0:19:35.389,0:19:40.820
most toxic force in the planet cannot

0:19:38.059,0:19:44.149
and the problem is cannot be seen touch

0:19:40.820,0:19:46.279
heard or smelt but it can be felt we

0:19:44.149,0:19:49.159
experience it as an energy field

0:19:46.279,0:19:51.830
radiating from a working potential it is

0:19:49.159,0:19:53.500
a repelling force it’s aimed to shove us

0:19:51.830,0:19:56.340
away destructive

0:19:53.500,0:19:59.200
from doing our work resistance is a

0:19:56.340,0:20:02.100
self-generated and sir perpetrated and

0:19:59.200,0:20:06.760
the reality is is the enemy within

0:20:02.100,0:20:08.940
anybody who has ever tried to do an

0:20:06.760,0:20:11.530
extraordinary project a project

0:20:08.940,0:20:14.289
unconventional project a really cool

0:20:11.530,0:20:16.419
project have dealt with resistance they

0:20:14.289,0:20:20.020
may know it they may not know it they

0:20:16.419,0:20:23.590
may not even know how to call it but the

0:20:20.020,0:20:27.970
reality is nobody is exempt and again

0:20:23.590,0:20:31.720
what make Pressfield cool was he wasn’t

0:20:27.970,0:20:34.960
trying to say I am exempt to this day he

0:20:31.720,0:20:36.640
told you that he dealt you know nonce to

0:20:34.960,0:20:38.919
read his blog and your rigid things and

0:20:36.640,0:20:43.030
he openly said I deal with this stuff

0:20:38.919,0:20:46.330
every day I deal with guys need to come

0:20:43.030,0:20:47.919
fight resistance everyday resistance is

0:20:46.330,0:20:50.169
not something for the people who are

0:20:47.919,0:20:51.700
weld you know I’m feeling the fear

0:20:50.169,0:20:53.890
because I have not make it oh I’m

0:20:51.700,0:20:55.630
feeling the fear because I’m I’m not

0:20:53.890,0:20:58.419
there no no you’re talking with a guy

0:20:55.630,0:21:01.330
that by any measure of the imagination

0:20:58.419,0:21:04.179
has been incredibly successful okay and

0:21:01.330,0:21:08.049
he continued deal with anything that you

0:21:04.179,0:21:09.640
believe on that you are not doing and

0:21:08.049,0:21:11.950
that you are not doing because you are

0:21:09.640,0:21:14.110
afraid of and you’re not doing because

0:21:11.950,0:21:16.150
you’re Atleti allowing the fear to win

0:21:14.110,0:21:18.130
and you’re not doing because you are

0:21:16.150,0:21:21.700
allowing your mind and its speech on

0:21:18.130,0:21:23.530
your mind to come front I’m not allowing

0:21:21.700,0:21:26.380
you to do it or stop you and distract

0:21:23.530,0:21:28.799
you to do it is resistance when you have

0:21:26.380,0:21:33.070
the project that you know is amazing

0:21:28.799,0:21:35.890
okay but you are allowing perfectionism

0:21:33.070,0:21:38.350
or you are allowing fear what if people

0:21:35.890,0:21:40.179
don’t like it that is resistance in

0:21:38.350,0:21:43.059
since pure way it doesn’t matter your

0:21:40.179,0:21:45.760
level of success it doesn’t matter your

0:21:43.059,0:21:49.150
level work it doesn’t matter what kind

0:21:45.760,0:21:52.210
of work you do even if you may conquer

0:21:49.150,0:21:55.020
resistance on area a of your life and

0:21:52.210,0:21:59.020
you will find it hugely on area B and C

0:21:55.020,0:22:01.809
because again resistance is a con artist

0:21:59.020,0:22:05.200
and as icon is and not only that is a

0:22:01.809,0:22:07.260
really really good con artist and when

0:22:05.200,0:22:09.299
you discover a way to fight it

0:22:07.260,0:22:11.429
she will come with two or three in

0:22:09.299,0:22:14.160
different ways for you not to identify

0:22:11.429,0:22:15.570
so it’s not a battle that you will win

0:22:14.160,0:22:18.150
once and let it go

0:22:15.570,0:22:20.880
Pizza battle that in order to win you

0:22:18.150,0:22:23.040
need to fight daily yes a couple of

0:22:20.880,0:22:26.309
things I wanted to to point out for

0:22:23.040,0:22:30.720
folks who are listening and want to be

0:22:26.309,0:22:32.940
able to overcome resistance in some sort

0:22:30.720,0:22:34.440
of in some practical terms you know

0:22:32.940,0:22:36.900
there there are a couple of things I

0:22:34.440,0:22:40.140
really enjoy the work of dr. Johnson

0:22:36.900,0:22:41.730
