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Stay Stubborn
1-11-2016
In our last column, we examined Steve Pressfield’s book “The War of Art” to see how mental and emotional resistance can be used as a self-development tool. In this column, we’ll explore another one of Pressfield’s books, “Do the Work!”, and its main topic: Stubbornness.
In today’s society, to be stubborn is often seen as a negative trait, especially in children. “He’s so stubborn. He won’t do anything I tell him!” is a common complaint among parents, most notable during the “terrible twos” with a forceful resurgence in the teenage years. To be stubborn means to resist change, obstinately cling to the status quo, and to take the stance of “No, I won’t, and you can’t make me.” Stubbornness is seen as a defense mechanism causing people to dig in their heels to protect their egos and avoid admitting they were wrong or unreasonable.
Pressfield reclaims stubbornness as a virtue. He believes that once we commit to action, to a goal, to fulfilling our purpose, the worst thing we can do is to quit. The power of plain old stubbornness can be harnessed to keep us going when the times get tough. His mantra is simply “Keep working.” Don’t let anyone or anything dissuade you from doing what needs to be done. Plan out time, even if it’s only in fleeting 10 – 15 minutes slices and work wholeheartedly on reaching your goal, one step after another. Be stubborn about what you want to achieve. Be mulish in your resolve. Be ornery with yourself, and don’t let up or give in.
Momentum is everything. Determine a process and then stick to it. Have the self-discipline needed to follow through – not to take shortcuts or give yourself undeserved, or even well-deserved, breaks. Pressfield points out that prolific author Stephen King, who has published 54 novels, 5 non-fiction books, and over 200 short stories, writes every single day. Whether he’s on a speaking tour, on vacation, or at home “at work”, he carves out time regardless of his schedule to refine his already well-honed craft; he sticks to his plan and doesn’t let anything get in the way.
Pressfield understands that all too frequently we get in our own way. We sabotage ourselves. We succumb to our “monkey-mind” of internal chatter filled with self-criticism, doubts, and fear. He challenges us to recognise that these “rambling, disjointed images and notions that drift across the movie screen of your mind” are not our thoughts. They are resistance and the key to overpowering them is simply to keep working. Pressfield reminds us that resistance arises second. First comes the idea, the dream, the desire. Resistance is the petty response born out of fragile ego. Recall your original passion and enthusiasm to energize yourself when the work gets hard. When you crash.
Crashing is predictable. Inevitable. And good for us. Pressfield explains, “We gave it everything we had and came up short. A crash does not mean we are losers. A crash means we have to grow. We are on the threshold of learning something, which means we are getting better, we’re acquiring wisdom of our craft. A crash compels us to figure out what works and what doesn’t work – and to understand the difference.” He cautions us not to tie our self-worth as human beings into the success or failure of an undertaking. “The problem is not us. The problem is the problem. Work the problem.” Don’t give in at this crucial juncture. Solve the problem. Dig in your heels and keep at it.
Not giving up means finishing what you have started. And part of finishing is to go public. To let others know what you have done and how it turned out. Seth Godin calls it “shipping”. When we announce our results, in whatever form they may be, we face the final test – exposure. Blowing our own horn through proclaiming our achievements opens us up to the judgement of the real world. Instead of being a fearful or humiliating experience Pressfield asserts, “Nothing is more empowering…it gets us out of our self-devouring, navel-centered fantasies and self-delusions.” Going public is a transformative game-changer. Once you have truly finished something and exposed your results, “You can be proud of yourself. You’ve done something that millions talk about but only a handful actually perform. And if you can do it once, you can do it again.” Congratulations! Now go start working on your next dream.
Stay stubborn.
More information about Steven Pressfield is available at http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/ Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca.
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