Reddit Reddit reviews The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

We found 106 Reddit comments about The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
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106 Reddit comments about The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles:

u/RedRedRoad · 24 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers


Comprehensive List of Books Relating to Music Production and Creative Growth

<br />


***


On Composition:

<br />


Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies - Dennis DeSantis
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic book. Each page has a general idea on boosting creativity, workflow, and designing sounds and tracks.


Music Theory for Computer Musicians - Michael Hewitt
Amazon Link
Really easy to digest book on music theory, as it applies to your DAW. Each DAW is used in the examples, so it is not limited to a specific program. Highly recommend this for someone starting out with theory to improve their productions.


Secrets of Dance Music Production - David Felton
Amazon Link
This book I recently picked up and so far it's been quite good. It goes over all the different elements of what make's dance music, and get's quite detailed. More geared towards the beginner, but it was engaging nonetheless. It is the best 'EDM specific' production book I have read.


Ocean of Sound - David Troop
Amazon Link

Very well written and interesting book on ambient music. Not only does David go over the technical side and history of ambiance and musical atmospheres, he speaks very poetically about creating these soundscapes and how they relate to our interpersonal emotions.


***


On Audio Engineering:

<br />


Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio - Mike Senior
Amazon Link
In my opinion, this is the best mixing reference book for both beginners and intermediate producers. Very in-depth book that covers everything from how to set-up for accurate listening to the purpose of each mixing and mastering plug-in. Highly recommended.


Zen and the Art of Mixing - Mixerman
Amazon Link
Very interesting read in that it deals with the why's more than the how's. Mixerman, a professional audio engineer, goes in detail to talk about the mix engineer's mindset, how to approach projects, and how to make critical mixing decisions. Really fun read.


The Mixing Engineer's Handbook - Bobby Owinski
Amazon Link
This is a fantastic companion book to keep around. Not only does Owinski go into great technical detail, he includes interviews from various audio engineers that I personally found very helpful and inspiring.


***


On the Industry:

<br />


All You Need to Know About the Music Business - Donald S. Passman
Amazon Link
This book is simply a must read for anyone hoping to make a professional career out of music, anyone wanting to start their own record label, or anyone interested in how the industry works. It's a very informative book for any level of producer, and is kept up-to-date with the frequent revisions. Buy it.


Rick Rubin: In the Studio - Jake Brown
Amazon Link
Very interesting read that is a semi-biographical book on Rick Rubin. It is not so personal as it is talking about his life, experiences, and processes. It does get quite technical when referring to the recording process, but there are better books for technical info. This is a fun read on one of the most successful producers in history.


Behind the Glass - Howard Massey
Amazon Link
A collection of interviews from a diverse range of musicians who speak about creativity, workflows, and experiences in the music industry. Really light, easy to digest book.


***


On Creativity:

<br />


The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Amazon Link
This is a must-read, in my opinion, for any creative individual. It is a very philosophical book on dealing with our own mental battles as an artist, and how to overcome them. Definitely pick this one up, all of you.


This is Your Brain on Music - Daniel S. Levitin
Amazon Link
A book written by a neurologist on the psychology of music and what makes us attached to it. It's a fairly scientific book but it is a very rewarding read with some great ideas.


***


On Personal Growth and Development:

<br />


How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
Amazon Link
Although this seems like an odd book for a music producer, personally I think this is one of the most influential books I've ever read. Knowing how to be personable, effectively network, and form relationships is extremely important in our industry. Whether it be meeting and talking to labels, meeting other artists, or getting through to A&amp;R, this book helps with all these areas and I suggest this book to all of you.


7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Amazon Link
Similar to the recommendation above, although not directly linked to music, I assure you reading this book will change your views on life. It is a very engaging and practical book, and gets you in the right mindset to be successful in your life and music career. Trust me on this one and give it a read.


Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Amazon Link
You know the feeling when you're really in the groove of jamming out and all worries tend to slip away for those moments? That is the 'Optimal Experience' according to the author. This book will teach you about that experience, and how to encourage and find it in your work. This is a very challenging, immersive, and enlightening read, which deals with the bigger picture and finding happiness in your work and life. Very inspiring book that puts you in a good mindset when you're doing creative work.


The Art of Work - Jeff Goins
Amazon Link
A very fascinating book that looks at taking your passion (music in our case) and making the most of it. It guides you on how to be successful and turn your passion into your career. Some very interesting sections touching on dealing with failure, disappointment, and criticism, yet listening to your intuition and following your passion. Inspiring and uplifting book to say the least.


***


Happy reading!

<br />



u/IxD · 12 pointsr/getdisciplined

“Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.

Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.

Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That's why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there'd be no Resistance.”

From War of Art by Steven Pressfield

u/slupo · 11 pointsr/Screenwriting

This is normal. I always wonder about people who "love" to write. So don't beat yourself up over it.

I'd try reading these two books:

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Inside-Out-Transforming-Psychological/dp/0471382663

https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/

Good luck!

u/bugeats · 10 pointsr/synthesizers

A lot of people here are talking about finishing the work they've started. This has always been a challenge for me. However, I recently did finish a full length album that I'm really proud of. It was a fucking battle every day, but it's done!. This book helped me a lot:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Highly recommended. Us synth nerds seem to have a particular problem with this kinda thing.

u/FairyButts · 9 pointsr/Showerthoughts

I'm still working on this, but my technique has definitely shown improvement. I clean for at least 5-15 mins a day. Small but it adds up.

Also, I don't get into self help books, but if you're a creative person or simply have a goal, I highly recommend [The War of Art by Steven Pressfield ](The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_hH3MybDT5QJ2K)

u/sarcastic_jerk · 9 pointsr/justwriterthings

I recommend this book - The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. This post reminds me of what Steve Pressfield refers to as resistance. If you were to follow his advice, I think he'd recommend taking on 'pro' habits and focusing on just one thing til it's done and viewing the drive to not complete it, in your case because another idea popped up, as resistance. And fuck resistance. Tell resistance to kick rocks and fuck on off while you put in work get your book done.

u/LenaLovegood · 8 pointsr/selfimprovement

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

An approachable, kick-in-the-ass type book whose advice is applicable for anything in life, art or not. I can't recommend this one enough for procrastinators and self-defeaters.

u/artearth · 6 pointsr/Screenwriting

I came here to say this too. A friend who has written and published two memoirs keeps a notebook just for new ideas, If something occurs to her, out comes that notebook, then back it goes so she can get back on track.

And is there something else going on? The new story is always shiny, uncomplicated, not bogged down by the actual effort of making it happen. Being deep into the details of the second act is just not as sexy as fleshing out a new character or problem.

So part of the answer is just to do the work. Check out The War of Art or Do the Work by Steven Pressfield - two books that seriously pulled me out of depression and got me busting ass on my projects again.

u/Consuelanator · 6 pointsr/getdisciplined

If this resonates with anyone, I HIGHLY recommend Stephen Pressfield's The War of Art (for anyone who has something they want to accomplish, not just artists). Trust me, best $10 bucks I've ever spent.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ih0gzbNX9DZGB

u/ManicMonk · 5 pointsr/infp

Hi,

I did something similar a few times, following a hunch and throwing away the work of years.