Norcross as some of you know I run

0:22:40.140,0:22:43.919
productivity book group the virtual

0:22:41.730,0:22:49.320
reading group we discussed his book

0:22:43.919,0:22:51.210
change ology maybe 2015 and we the book

0:22:49.320,0:22:53.059
is called Chang geology five steps to

0:22:51.210,0:22:56.910
realizing your goals and resolutions and

0:22:53.059,0:22:59.760
dr. norcross’s research comes on the

0:22:56.910,0:23:02.820
heels of I think 20 something odd years

0:22:59.760,0:23:06.059
of research into you know goal

0:23:02.820,0:23:08.280
development goal implementation or goal

0:23:06.059,0:23:10.890
achievement and habit development this

0:23:08.280,0:23:12.720
is all research-based work and he talks

0:23:10.890,0:23:15.270
about this method of being able to

0:23:12.720,0:23:16.919
change he uses sort of a 90 day model

0:23:15.270,0:23:19.290
for being able to do it who knows if

0:23:16.919,0:23:22.590
that’s sort of the the right amount of

0:23:19.290,0:23:24.720
time for every you know change but being

0:23:22.590,0:23:26.700
able to overcome resistance in this way

0:23:24.720,0:23:28.470
I think is really important I’ll put

0:23:26.700,0:23:30.510
links to all of these in the show notes

0:23:28.470,0:23:32.429
so that you can sort of check out our

0:23:30.510,0:23:34.500
book discussion but also the change

0:23:32.429,0:23:36.960
ology book website because it goes over

0:23:34.500,0:23:38.549
this process a little bit more closely

0:23:36.960,0:23:40.770
and has some self assessment and some

0:23:38.549,0:23:43.590
self change exercises one of the things

0:23:40.770,0:23:45.450
that he posits is something typically

0:23:43.590,0:23:49.559
called a decision decisional balance

0:23:45.450,0:23:53.419
sheet where you basically use a multiple

0:23:49.559,0:23:56.400
column format to be able to decide

0:23:53.419,0:23:58.410
whether or not it’s worth moving forward

0:23:56.400,0:24:00.900
on something whether continuing

0:23:58.410,0:24:03.120
something or cessation of something so

0:24:00.900,0:24:06.270
you’re capable of dealing with that and

0:24:03.120,0:24:07.500
especially for dealing with ambivalence

0:24:06.270,0:24:09.630
you know it’s something that I’ve

0:24:07.500,0:24:12.230
struggled with quite often is this idea

0:24:09.630,0:24:15.049
of city get a situation and being

0:24:12.230,0:24:17.790
ambivalent about the task at hand

0:24:15.049,0:24:20.250
because the motivations there right I

0:24:17.790,0:24:22.290
know I can go up horizons and so

0:24:20.250,0:24:24.840
GTD lingo I know that I can go up

0:24:22.290,0:24:27.300
horizons and say yes this is attached to

0:24:24.840,0:24:29.310
this project yes this is attached to

0:24:27.300,0:24:30.540
this particular role of responsibilities

0:24:29.310,0:24:32.880
or where I’m accountable

0:24:30.540,0:24:35.040
yes it’s attached to this short term or

0:24:32.880,0:24:37.020
long term long term goal and yes it’s

0:24:35.040,0:24:39.180
attached to this other higher purpose

0:24:37.020,0:24:42.120
mission vision but I still don’t want to

0:24:39.180,0:24:44.310
do it oh it’s like I don’t want to call

0:24:42.120,0:24:46.500
Bob you know I just don’t feel like it

0:24:44.310,0:24:49.920
being able to very quickly in your

0:24:46.500,0:24:52.170
mind’s eye do the mental algorithm

0:24:49.920,0:24:54.090
that’s outlined here can be very very

0:24:52.170,0:24:56.640
powerful and it’s very simple it’s

0:24:54.090,0:24:59.730
basically what’s the pro and con of

0:24:56.640,0:25:01.050
changing for yourself and others and you

0:24:59.730,0:25:03.090
could take this to many different

0:25:01.050,0:25:05.580
examples you know whether or not you

0:25:03.090,0:25:07.580
want to start writing that email okay

0:25:05.580,0:25:10.050
what are the pros and cons of that and

0:25:07.580,0:25:12.780
what are the pros and cons of changing

0:25:10.050,0:25:15.360
for yourself and for others and so you

0:25:12.780,0:25:17.640
just really quickly create that sort of

0:25:15.360,0:25:19.200
four cell table in your mind and you can

0:25:17.640,0:25:21.390
do this on paper you can do this in an

0:25:19.200,0:25:23.790
Excel spreadsheet or Google sheets but

