Beating Procrastination with Steven Pressfield

Get ready for an incredible conversation with the incomparable Steven Pressfield, whose novels and books on creativity have inspired countless creators. Our connection dates back a decade and has been instrumental in my journey to becoming a full-time writer and coach.

Steven is the author of the bestselling novels Gates of Fire, Tides of War, and The Legend Of Bagger Vance, which turned into a huge movie with Matt Damon, Will Smith, and Charlize Theron. He's also the author of the classics on creativity, The War Of Art, Turning Pro, and Do The Work. These are my absolute favorites and must-read books if you're creative, create any type of content, are an entrepreneur, or simply someone with a dream in your heart.

He's also just released The Daily Pressfield, which is 365 days (plus a bonus week) of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. I received an advanced copy of this, and it's absolutely incredible!

This chat delves into the heart of creativity, ambition, and inspiration. But it really centers around resistance. Often seen as the most daunting hurdle in the creative process, Steven equips us with wisdom on how to overcome it. We discuss:

- How to beat resistance/procrastination.
- How resistance can be the most intense when the project is closest to our hearts.
- Steven's own experiences with surrendering to the universe in order to make breakthroughs in his work.
- The power of finishing a project and how ambition plays a crucial role in an artist's journey.
- The mysterious sources of creative inspiration and how to tap into it.
- The importance of embracing imperfection.
- How imperative it is to take risks and put ideas out into the world, even when they aren't perfect.
- The challenges of maintaining focus in our fast-paced world filled with distractions.
- The necessity of staying true to our creative integrity.

Whether you're an artist, author, entrepreneur, or 9-5'er, there's something in this episode for everyone!
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00:00 Intro
03:19 How Susie First Connected With Steven Years Ago
06:20 Does Steven Still Experience Resistance?
07:50 The Bigger The Project The Greater Resistance You Feel
09:55 Importance Of Trusting Our Own Ideas
12:14 Why Creativity Is Challenging
15:04 You’re Not Doing It Wrong If It’s Hard
16:02 No One Rewards You If You Resolve Creative Challenges
18:02 Every Creative Struggles With Creating
19:05 Why Steven Applauds Anyone Who Finishes Their Project
21:36 Steven Explains The Experience Of Trying To Write His First Novel
24:08 You Only Feel Resistance If You Have A Dream First
26:16 Steven’s Changed Perspective On What Ambition Means
29:07 The Risks Of Not Following Our Calling
31:36 Steven On Connecting With The Muse
34:27 The Need To Keep Going With Creating
36:22 Steven On Taylor Swift And Roseanne Cash’s Creativity
37:52 Steven’s Perspective On Perfectionism
40:35 The Importance Of Keeping Work Flowing
44:02 The Attention Required To Create Deep Work
46:53 Does Steven Consider Selling His Art Part Of The Creative Process?
51:52 Steven On The Ego And Creating
54:40 Benefits Of Success Coming Later In Life
56:17 Steven On Not Selling Out
58:28 Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Taylor Swift Always Changing
1:00:27 Steven’s Advice To Someone Starting Out Feeling Doubt
1:02:18 Steven’s Quote On Sharing Your Creative Talents
1:03:36 Where To Find Out More about Steven

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