There are many aspects to this I guess, but the thing which might be the most interesting right now would be: Why don't you want to finish this?

What's below the surface, what is lingering beyond the surface of wanting / not wanting something?

Would crashing and burning the whole thing now make it easier to reorient? Do you feel like you're going in a direction you are not sure you can manage to be in?

Do you feel like you'd like to have some time for yourself to figure it all out?

I think that if you can finish it in any way now you should try to. For your parents and for your future self. You can be proud that you finished something big, even if you didn't feel like it in the end. Which is a thing to be very much proud of I think.

I am often times taking the path of least resistance, but I know it and I am kind of concerned that I might be a quitter... at least some part of me feels like that. You could nip that in the bud now! :)

Also, be mindful of "Resistance" rearing its ugly head and trying hard to keep you from finishing, being its strongest when you almost reached the mountain top.

There is a great book called "The War Of Art": http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1421863874&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+war+of+art&amp;amp;pebp=1421863877374&amp;amp;peasin=1936891026 - which I feel is amazing.

Amazingly written, amazingly concise, to the point and giving you lots of examples to identify the snake that is resistance.

And it can give you the strength to power through it too, I think.

I don't have it here right now unfortunately, or I'd quote you the passages related to Resistance becoming stronger the closer you get to your goal.

So know, Resistance is real, cunning and strong, and is a force always coming at you right from the point you know you need to go in your life. So it is naturally strongest and will try to keep you from finishing when you're so close.

Doubts? Resistance.
Feeling unwell? Sit down and do the work. It's Resistance trying to keep you from working.
Relationship troubles? Resistance.
Too early? Too late? Resistance.


So, while Resistance tries to make it hard to reach your goal, it is at the same time the perfect compass: Just face into the direction of the biggest resistance, and you're going exactly where you're supposed to be going. You'll be at the mountain top faster when you're going towards the mountain, no?

And, at the end, some more compassionate advice again:

Maybe, if you're afraid that you are about to hit the last nail into your own coffin which is the rest of your life now by finishing this degree - if you feel like you're not sure if you are ready to start your career in the field you're currently in - maybe make a deal with yourself: If you finish this degree now, you'll give yourself some time to do nothing or reorient yourself and maybe find something else if you feel like it after all of this.

Maybe get some support in this direction, maybe you can talk with your parents or a friend or your partner about it - tell them how you're feeling and that you are gonna power through and finish this degree, but aren't not sure if you're entirely on the right track yet and that you're gonna allow yourself some rest and / or reorientation after your degree.

Maybe make a plan on what you'd like to do after your degree instead of immediately joining the workforce? And if, after your degree, you should find yourself suddenly full of motivation to start a career in you field, that'd be a nice surprise too, don't you think? :)

---

Best wishes, time to do the laundry, i'm procrastinating on that one for days now! That's probably why i'm wrote this too! I'm off to do it now, I promise! :)

u/UniversalOrbit · 5 pointsr/ADHD

"The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.

It's more directed at creative professionals but deals with the same resistance problem.

u/letsbeB · 5 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

It seems like your problem could have two facets.

The first (maybe) is that your being too literal in your listening, and that's tough because you're clearly emotionally tied to that music. Try listening for principles, not specific figures. Don't listen to melodies, listen to phrase length in relation to harmony, rhythm, structure, and how that varies from song to song. Don't listen to solos, listen to where the solo comes from, what musical material is the solo being based on and how that functions within the context of the harmony, rhythm, song-as-a-whole, etc. Don't listen to drum patterns, listen to how a particular pattern supports a particular melody, hook, etc. The human brain is incredibly good at picking up on and replicating patterns. If you listen for melodies, solos, beats, etc. that's what you'll replicate and your music will sound much like that of which you're listening. But if you listen for relationships, functions, principles, you will not only be armed with a deeper understanding of how a music you love and respond to works on a fundamental level, but you will be able to apply those principles to your own music and grow as an artist.

Second, if you're throwing away ideas that sound both too much and not enough like your intentions, that's not not a musical problem, but a mental one. That sounds like Resistance. And Resistance is the biggest obstacle to any creative endeavor you will ever face. It it cunning - note the impossible double standard it has forced you into. Resistance doesn't want you to grow, doesn't want you to better yourself. It feeds off of you "rage quitting." I cannot take credit for the term or definitions. That honor goes to Steven Pressfield. His book The War of Art is one of the best I've ever read. It's saved my ass many times. It's a sort of cheesy title but in terms of impact on my life, it's this one and maybe one or two others. I'm sure I sound like some zealot missionary but read some of the comments. And if you can't afford the 10.29+shipping, PM me and I'll mail you my copy (as long as you send it back eventually). I've been where you're at and it fucking sucks.

u/screenwriter101 · 5 pointsr/Screenwriting

You absolutely must read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I went through the same type of self-sabotage thinking and this book really helped me to take that negative voice and use it to my advantage.

Here are just two quotes from the book:
&gt; If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), "Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?" chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.

&gt; Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.

Keep at it!

u/tobitobiguacamole · 5 pointsr/financialindependence

In order of impact:

1 - The War of Art - https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1549035419&amp;amp;sr=1-3&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

The most important book I've ever read. If you are pursuing any creative endeavor, I would say this is required reading. It's a super quick read, with every page or two covering a quick idea or example. I read it a bit of it every day before starting work on my music. It's like my bible.

2 - Atlas Shrugged - https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Shrugged-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451191145/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1549035527&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=atlas+shrugged

Taught me the value of hard work. Gave me the confidence that if I put the work in, I could achieve great things.

3 - How I found Freedom in an Unfree World - http://metaphysicspirit.com/books/How%20I%20Found%20Freedom%20in%20an%20Unfree%20World.pdf

Even if you don't agree with all of it, it definitely helps put some new ideas out there that can change how you view things.

u/mrpunaway · 5 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

Awesome! You should start posting there! I enjoyed the read.

Have you ever heard of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield? I highly recommend it.

u/fight_collector · 5 pointsr/Stoicism

"Some men only begin to live when it is time for them to leave off living." This is the danger of procrastination: wait long enough and you run out of time.

I don't have an analysis for you. Instead, I have a book recommendation: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I read this back in September of 2013 and have been writing more than ever. Great motivator and offers you great advice for overcoming Resistance.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

u/jamesd33n · 5 pointsr/DigitalPainting

I have no fear you'll find the videos that suit you best. We generally are resourceful enough when the need calls for it. Best of luck to you on that front.

The most difficult thing I found is the same most difficult thing every person of every new venture finds: sticking with it. I didn't. I started getting used to it, started getting good at it, and then I froze 12 hours (not consecutive) into a fantastic painting and stopped. I still have the file unfinished on my external. Do not make my mistake. I regret it. BUT... I'm making up for lost time and have since restarted learning to use it and my programs again. So, trust me, Pastanro, I'm right there with you.