0:25:21.390,0:25:26.580
just very very quickly you know writing

0:25:23.790,0:25:29.670
this things down one I think anything

0:25:26.580,0:25:32.750
that gets you moving making action is

0:25:29.670,0:25:35.970
powerful for creating further momentum

0:25:32.750,0:25:39.000
for productive output but the other side

0:25:35.970,0:25:40.560
is the ability to be able to get these

0:25:39.000,0:25:42.330
thoughts out of your mind so that you

0:25:40.560,0:25:43.470
can see them in a more rational logical

0:25:42.330,0:25:46.400
perspective because what we’re really

0:25:43.470,0:25:49.920
talking about is your emotions wrenching

0:25:46.400,0:25:51.720
control over you and in order to be able

0:25:49.920,0:25:55.140
to sort of step back and this comes from

0:25:51.720,0:25:56.760
from the work of dr. Daniel Goleman most

0:25:55.140,0:25:58.970
people know him from emotional

0:25:56.760,0:26:01.530
intelligence but he’s also written this

0:25:58.970,0:26:03.630
fantastic book called focus the hidden

0:26:01.530,0:26:05.610
driver of excellence he talks about this

0:26:03.630,0:26:08.460
ability to be able to do what’s called

0:26:05.610,0:26:10.950
productive reflection as opposed to

0:26:08.460,0:26:12.690
fruitless rumination ruminating is just

0:26:10.950,0:26:15.270
going over the same and same thoughts

0:26:12.690,0:26:18.420
over and over again no productive output

0:26:15.270,0:26:21.180
but productive reflection is that thing

0:26:18.420,0:26:24.170
we do when we actually resolve problems

0:26:21.180,0:26:26.730
when we become creative and I think

0:26:24.170,0:26:27.900
norcross’s doctrine or Cross’s method of

0:26:26.730,0:26:29.640
being able to sort of look at these

0:26:27.900,0:26:32.820
things and a little bit more of a

0:26:29.640,0:26:33.330
logical rational perspective in some

0:26:32.820,0:26:35.490
times

0:26:33.330,0:26:36.720
format can be very very helpful so just

0:26:35.490,0:26:39.330
keep that in mind as you’re moving

0:26:36.720,0:26:40.920
forward with things is is being able to

0:26:39.330,0:26:43.680
just there’s also the concept of a

0:26:40.920,0:26:46.020
decision matrix and and I’ll put a link

0:26:43.680,0:26:50.520
to one that I’ve used call the Pew

0:26:46.020,0:26:53.550
decision matrix and P ugh those of you

0:26:50.520,0:26:56.660
googling at home right now and the idea

0:26:53.550,0:26:59.520
is is free to be able to use this this

0:26:56.660,0:27:00.870
scoring system in order to be able to

0:26:59.520,0:27:02.940
make decisions and this can be very

0:27:00.870,0:27:04.470
powerful with larger projects I don’t I

0:27:02.940,0:27:07.380
don’t think you should expect to do

0:27:04.470,0:27:09.810
these with the call Bob example but

0:27:07.380,0:27:11.670
definitely with when you and when you’re

0:27:09.810,0:27:13.500
trying to make larger decisions this

0:27:11.670,0:27:15.780
could be very very powerful in being

0:27:13.500,0:27:18.180
able to get you to decide whether or not

0:27:15.780,0:27:21.440
to move forward on the first milestone

0:27:18.180,0:27:23.910
to a project or whether to delay that or

0:27:21.440,0:27:26.510
whether to start the project at all this

0:27:23.910,0:27:29.400
project really going to provide the

0:27:26.510,0:27:31.470
benefits all told we’ve talked about

0:27:29.400,0:27:34.290
resistance we’ve talked about press

0:27:31.470,0:27:38.730
field we’ve talked about some of the

0:27:34.290,0:27:40.440
good and bad side of utilizing this

0:27:38.730,0:27:43.020
material and some practical tools

0:27:40.440,0:27:46.560
anything else that we’ve missed you know

0:27:43.020,0:27:50.640
when I read the word of art the first

0:27:46.560,0:27:55.890
time and I will guess was around 2004

0:27:50.640,0:27:59.730
maybe too close to 2004 I thought for

0:27:55.890,0:28:04.050
years that to me because it applied to

0:27:59.730,0:28:07.410
my world of writing and it took me a

0:28:04.050,0:28:11.190
really long time to understand that

0:28:07.410,0:28:14.400
resistance apply to anything you are

0:28:11.190,0:28:16.530
doing that is worth something yeah if

0:28:14.400,0:28:18.450
you’re just cranking widgets and you

0:28:16.530,0:28:21.210
