Fighting “The Resistance” When You’re Dog Tired

“Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.”  – Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Photo Credit:  Edalisse (MorgueFile)

The “resistance” is that unseen force that blocks your creativity.  Like the desire to hit the snooze button instead of getting up to do devotions.  Like rain clouds on the day you said you would jog after work.  Like computer glitches, doubt, a rude customer or perfectionism.  These are all forms of the resistance, tempting you to put off the creative work you have inside.

Here is a perfect example.

Meet my Resistance:

Recently, I did a good bit of writing, researching and editing for an article.  I decided to go more in depth this time, in an effort to challenge my skills and be more effective.  It ended up taking around five hours.

For whatever reason, I had setback after hair-pulling setback, delaying my process by several more frustrating hours.

But I got it done and hit that magical button, “Publish”.  I shared it on social media and then went about my day.  That afternoon, I checked back in.  After being live for nine hours, a total of five people viewed my article.

Now, hear me out.  I don’t cast blame on anyone for not reading my blog.  That’s my job to make it something worth reading.  But in order for you to truly understand how “the resistance” effected me, I had to dump out all the garbage for you to see.

Everything in my tired mind said “Quit”.  Not just quit today, but quit forever.  I closed my laptop and crawled onto the couch to sleep.

My resistance:  fatigue – technical setbacks – frustration – unmet target goals – doubt

While wallowing in my sorrows on the couch, I could hear my two-year-old jumping in her bed and singing “Ring Around the Rosy”.  “Well, at least the baby is asleep,” I thought.

Then, on the other side of the house, the baby started to cry.

I think this is where I contemplated if I would ever produce a creative thought again.

Something tells me you’ve had a day like this.  If so, stick with me.

I scooped up my crying son and fed him on the couch, both of us resting our tired eyes.  I didn’t even notice that the jumping from my daughter’s room had stopped.  Now she was just softly singing.

Little man fell asleep in my arms.  As I carried him back to his crib, he cracked the hard shell of frustration weighing heavily on my shoulders that day.  It was like cracking a clay pot full of water.  All my tension and angst just washed away.

And it was then that I realized the house was silent.

My daughter had sung herself to sleep.

Nothing can prepare you for little moments like these, when you’re children dazzle you.  The most important thing you can do is be present for them.  Physically, mentally and emotionally.

I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote for two hours.  Then, I paused.  I couldn’t believe it.  I was WRITING.  The resistance was gone.  A moment had come where I was so overwhelmed with affection for my children that I forgot to loathe myself.  And my predicament.

Moral of the story:  Children have super powers.

Slightly-less-groovy-but-equally-important moral of the story:  The Resistance doesn’t last forever.

Hang in there.  Fight the resistance.

Join the Discussion:  When was the last time the Resistance weighed you down?