Consistency! If you practice one thing, practice it hard! Do it for a month, not a day. Nail it into the ground so it will be a useful step to stand on for the next part of your journey. And no cheating! Start from the bottom again. It will not be wasted practice. If you're a master of anatomy, spend time practicing what you've already mastered and it will help you acclimate to this new tool that much easier. Don't take off learning things you don't know just quite yet. Ease into it. Be proud of the starting work you do. In 5 years, you'll look back and be even more proud of it.

The rest - the workflow - is more or less up to you to decide. Which program you enjoy (I use ArtRage; the tools and canvases have actual texture and aren't as stale as a soft round "brush"), which brushes you use (if in a Photoshop-esque program, try playing with the jitter settings, I hear that helps give it more life), to how you hold it (ideally in such a manner that makes using the buttons on the stylus more useful), to how you paint (I don't paint portions of the drawing at a time, I paint full layers: sketch, rough paint, final paint, etc), which keyboard shortcuts you assign to the tablets buttons... these are all things you'll discover for yourself as you evolve with your tool, as it becomes an extension of you.

I also recommend accountability. Setting up a conceptart sketchbook or a deviantart profile (I prefer this) serves as a means of "showing up for work." If you can build an audience or a few friendships, they'll notice when you're being lazy. This makes the process a little less "I'm roaming around in the dark alone"-ish. It also feels fantastic to know you have fans, especially when they stick around and prove they're keeping an eye on you.

None of this is technical advice per se, but that's because I firmly believe the biggest challenge is mental. You're battling far bigger demons at the soul level when you set out to learn something new and follow a dream. Fanning those flames inside you is more important than what you're forging. So if you listen to only one piece of advice I have to give, get a copy of this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026

If you put yourself out there somewhere on the net, send me a link. I'd like to follow along.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/GetMotivated

So, for everyone shitting all over not sufficiently motivated by this, I offer you this: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

A major theme in this book is people who work in creative fields procrastinate most on the projects that are most important to them.

Here is a synopsis I found:
http://tuckermax.me/simple-synopsis-the-war-of-art/

u/mike_vad · 4 pointsr/DecidingToBeBetter

I love your post. Your thoughts on "the resistance" made me think of this book. I highly recommend it. It's a pretty quick read:

http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026

u/theotherverses · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

Hey there - this struggle happens to all of us at some point to a certain degree. One thing I do when I'm in that space is to try to not accomplish anything, just open up the DAW, find a sound I like and play with it. It often leads to some really great ideas, and reminds me that I got into music because it's fun and feels good. Sometimes I'll do a YouTube search, find a tutorial on something I don't know how to do, and work along with it. It get's me back in learning mode. Beginner's mind.

Also, Brian Eno's "Oblique Strategies" are helpful. They seem to be hard to find. I got a deck of them, but can't remember where. But there is also a free app you can pick up.

And lastly, I'll recommend this book to all, even if you don't have writer's block. It's an inspirational little book applicable for all artists, regardless of medium. Stephen Pressfield's "War of Art"

http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1425426738&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

u/triumphmeetsdisaster · 4 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Read (or stream on Audible) the War Of Art by Steven Pressfield. It will change your life. You’re giving into resistance. Something inside of you is afraid and stalling, keeping you from actually doing. I feel its pull as well. It’s also what convinces me to watch Netflix instead of writing music. Stop losing the war.


The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Sh6WCb4JJ3QT0

Edit: spelling

u/crustinXbeiber · 4 pointsr/occult

&gt;My stalemate, my plateau was a lack of vision. I hope I can gather from that infinite well, too

&amp;#x200B;

Inspiration comes best to those who don't wait for it. Read this book, The War of Art asap, it helped me a lot.

&amp;#x200B;

Kind of a digression but there's some fairly subtle occult themes, nothing that would scare off mainstream folks, but he invokes the muses, talks about ritualizing your creative time to more easily move into a creative mindset, and personifies creative resistance as a sort of demon to be overcome. It's been a while since I read it but from memory I think there's even some bits in there about working with your daimon or higher genius. I highly recommended it.

u/iamwritingabook2 · 4 pointsr/writing

No tricks per se, otherwise forcing yourself will be short lived and will produce low quality results. Having said that, this is what I did / do:

  1. Read "The War on Art" you'll understand why it's so hard to start doing something that you want to badly (TL;DR: it's your lizard brain / the resistance. Still read the book)

  2. Your brain works better in the morning, we all know that. And there are soooo many things we need to do distractions, well.. writing is your job, and you get paid with those distractions. Wake up and don't do anything until you have written some (you can quantify yourself what this some is, 250 words? 500? 2,500??) not even brushing your teeth, and surely not breakfast (that's the pay for writing). Questionable about bodily functions, it all depends how well you perform under pressure (jk). YMMV

  3. Develop better habits, starting from #2 above.

    Quotas seem to work, you can have a words quota, or time quota, or a combo.

    What I have seen working is a quotas, you determined how many words/time a unit of writing is, let's say 500 words or 30 minutes; and how many units is your minimum per day. You take it from there.

    Here's the real trick you have just read my thing and you're not going to like it at all. Great! You and I are not the same. Pull it apart, be the brutal editor of my work, make it so that it works, pretend you're doing it not for you but for a friend who asked you for help. Then... follow your own advice, but for the sake of the Muses and the Gods of writing, keep #1.

    YMMV.
u/nickprince · 4 pointsr/bestof

Have you read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield? If not, check out the reviews, and then buy it.

u/c00ki3znkr34m · 3 pointsr/NoFap

" I will no longer procrastinate moving towards my dreams." Lol implying you're not NOW? Check out the book The War Of Art, trust me.

Here: http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026

Amazing story, I relate. You take the blinders off, it gets scary. Boys run back to their crutch, Men begin walking toward a new life. Don't go back there bro. Mentor others on here, this is incredible. You're truly an inspiration!!

u/koosh12 · 3 pointsr/books

War on Art by Steven Pressfield
Its a very quick read and is inspirational at any stage of life. I try to read it once per year and it's my go-to book to bring on a plane.

u/ibuprofane · 3 pointsr/getdisciplined

Perhaps what you're feeling is what Steven Pressfield calls 'resistance' is his book "The War of Art". Resistance has a way of manifesting itself into a number of different forms that prevent you from getting your work done and from your description your anxiety might be part of that. I get that too, especially at the start of my projects and when I'm near finishing. The good news is that resistance can be beaten with the right mindset.

If you've never given it a read I highly recommend it; it should be standard reading for all creatives IMHO. Even for non-creatives it's probably the best anti-procrastination book I've ever read.

https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026

u/bluhEwanka · 3 pointsr/makinghiphop

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cP1ezbF60AMRT

u/ericxfresh · 3 pointsr/BettermentBookClub

off the top of my head:

Meditations, with The Inner Citadel as a reader

Letters from a Stoic

A Guide to the Good Life by Irvine

Do The Work by Pressfield as well as The War of Art by Pressfield

Managing Oneself by Ducker

Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl

What Predicts Divorce by Gottman

Nicomachean Ethics

Models by Manson seems to be popular on reddit

So Good They Can't Ignore You by Newport, as well

I'm currently reading Triumphs of Experience by Vaillant and find it insightful.

u/taozero · 3 pointsr/Anxiety

Couple of things to try:

Check out Mini-habits to get you moving.