don’t care for creativity and you don’t

0:28:18.450,0:28:23.310
care for be outstanding and you don’t

0:28:21.210,0:28:25.470
care to be different yeah you probably

0:28:23.310,0:28:27.840
don’t have resistance or that’s what you

0:28:25.470,0:28:30.000
think actually you are suffering under

0:28:27.840,0:28:32.460
the umbrella resistance if you believe

0:28:30.000,0:28:34.650
you cannot do any of those you know more

0:28:32.460,0:28:38.160
outstanding extraordinary things but

0:28:34.650,0:28:40.670
fine if you don’t want to aim for that

0:28:38.160,0:28:43.020
that at the end of the day is your call

0:28:40.670,0:28:46.080
but if you are trying to do anything

0:28:43.020,0:28:49.200
that is worthwhile anything

0:28:46.080,0:28:51.510
you are going to find persistence you

0:28:49.200,0:28:55.260
are going to need to fight resistance

0:28:51.510,0:28:59.390
and the only way get somewhere is turn

0:28:55.260,0:29:02.519
there is no muse there is no inspiration

0:28:59.390,0:29:08.399
there is nothing that will come that

0:29:02.519,0:29:11.610
will help you not to get or not to fight

0:29:08.399,0:29:18.269
against resistance and you know there is

0:29:11.610,0:29:21.510
a couple of quotes from Pressfield that

0:29:18.269,0:29:24.059
i tried to put in front of myself often

0:29:21.510,0:29:27.450
enough and one of them says resistance

0:29:24.059,0:29:31.230
will tell you anything to keep you from

0:29:27.450,0:29:34.559
doing your work and you may be conscious

0:29:31.230,0:29:37.320
of it you may be unconscious of it but

0:29:34.559,0:29:39.529
every time you are not putting the work

0:29:37.320,0:29:42.149
and you are postponing the work

0:29:39.529,0:29:44.669
regardless what that is regardless if

0:29:42.149,0:29:47.370
he’s writing the answer to the judge

0:29:44.669,0:29:50.580
regarding if he’s publishing the blog

0:29:47.370,0:29:54.899
post regarding what it is what you are

0:29:50.580,0:29:58.649
allowing is resistance to win and on

0:29:54.899,0:30:00.870
that same line then I would like to at

0:29:58.649,0:30:03.659
least close what I have to say with

0:30:00.870,0:30:08.549
another quote of Pressfield and it’d

0:30:03.659,0:30:12.090
just be too dumb to quit unto a stubborn

0:30:08.549,0:30:14.820
to back off and that so far is the only

0:30:12.090,0:30:18.000
recipe I have found to be the resistance

0:30:14.820,0:30:19.830
with some kind of success I think that

0:30:18.000,0:30:23.460
nicely wraps up this episode of

0:30:19.830,0:30:25.559
productivity Catherine and so thank you

0:30:23.460,0:30:27.690
so much for listening if you have

0:30:25.559,0:30:30.230
thoughts in terms of how you tackle

0:30:27.690,0:30:32.639
resistance how you overcome it

0:30:30.230,0:30:34.470
potentially harness resistance in order

0:30:32.639,0:30:36.240
to be able to be more productive we’d

0:30:34.470,0:30:38.730
love to hear from you feel free to hop

0:30:36.240,0:30:42.419
on over to productivity cast net you can

0:30:38.730,0:30:45.120
record a response or you can just go

0:30:42.419,0:30:47.639
ahead and comment on the episode in the

0:30:45.120,0:30:49.559
comments section and below the episode

0:30:47.639,0:30:51.210
and let us know let us know your

0:30:49.559,0:30:53.490
thoughts let us know what types of

0:30:51.210,0:30:56.419
resistance you have come into contact

0:30:53.490,0:30:58.620
with and what kinds of tools and

0:30:56.419,0:31:00.180
approaches you’ve taken in order

0:30:58.620,0:31:02.580
be more productive in the face of

0:31:00.180,0:31:03.990
resistance so with that we’re signing

0:31:02.580,0:31:05.670
off for this episode of productivity

0:31:03.990,0:31:07.890
casts the weekly show about all things

0:31:05.670,0:31:10.050
personal productivity I’m Ray Sidney-

0:31:07.890,0:31:12.300
Smith I am Augusto Pinaud and here’s

0:31:10.050,0:31:14.910
to your productive life that’s it for

0:31:12.300,0:31:16.500
this episode of ProductivityCast the

0:31:14.910,0:31:19.320
weekly show about all things

0:31:16.500,0:31:23.180
productivity with your hosts Ray Sidney-

0:31:19.320,0:31:23.180
Smith and Augusto Pinaud

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