The Resistance, as Steven Pressfield calls it, is a powerful force indeed against creative energy.

You feel the spark of a new idea, and you feel the adrenaline rush to the brain saying “Yes!  You are creating” and you feel even just for a moment completely invincible.  All creative thoughts and endeavors exist in that positive space, even if just for an instant.  But the really good ideas, the ones that might lead to bigger shifts in your life, stick in you and grow.

And then, maybe after an hour or a day or a week, you feel it.  The doubt, the mistrust of your own thoughts.  The dark clouds roll into your brain.  “I can’t do that” or “Just not practical” become part of the conversation.  And then you take your idea, carefully fold it up, and put it away.

It’s an issue for me personally.  I’ve always had pride in the ideas I generate.  But The Resistance is strong in me, and I’ve found excuses for years to not follow through on many of my initial thoughts.

So how do you fight The Resistance?

Inertia is a powerful force, and I can tell you from experience that if you start with an idea and not let it go until you have a deliverable, a tangible thing that you can hold and read through or look at or touch, then you have a far better chance at success.  You see, the kryptonite against the dark forces lies in pressing forward, momentum, inertia.  Once the ball starts rolling downhill, get out of the way!

Doing the great work with speed and immediacy is one of the best antidotes I know to The Resistance.  If you work hard enough, and fast enough, (and I’ve found, without googling over and over about your ideas to try find legitimacy), you are bound to grow.

And the goal might not be what you think.  The goal is not the success of your ideas but rather the conquering of the beast.  Learn how to turn The Resistance into something manageable that draws you into the right energy, and you will powers you didn’t know you had.  Do the great work without hesitation, interruption, or distraction until you have something you can hold and enjoy.

The image above is the cover of Pressfield’s new book Do The Work.  This is a must read for anybody with creative energy in their blood.