The other is to try to just focus on the process:

"When your goal is to pay attention to only what you are doing right now, as long as you are doing just that, you are reaching your goal in each and every moment" - Thomas M. Sterner from The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life

Lastly there is a great book by a writer on the battle to create and write called, The War of Art.

Just my two bitcoins - I hope it helps. Hang in there!

u/c-student · 3 pointsr/edmproduction

&gt; Something about having a finished song vs 8 bar loop makes me anxious.

You're not alone. You might check out The War of Art. It's about overcoming the self-sabotage that many artists deal with.

u/BOOGY_DOG · 2 pointsr/StopGaming

&gt;Why can't i just do shit, it's so easy

Because it's easier to do the same shit you've been doing.

When you're feeling low and haven't had a taste of success, doing things that matter feels pointless, yet it's the only way to better your life as you say you want. I would suggest you read a few books, The War of Art and The Slight Edge that might nudge you in the right direction.

u/Symbiotx · 2 pointsr/TheRedPill

You're experiencing resistance. You recognize your anger and disappointment for not following your excitement, but when you get to the reason it didn't work, you say, "I tried." You are the only one keeping you from accomplishment. You are accepting defeat.

If there's something you want to be doing, you have to do it. Every circumstance is not the same, every opportunity is not the same, so it's not that you missed out on your one chance. It's that you're missing out on a chance every moment you spend watching TV instead of writing that book. If you never try to accomplish anything, you never will. It can be hard to resist the thoughts that it didn't work, it won't work, it's too hard, but when you do, you'll recognize how awesome it feels.

If you're interested in reading a book that could help, check out The War of Art

Edit: Also, this brief story can help you see it from a different perspective: The Chained Elephant

u/kirbyderwood · 2 pointsr/selfimprovement

You need to read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It goes over the problem of overcoming resistance in creative endeavors (as well as life).

According to the book, you're approaching creativity as an amateur. You do it when it is fun, but when the going gets tough, you cave. The professional does his/her craft every single day, rain or shine.

u/Thooorin · 2 pointsr/Meditation

On a similar note I'd like to recommend The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. It's a book where each chapter is at most a few pages, sometimes even a single page.

The entire premise is to define everything that holds you back from creative work/writing as resistance and then find ways to short-circuit it and overcome your blocks. Very highly recommended as a great pick-up and put-down type book to give you a jolt to get working!

u/shickari · 2 pointsr/bjj

Judo Heart and Soul is my all time favorite book when it comes to the martial arts... Incredible read. It's geared towards Judo but applicable for all martial arts (especially BJJ since they're so close). Unfortunately its hard to find a cheap copy these days... keep your eyes out though, it's awesome.

https://www.amazon.com/Judo-Heart-Soul-Hayward-Nishioka/dp/0897501373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1479199419&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=judo+heart+and+soul

The War of Art and Turning Pro by Stephen Pressfield are probably the two books that have had the greatest effect on my life, overall. They're not about martial arts per-se but the lessons within are HUGELY applicable for what we do... I'm constantly re-reading these books. They're short reads and each page is kind've it's own story or lesson so you can literally open the one of the books to a random page, read for a minute, and be inspired for your whole day... I can't recommend them enough. They changed my life. IMO Turning Pro is the more life-changing of the two books but you have to read War of Art to fully grasp the concepts he's discussing... War of Art is kind've the "pump you up to do great things" sorta book and Turning Pro is the one that hits you with reality and teaches about how you can actually achieve your goals.

https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1479199494&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Pro-Inner-Power-Create/dp/1936891034/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;pd_rd_i=1936891034&amp;amp;pd_rd_r=G102YZA1NVHWGXKPFCJ6&amp;amp;pd_rd_w=wotM4&amp;amp;pd_rd_wg=GFqOl&amp;amp;psc=1&amp;amp;refRID=G102YZA1NVHWGXKPFCJ6

A friend and Relson Gracie brown belt just recommended The Zen Way to Martial Arts to me... I ordered it the other day and can't wait for it to arrive.

\https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Way-Martial-Arts-Japanese/dp/0140193448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1479199396&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=zen+way+to+martial+arts

u/PM_ME_UR_PERSPECTIVE · 2 pointsr/GetMotivated
u/jacksclevername · 2 pointsr/advertising

I just bought Hey Whipple Squeeze This as a parting gift for our intern, and The War of Art for myself.

u/push_pop · 2 pointsr/IWantToLearn

Check out The War Of Art.

Just start. No excuses. Inspiration is bullshit. Just to the work.

u/Epicureanist · 2 pointsr/casualiama
  1. This scene from Say Anything, specifically John Cusack standing outside with the boombox.

  2. If you ever have any problems with procrastination or wanting to paint but feeling resistance read this book
u/etcomro · 2 pointsr/Songwriting

&gt; Brutally harsh is good.

I'll try to be gentle but keep in mind this is just one guy's opinion on the internet. I base a lot of my critiquing from what I've picked up in songwriting books by guys like Pat Pattison and Ralph Murphy.

I want you to know overall I like the feeling of what you're going for in this one.. but yeah, you're writing needs some work and here's how I think you stand to improve

  • Hook writing - I know, I know.. it's trite to say you need to write with a hook. But here's my case for it, the job of the songwriter is to keep the listener listening and one tool to do so is to set a hook in your pre-chorus and/or at the very least by the end of you chorus. Many times I'll start with the hook and write the chorus first, add some detail with the verse, then add a bridge for counterpoint or contrast.

  • Detail, detail, detail - Your verses essentially are saying nothing.Tthe reason why is that the narrator is telling how he feels. And Ralph Murphy said, in so many words, the listener doesn't care how the narrator feels. At least until the chorus. In your verses you should be putting in as much detail as you can. Every line should move the story your telling along.

  • Verse development - Another side of that is that your verses are telling a story. And their job is to give the listener something relatable and universal enough that they can imagine. All your favorite songs already do this. So before you write lyrics, think about and even write down a beginning, middle, and end development. A popular one is I, you, we or another is Aristotle's advice that the narrator must feel pain(traumatic even), fear (of something happening, and catharsis (a happy ending).

  • Chorus - your chorus should tie all of the detail in your verse together. This is the payoff and where the narrator can talk about thoughts, feelings, and ideas. I'm reading your chorus as :"See I'll sink/Under this ship/And I'll drown/If I don't find land" now that's an okay chorus. Except that none of your metaphor in the rest of the song have anything to do with sailing.

  • Rhyming - The rule of thumb is to keep the same rhyme scheme in your verses but change it up in your chorus. You've set up an XXXAABCCB rhyme scheme your first 'verse'. The first three line stanza has nothing to do with the rest of the song. Also, none of the lines in the chorus rhyme. That causes a lot of instability and when I'm in a chorus getting the big payoff I want to create at least some stability.

