I am on sabbatical for the next few weeks. While I am gone, I am running a series of “Encore Episodes.” These are my most popular podcasts ever, as measured by number of downloads. Enjoy!

Steven Pressfield coined this phrase to describe that invisible, destructive force that opposes you any time you try to start a new project or make an improvement in any area of your life.

I spoke on this topic at the recent Platform Conference, and the response was tremendous. So I wanted to share some practical counter-measures for dealing with the Resistance in your own life and work.

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In order to deal with the Resistance, you have to first understand what it is. It has four attributes.

Attribute #1: It is invisible.

Attribute #2: It is internal.

Attribute #3: It is insidious.

Attribute #4: It is infallible.

But what can you do about it?

You can only defeat the Resistance by understanding its three primary strategies and applying appropriate countermeasures.

Strategy #1: Fear. The typical response to this strategy is procrastination.The countermeasure is to START.

Strategy #2: Uncertainty. The typical response is distraction.The countermeasure is to FOCUS.

Strategy #3: Doubt. This usually occurs at the end of a project, and the typical response is to quit and leave the work unfinished.The countermeasure is to FINISH.

Defeating the Resistance is essential to your growth, but more importantly it is essential to your transformation. Who you are becoming is more important than what you are doing.

Listener Questions

Jeff Sanders asked, “How do you keep your own creativity from becoming another form of the Resistance?”

Jen McDonough asked, “What kinds of outside things do you bring into your life to help fight the resistance?

Joanna Holman asked, “How do you know what you are facing is Resistance rather than a sign that what you are doing is not the right thing for you or you are doing too much and need to back off?”

Marc Schelske asked, “What has helped you to stop the cycle of perfectionism and get the product out the door?”

Sue Detweiler asked, “What are ways that we personally create Resistance and sabotage our own progress?”

Travis Dommert asked, “How does the Resistance work in the presence of a group?”

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