  • Rhythm of words - If you really want to dig into it, you could break the words up into iambs and trochees. An iamb is accented on the first syllable and a trochee on the second. Finding what you want then modify the lyrics to fit that rhythm will give your lyrics uniformity and a sing along quality. That's probably a bit advanced right now though any good rhyming dictionary should have a section on it

    You're going to get better the more you learn and the more you write. If you want to take it seriously you should be writing every single day. Again, I'm just a guy on the internet but I feel you would get a lot out of these resources:

    Writing Better Lyrics

    Ralph Murphy Lecture

    The War of Art
u/Stubb · 2 pointsr/AskMenOver30

Have a read through The War of Art if you feel you need a kick in the ass.

u/bassist · 2 pointsr/getdisciplined

You ever read The War of Art?

Or listened to Eric Thomas?

Or Jocko Willink?

u/PM_ME_BOOBPIX · 2 pointsr/writing
  1. Start
  2. If #1 above is not possible, read The War on Art
  3. See #1 above
u/ratjea · 2 pointsr/writing
  1. The War of Art by Steven Pressman is helpful with procrastination.

  2. I'm finding great success with Focus Booster to help break through resistance. It helps you structure you work time into 25 minute blocks with 5 minute breaks. You can do just one 25 minute block if you want, though.

    Resistance/procrastination is a bitch. I think it's not the talent, planning, or anything else that makes a successful writer. It's breaking through resistance and getting the shit done.
u/CD2020 · 2 pointsr/Screenwriting

Cool. Glad to help.

Here's the two books that I was referring to. It's definitely a trap to start buying screenwriting books or writing books -- however, there are couple of key nuggets I've only recently uncovered.

Cheers.

https://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-Screenplay-Comprehensive-Tomorrows/dp/1935247034

https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1473978726&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+war+of+art

u/dorbner · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I do the Spotify thing too, I listen to something and think "Ahhh this is so simple but why can't I write anything this good". But I try to remember that it's not fair to compare my ability to an artist who's had something produced on top of years of experience. I'm just starting out and it's okay to suck.

I'm not the type to push a self-help book, but this was a great read and helped me develop some of the mindsets I'm working on: https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1467819885&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+war+of+art

u/b-smartypants · 2 pointsr/smallbusiness

Since you mentioned Art of War, I also recommend War of Art

u/thesecondkira · 2 pointsr/writing

I would not say "need," because no one needs to write like, say, they need to breathe. Either you are committed because you want to be or you are not committed because you don't want to be. There is no real crisis here. You are in control.

I don't mean to imply "Maybe deep down you don't want to be a writer" or to cast doubt on that, because that's only yours to know. But telling myself these things, including how I don't "need" to write, makes me realize that I want to write and I want to make it happen. Or, it makes me realize I don't want to write and I should, at least for the time being, stop trying.

It's a good way of discerning if I'm being lazy or should take a break.

Edit: I realize there is nuance here, and there is a struggle involved in making something happen. When I realize I'm being lazy (by not making my wants the thing I work towards), I read The War of Art. That's my kick in the pants.

u/saud23 · 2 pointsr/GetMotivated

[The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles] (http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026)

u/indiebass · 2 pointsr/reddCoin

Hey! Nice to see you again! It's a really cool thing you're doing, and you'd be surprised... not many people legitimately want to know how other people's day has been. Which makes this project (for lack of a better term) double cool. =)

Today? Not bad... I'm going away with the GF to celebrate her new job (call back to previous post!) this coming weekend, so spent a lot of the day getting those plans together while she's at work. Went out for breakfast with my folks, which was all right. Parents can be tricky things. But I made it through. And I'm currently at a Starbucks, trying to get some work for myself done (but got distracted by the daily /r/reddcoin checkin).

Incidentally, I've had a rough time lately trying to motivate myself to do all those things that you need to do to better yourself. For some reason, I've just been procrastinate-y. But I took out my copy of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield which I find super motivating at times like this. It's technically about how creative folks can overcome that same procrastination, but it's applicable even if you aren't in the creative fields.

Anyways, I hope your day has been spectacular! Good luck out there!

u/saruken · 2 pointsr/offmychest

I spent 4.5 years in college and graduated with a music degree. I then floundered around for a couple years living with my dad, my friends, my GF, etc. working part-time gigs and dreaming about a life I wasn't working toward in any tangible way. Eventually I went to graduate school in music because at least it was a direction, but I knew before I even got there that it was never going to work. I dropped out after a single semester.

So there I was: manchild of 25 or so with no skills or experience that mattered to anyone, and just like you I had grown to hate the one subject I excelled in. So I floundered some more and felt sorry for myself, made myself out to be the victim in countless plots.

Eventually I found myself working at Subway making sandwiches for a guy I went to college with. He told me how everyone thought I was the one dude out of all the music majors who was gonna make it big. I guess that was a "rock bottom" of sorts for me.

I started rebuilding myself at that point, into the person I wanted to be. I got a lot of shit from family members and old friends who expected me to never change, but fortunately I had one person on my side who believed in me. It wasn't an easy process. There was a lot of backsliding and self-pitying, but anyway, some things that helped (and still help) me improve myself were As a Man Thinketh, the top comment in this Reddit post, and The War of Art.

4 years from that rock bottom now, I'm happily married with a steady job in programming, my own house and savings and working toward higher goals now. Most importantly I'm happy. Fulfilled, even. Things aren't perfect, but I feel like I know where I'm going now, I'm comfortable with myself, and I can work daily toward where I want to be. Hang in there man.

u/thesewordz · 2 pointsr/KeepWriting

The War of Art is a great read. Take an hour or two to read it.

u/Mayahaha · 2 pointsr/bodyweightfitness

Dreaming is easy - taking your workouts seriously is harder.

Read these two books of you are looking for motivation to reach your potential.

War of Art - Pressfield

Peak - Ericsson

Or don't :P

u/workingonit3005 · 2 pointsr/productivity

YO! I highly suggest you read The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. All about overcoming resistance. Beautifully written and you can read it in a couple hours.

https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=

u/les_diabolique · 1 pointr/goodyearwelt

I probably have 50 or 60 books in the queue, i'm a bit behind!

I finally finished Zero to One by Peter Thiel. It's not a long read, but I've barely had time to read.

Here are some of the books:

u/firmituri · 1 pointr/getdisciplined

Read this

u/rextramus · 1 pointr/edmproduction

The War of Art

Read that and then just sit down and do the work. Instant gratification and art don't always mix well. Put in the work and the gratification you get from finishing will be even greater.

Good luck.

Edit: Fixed a word.

u/ehsahr · 1 pointr/Advice

Read "The War of Art" http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1936891026?pc_redir=1405767898&amp;amp;robot_redir=1

It's not long and I think it may help.

u/the_eulogist · 1 pointr/askphilosophy

Not necessarily. It's area of focus is creative endeavors though. The War of Art.

u/ukiluke7 · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

I've experienced the same things you have! Like I know what to do but I just don't do it, then I'll watch something motivational and get myself pumped up! Only to be distracted by something else and go back to the same bleak existence... I know there's a lot of self help books etc, but the book that really struck the nail on it's head for me was: The War of Art And since you want to write a book this could be particularly usefull to you! LMK what you think of it if you end up reading it, very quick and easy read...

u/Akuden · 1 pointr/webdev

The teamtreehouse stuff is alright. My college instructor has been using their videos to teach us stuff. Actually . . . my class is pretty much a scam. I'd also suggest running through freecodecamp.com

It is a nice little primer and then after they give you a few tools the website asks you to build your own projects. Once you do those projects, the site welcomes you back and into some serious javascript tutorials and on and on. It's a nice way of hand holding and letting go.

A couple sources you might be intimate with already are:

codepen.io --Write code and see it shape right away. You can run preprocessors such as pug on your html, jquery on the javascript, load in frameworks like foundation or bootstrap, sass . . . whatever your fancy is.

http://placehold.it/ --When building sites you will want pictures. Here are blank placeholder pictures. Nice site.


A smart phone app called "enki" -- Couple minutes every day for code exercises.

On firefox and chrome "inspect" -- get down and dirty with inspecting pages. If you are on chrome right click a webpage and go to down "inspect". Take a good look at the code. Highlight spots on the website, what is a child of what? Is there a responsive container holding everything ect. When making your own sites, using inspect will help you understand your widths and heights of containers and many other things. Good luck.

Also suggest a book called "The art of war". https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1478741594&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

Book just says whatever it is you are trying to do creatively do not give up, and do something in that field every single day. Even if it's shitty. Bonne chance mon ami.

u/Royale-w-Cheese · 1 pointr/books

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

A swift kick in the ass for procrastinators and under-achievers, artistic or otherwise.

u/glumurphonel · 1 pointr/books

Probably the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It's the best self-help book I've ever found, and the method he writes about really worked for me.

u/SpydaX10 · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Read this book and do what it says (even just find it online or something): http://www.amazon.ca/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026

u/BobJoRaps · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

Thanks. I got the internal editor mining/refining stuff from The Comic's Toolbox and I got the "you aren't your art" stuff from The War of Art. I learned a lot from both books.

u/__dio · 1 pointr/EngineeringStudents

Pressfield calls this Resistance...funny how it applies to just about everything, even though he uses it when referring to procrastinating artists/entrepreneurs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_w.uuybRAKJK7B

u/officeaj · 1 pointr/Entrepreneur

Here's a short book. You could read it in a weekend without even trying. It's full of stuff like that passage. Because even with the most viable of ideas, you're still going to hit brick walls. https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1482382723&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+war+of+art
(NOT an affiliate link or anything like that)
edit: Happy to share! Merry Christmas!

u/smutforcash · 1 pointr/eroticauthors

Writers block is a myth. Just write. I struggle with sitting down and doing it myself but it's not lack of creativity it's lack of sitting down and writing. Here's my two cents (most of which I need to follow myself!)

-Read [The War Of Art] (http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1450114231&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+war+of+art&amp;amp;tag=thelexfiles05-20) (or Turning Pro) By James Pressfield. I keep a copy of both near the toilet and it always sets me straight. He talks a lot about what he calls resistance, which is what I now believe in, instead of writers block. Really, really good stuff.

-Dictation can he HUGE if you like doing it. I type really fast so I don't have as much incentive to give it a go but more and more authors seem to be moving in that direction. I read [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Dictate-Your-Book-Smarter-Storytellers-ebook/dp/B013ZVSVC4/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1450114377&amp;amp;sr=1-2&amp;amp;keywords=dictation) and found it to be a no nonsense guide on getting set up for a life of dictation.

-Write in the morning, before you do anything else. We only have so much mental energy every day if you're waiting till the end of the day to write you're going to find yourself drawing on thin reserves. This is the one I have to work on the most. I want to start getting up at 5am every day to write. I'll try again tomorrow!

u/phantomfromnowhere · 1 pointr/getdisciplined

&gt;why do I want to get better--and I don't really have an answer

I think I found your answer.
&gt;I want to live a longer, healthier life, so eating right and exercising is part of that.

That seems like a good answer to me. That you want to get better so you can live healthier and longer. I know that it might not seem as purposeful as being a doctor or dedicating you life to help people but it's not less right or not less meaningful.

Also you mentioned having a career and money. Is that not a good answer also?

&gt;will make some real progress toward one of these goals, but then get burned out

I struggled with this for years. I still get so fucking pissed when I think back to all the time I wasted. I don't know if this will apply to your situation or help at all but something that opened my eyes was The War of Art

The book spells out all the ways you can sabotage yourself. He names the force stopping you "The Resistance". The Resistance is linked to pre-historic part of our brain called "The Lizard Brain". Which is responsible for fear and rage and reproductive drive. Blog post on the lizard brain

When I stopped my art project half way it wasn't because I was lazy. It was because I was scared that people wouldn't like it.

I don't want to exercise. Not because I'm lazy but because my "lizard brain" is more comfortable at home watching movies.

I don't stop eating a lot of junk food. Not because its too much work to eat healthier but because my "lizard brain" enjoys the ease and pleasures of junk food too much

This view on procrastination, laziness and fear really changed the whole way I look at my work and goals now. I can realize much sooner when I'm trying to avoid things when The Resistance is trying to get to me. I know that if I feel The Resistance telling me not to do it that its a sign that I should do it.

I still fail a lot, have a lot of bad habits and struggle with self discipline but I'm getting better, I'm much more aware of what my real mistakes are and can take steps to improve them.

u/GooseNuckle · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

Read The War Of Art, By Steven Pressfield

The whole book is essentially written to answer your question.

u/nodle · 1 pointr/Anxiety

I'm a graphic designer, and I too have been struggling with creating. Right now, I'm in the middle of moving, planning a wedding, and what feels like a million other things, but for a time, I had a pretty good routine down.

I found that if I set a schedule for creative time, and stick to it, that eventually, something good will come out of it. You're always going to have bad days. You'll always have nights where you move your pencil around the page for hours and churn out nothing you like. It's part of the gig.

I also found that keeping a list of projects in a notebook was very handy. Instead of spending my creative time worrying about what to work on, I just picked from the list. I also made sure that I didn't have any distractions. It was almost like meditating. I would sit at my desk, and wait. Wait for creativity to come.

Granted, our mediums are different, but I'd suggest giving it a shot. Stick to a creative schedule. Eventually, I think your mind will become accustomed to working at a certain time, and you'll have more success.

Also, find some subreddits or communities where you can talk about your art with other people who enjoy what you do. Share your work. Ask for advice. You might run into an asshole here or there, but that's always going to be the case.

I also spend a lot of time worrying about the future. Worrying about my career, worrying about not being good enough. Try your best to push those thoughts out. I know that's easier said than done. Just sit and wait for it to flow through you.

I'd also suggest checking out this book. It's called The War of Art. The way the author views creativity is exactly what I needed to do in order to find success and stop letting my fears get in the way of doing what I love.

Keep at it. Good luck!

u/FissureFilms · 1 pointr/edmproduction
u/Micosilver · 1 pointr/CasualConversation

Read or listen to this book:

http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1458698226&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

He talks exactly about this. He calls it "resistance": the power that stops us from doing what we should be doing, what causes procrastination, rationalizations, self-sabotage, etc. Great book.

u/angriwooki · 1 pointr/GetMotivatedBuddies

Check out this book. Although it was created for creative types, i've found it useful in helping me get motivated to do stuff in everyday life tasks. http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1412300154&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=war+of+art

u/RPeed · 1 pointr/askMRP

Oh I typed all this for you my dude but these dastardly bullies caused you to delete it.

&amp;#x200B;

Hope it benefits you or another ENTP stoner:

&amp;#x200B;

What caught my eye was the Myers-Briggs test: I also (usually) test ENTP. Just wanted to say I think the Reddit subs seem to do it a serious disservice:

&amp;#x200B;

A) It is a management tool. It is not meant to enable some rando's life as a lovable eccentric. You should be shoring up the weaknesses it shows, not jerking off to how creative you think you are (not that you can stop yourself amirite? Ha!), and

B) It is not a tarot card reading of your soul. I get profiled regularly, by professionals, using whatever method is in vogue at that moment and while I absolutely see the value in the tests, it is limited, it is contextual and it will vary over time.

&amp;#x200B;

It is not so much "revealing" your personality as a prediction of how your behavior will manifest in a given context. MB being particularly general. For example, all my ENTP result tells me is that RIGHT NOW, I likely have too many projects going on and/or am managing my time poorly.

&amp;#x200B;

So based on your results, I would recommend you get out of your comfort zone and focus on active productivity exercises. Far from being something unsuited to you: they are likely just what you need. Anytime I dial this in tight, my life has a night and day improvement.

&amp;#x200B;

7 Habits is the granddaddy of course.



Unchained Man has a great time management system. Actually he refers back to Covey's 7 habits and explains why and how he updated the principle for a digital era. The rest isn't "bad" but its pretty standard 4HWW/TRP/Digital nomad type stuff. You could literally read Chapters 8-11 and get a great deal of benefit.

&amp;#x200B;

4HWW fuck I hate this book. And it's probably dangerous for lazy fucks. But Ferriss has nuggets of good advice on productivity and time management.

&amp;#x200B;

More conceptual reading:

Do the Work;

The War of Art;

The Power of Habit;

Rework;

On Form - some tips, although heavily weighted to glorify salaryman life;

One Minute Manager;

Extreme Ownership has helped a lot of dudes here. Personally I despise wading through the military waffle for two or three pages of content but the message of owning every aspect of your life and not accepting low standards from yourself or others is good (Hint: that means after you quit weed, (after a reasonable interval) you can and should expect your lazy wife to too).

&amp;#x200B;

Corporations have invested a great deal of time and money in training me but honestly most of the valuable things I implement are on that list.

&amp;#x200B;

Atomic Habits is on my current reading list. Check out this post (and comments) with some concepts from it.

u/video_descriptionbot · 1 pointr/getdisciplined

SECTION | CONTENT
:--|:--
Title | The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Description | More goodness like this: https://brianjohnson.me/membership/?ref=yt Here are some of my favorite Big Ideas from "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. Hope you enjoy! :) Get book here (Seriously, get it! You'l love it... :): http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026 Connect with Steve: http://www.stevenpressfield.com/ PhilosophersNotes: http://brianjohnson.me/philosophersnotes/the-books/?ref=yt
Length | 0:10:06






****

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u/SurpriseMeAgain · 1 pointr/learnprogramming

Check out The War of Art. Many of us go through similar struggles to break past our constant self sabotaging procrastination.

u/SpiritWolfie · 1 pointr/SeriousConversation

OK well I've found that most times I'm just lazy and blame it on depression. I'd rather complain about something than getting off my ass and correcting the issue.

I used to put shit off till tomorrow thinking "Well I just need a good nights sleep then I'll feel better." Meanwhile I'm repeating the exact same patterns in my life as yesterday....so I'm more likely to feel like shit tomorrow also.

Something I've learned the hard way is that I can push myself to take actions even when I feel like shit and in fact....that's the exact thing I need to do. When I feel the worst, exercise is often the best thing for me.

Sure there are situations when I really shouldn't take action but those are FAR FAR fewer than I used to believe. The only way I learned when they were was to continue to take action when I feel badly.

People say "Tomorrow never comes" and I disagree. I started to tell myself that "Tomorrow always comes but it looks and feels just like today" That one simple phrase has helped me take action when I just want to sit around and be lazy.

So if you want to work with food great. Start learning recipes, start practicing. I've worked pretty much ever job you can work in a restaurant and there are plenty of jobs available - they're pretty much always hiring. So go apply until you find one. To learn your craft, go to the library and study cooking and recipes and techniques and all that....then practice when you're not at work.

PS - sorry if this came across harshly but I'm actually relating to your reply more than you know. I tend to struggle with motivation and digging myself out of bad places and often I fantasize about being rescued. What I've learned is that it's so much more realistic to just make a plan and save myself. I've recently come across a book that's really helped put into words what I've experienced over the years. It's called The War of Art and it's fantastic. It highlights not only why we don't do what we want to do but also helps provide a perspective on how to do what we want to do. You can probably find it in your local library.

u/Zamyou · 1 pointr/NoFap

Just to be clear, i'm refering to the book The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield : https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026

u/aristotleschild · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I'm getting a lot out of this one right now: The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life. As for drive, which in my opinion comes from listening to your inner voice, a good start would be Pressfield's The War of Art.

u/djacksonsound · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Picking up Pressfield's literature is well worth the money. Both his books that are being referenced here are great additions to a creative minds library.

u/IArtThereforeIAm · 1 pointr/Art

I have 2 suggestions for you, pick one but not both:

  1. Don't force anything, buy and read this book, it will explain the artist's block and much more about the difficulties that artists face.

  2. Just make stuff, worry not about quality, concentrate on quantity; I know it sounds like heresy but the only way out is the way through it. It's no different than writer's block, you never hear about speaker's block, nobody ever stops talking, right? Art is a language, talk, even if it's nonsense, keep producing art.

    I did #1 above, and it changed my life as an Artist.

    P.S.: The same author of #1 (Steven) has just released a new book and I am reading it right now. Great stuff!
u/ZenNate · 1 pointr/kindlepublishing

Dealing with some major Resistance lately. Time to reread The War of Art.

u/fross · 1 pointr/YouShouldKnow

I've battled with depression for a long while (well, everyone who has, will battle with it forever, it doesn't just go away). I'm seeing a repeating pattern in everyone's stories:

  1. You realise what you have to do
  2. You feel unable to get started
  3. You feel ashamed at not being able to do it
  4. You feel like you just want to hide, go back to bed, procrastinate and so on, anything to distract you from the overwhelming sense of shame and helplessness.

    Here's the thing - doing anything is hard, for people with or without depression. Starting something is really really tough. It's likely harder for people with depression, it's hard to say objectively as it's hard to measure. However, it may be consoling that everyone goes through this to some degree or another.

    I read a great book that helped explain the creative process and blocks to it, The War of Art - it highlighted among other things that doing something is hard, your mind works against you, your body works against you. Realising that that is okay, that it's normal, helped me through this. That feeling of shame, inadequacy, helplessness, it's not yourself who is saying them. You realise this is an external thing, an enemy, and you hate it and you attack it.

    Sometimes you just need to sit down, and do what you have to do. Your mind will be screaming at you, but you just do it anyway. If the task is too big, you break it down into smaller ones. Again and again if you have to. You might do it badly, but that doesn't matter, you will have done something and then you can re-do it. You just sit there and write the title and a to-do list, that's so much more than you had to begin with.

    You do it even though it hurts and you cry and you feel you're going to fail. It feels like jumping out of an airplane when you're terrified - you have to do it anyway, you make yourself do it. The tiniest step, one at a time, you just don't stop. It can be exhausting, but little by little you win the battle. Sometimes you lose and have bad times, but you tell yourself they don't mean anything, you just pick yourself up and keep going.

    Self-belief isn't something that's handed to you, it comes through a lot of pain, a lot of failing, and a lot of trying. It's the belief that you won't give up, more than the belief that you will succeed.

    It's hard, damned hard sometimes, but there is hope and there is always a chance. You have to keep pushing and learn how to push even harder, and learn to look back at what you have accomplished and realise that shows you that you can make it again.
u/Sheldy13 · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

What you are experiencing is resistance. Read The War of Art:
http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026
Make it your bible.

u/pupdogtfo · 1 pointr/Fitness

Your thread blew up and you probably won't read this, but go watch Vision Quest. Go download The War of Art. Stick to your guns. These are lessons I had to learn over decades. You learn them now and you'll be set.

u/xecosine · 1 pointr/whattoreadwhen
u/dekiko · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Reading: The War of Art.

Playing: Animal Crossing on 3DS.

Watching: Nothing really, unless you count thinking/daydreaming! Interested in looking for more comedy, but I'm very picky about what kind of comedians I enjoy.

u/_namaste · 1 pointr/infp

Check out Art &amp; Fear along with The War of Art.

Tons of good things to say about these books as someone whose perfectionistic brain has ruined many projects by screaming "worthless, pointless" over and over again.

u/epistle_to_dippy · 1 pointr/xxfitness

Two good books you may want to read are The Power of Habit and The War of Art. I personally like The Power of Habit more, but The War of Art was on Jonathan Toews' Summer reading list this year. Also, The Achievement Habit... as they say, "The choices you are making now won't even seem like choices until it's too late." That was from the movie Race about Jesse Owens... highly recommend it as well!

u/darthrevan · 1 pointr/ABCDesis

Warning: rant on "following passions" ahead...not directed at you personally OP but I've encountered too many people like the ones I describe below.

&gt;Decades of penny-pinching and doing what you hate just for a few bucks while ignoring your passions will make your passions die.

It's not an either/or decision where either you do what you love all the time or you do what you hate all the time. Why not both?

If you really care about something, you will find ways to keep up with your passions while you work toward building a cushion to pursuing them full time. In fact, it's dedicating a little time each day to what you love that gets you through those tough times. The stories of people who did this and eventually succeeded are many; the stories of people who took that "one big shot" and made it are incredibly rare. That's why they make movies out of them. Success just doesn't happen that way very often.

To be honest, people who will only pursue their passions if they can pursue it the way they want to have pretty weak passions. People who really love something often find the time no matter what. This guy wrote a whole novel on his phone while commuting on the train. If really you want to do it, you'll do it. And you'll save pennies and put up with shit jobs in the meantime to pay the bills.

Also, to put it bluntly, a lot of people are full of shit when it comes to their "passions". They're really in love with their vision of what accomplishing those things will give them--the rewards--rather than a genuine interest in the work that doing their "passion" requires. That's why all those guitars lie on the walls unplayed, books lie unread, courses unfinished...because when the idea smashed into the reality of how much daily sweat &amp; hard work it takes, people realize they didn't really want it.

TL;DR: If someone says "Nah I'm not going to pursue my passion until I can do it full time", that either a fake passion or at best cleverly disguised procrastination to me.

Recommended reading: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

u/pixelneer · 1 pointr/100DayComicChallenge

Well, I've watched a few different videos now on the 100 day Comic challenge. Along with that, I know I am not the only one, in fact.. just about every human has this problem. When confronted with a large 'challenge' there is an overwhelming fear of getting started, or dread of where to start. Our brains are actually wired to resist these 'big' tasks. Granted breaking it down to "30 minutes a day" is certainly a start.. you are still setting yourself up for "failure" from just being overwhelmed.

A couple GREAT books on this subject:
The Spirit of Kaizen
The War of Art

I mean, I've already bogged down into where to begin.. what to do.. and I haven't even committed to participating.

So what I would suggest, so that everyone can still work at their own pace, be productive and make visible progress.

Week 1: (at the end of the week you should have these items completed - ideally each one you will spend at least 30min a day on - more if you can/ need to)

  • Main Character(s) Concept sketches
  • Main Character(s) Concept finalize/ polish
  • Rough Outline story Arc (est. page count)
  • Refine outline for first few pages (Taking this from the Kevin Cross vid where one day was 4 pages written)
  • There's certainly more that can be added.. but just tossing out some ideas...

    Week 2: Another set of 30+ min tasks..

    This way, there are clearly defined goals and deliverables that we KNOW we have to deliver daily/weekly.

    As to the google cal. It makes for a central scheduling thing.. not really a biggie as I've already tossed an event into my own calendar..
u/greenysmac · 1 pointr/VideoEditing

&gt; My question is what is the best way to stay motivated and positive when you encounter a lot of problems?

Motivation: Go buy the War of Art

&gt; having problems with Adobe Premiere

This is a problem. It is solvable.

&gt; It deleted a solid 2 hours of work, despite me saving regularly.

Did you look at the backups?

&gt; computer will randomly freeze up on me and restart.

Sounds like something is wrong with your hardware. You wouldn't go on the road with a damaged axle would you?

&gt; Most of the time it will work fine, play Skyrim or Bioshock and no problems but will freeze up when I'm trying to edit.

Well, both of these use different areas of your system. Premiere is more stressful than games are.

&gt; My question is what is the best way to stay motivated and positive when you encounter a lot of problems?

Something you said was important:

&gt; I have been struggling getting it together because of working and being really tired.

Get sleep. Life is significantly better with sleep. Work on that for a week. Get on the other side of rest. It's amazing how much lower stress things are with sleep.

u/DanConnersGarage · 0 pointsr/writing

If anyone is fighting procrastination or writers block I highly recommend

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1936891026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jN.NDbJ9HNRXC

It's pretty short and can be read in an evening and it attacks the problem from a very specific angle so you'll either love it or find it trite but it honestly helped me see things from a different perspective.

For the record I'm still procrastinating, just not as much haha.

u/ZaggahZiggler · 0 pointsr/GetMotivated

The War of Art has some great chapters on this, great book, Very easy audiobook as the chapters are crazy short, you can get a few in on even the shortest commute.

u/redditersince1day · 0 pointsr/funny

I am gonna study in few months and this was my biggest fear so far. I recommend everyone to read the book The War of Art. It helped me a lot to fight against my procrastination! :-)

Wish you all good luck!

u/PresDeeJus · -1 pointsr/writing

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
http://www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Through-Creative/dp/1936891026

Buy it now.