Do the Work MP3 CD – Unabridged, April 22, 2014

"This is what you deserve. You could be good today. But instead you choose tomorrow."--Marcus AureliusI am not a rereader of books. I prefer to try the new as opposed to revisiting the old. But there are two books I reread every year, that are constantly with me, both in physical form and on my mind. The first is Marcus Aurelius's stoic masterpiece on how to live a life, "The Meditations." The best thing ever written in my opinion. The second is Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art," a brief manifesto on how to "break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles." This book has helped me immensely in my own writing output.This week sees the release of the companion manifesto to "The War of Art," the second Domino Project release "Do the Work."In "War of Art," Pressfield introduced the idea of The Resistance, that unexplainable inner force that prevents us from accomplishing things. Something we all suffer from, yes, but something some of us are better at managing.I met so many people on my 30 Bars in 30 Days book tour who had their own apparent dreams of writing a novel. They'd see my book and go, "A self-hurt guide? Ha. I don't need to buy that. I could have written that!"And, I'd always snap back, "Well you didn't. I did."They couldn't have written it. Because they'd also wonder: "So, how long'd it take to write HOW TO FAIL?" When they found the answer was several years of intense effort, you could see the look of fear and self-doubt and mercy in their eyes. They would never do that work. Too much Resistance to overcome. Too much lack of immediate gratification. Too unreasonable to write that long with no road map laid out, with no potential reward.I know other writers, good writers, that just can't quite finish things. They have 90% of a manuscript, 95% of a screenplay, but they're frozen with an inability to complete the work. It's not perfect. It's not good enough. It could suck. It could flop. It's not "ready." What does that even mean? It's means The Resistance is defeating them. It means they are being too rational. "Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego," says Pressfield.It's too easy to think how utterly ridiculous it is to write a novel or make a movie or start a company or even get six-pack abs. No one you know does these things so you become an outlier amongst your friends and family for even attempting them. You become a source of mockery even for having such outlandish dreams.Thus, we are forced to become unconscious in our own work if we have these unreasonable dreams. "Let the unconscious do its work," say Pressfield. I do this through irrational confidence in the future success of my work. And by drinking. No better way to release the unconscious, to be irrational, to silence The Resistance in me than by popping a few beers or nursing a few glasses of bourbon.(Yeah, I know this is unorthodox thinking, I doubt the fine Mr. Pressfield endorses it, but it works for me, and I've written two more books than 99% of you.)Pressfield wants to encourage us to release this "second self, an unlived you" from inside of us. The second self that wants to write books, make movies, etc. but keeps convincing himself otherwise for the most silly and rational reasons."Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur's indispensable allies." Again, drinking helps get that ignorance and arrogance released, just like the sauced lout hitting on every pretty thing at the bar, thinking he's as suave as George Clooney."Don't think. Act." Drink some more. "Get your idea down on paper. You can always tweak it later." Drink. Then start writing.Be impetuous. Drink. Quit having an inner critic that judges you, that prevents you from doing things. Drink. And become impervious to it all.Work isn't pretty. Writing and creating art is just as primitive as hoeing fields. Pressfield says it's "better to be primitive than sophisticated, and better to be stupid than smart." Drink, drink, drink and you'll be pretty damn primitive and stupid eventually. Pressfield uses the indelible image of a women giving birth:"The hospital room may be spotless and sterile, but birth itself will always take place amid chaos, pain, and blood."To produce work we have to get dirty, we have to have this killer instinct, focusing only on the work at hand and the joy in creating it, and ignoring every inner and outer voice of resistance around us. "The War of Art" laid the ground work for tackling Resistance, "Do the Work" gives you the road-map. And, I'd add, a few drinks will give you the courage to slay the dragon of Resistance."Do the Work" is free on Kindle until May 20 so I'd pick that up now, but I'd also grab "The War of Art." I think that's a better overall book and a better place to start conquering The Resistance. Both these books could be knocked off over this weekend (perhaps while having a few drinks). No better time to start than the present. Then, on Monday, you can begin doing your own work.

"Do the Work" is a surprisingly helpful book on how to get started on and complete that dream project of yours. Pressfield tells his readers that "Do the Work" is "designed to coach you through a project from conception to finished product, seeing it from the point of view of Resistance." This is an excellent one-sentence summary of the book! Not only is "Do the Work" a very encouraging work: it's also a very practical and easy to read How To book. Often, books are big on cheerleading and short on practical wisdom: this book has both!But "Do the Work" is much more than just another self-help book. Seth Godin and his Domino Project have set out to revolutionize what a book, publishing, and influence mean. "Do the Work" is the latest addition to this daring and innovative project. Though it may not seem like it to some of you, "Do the Work" by Stephen Pressfield, is actually a radical work - or, more properly, the result of a radical work: the re-definition of the book.How does "Do the Work" manifest this revolution in publishing? For starters, this "book" was free! By now, many of us are used to books coming in the form of e-books. But the potential for e-books to transform the publishing world is already present: a book like "Do the Work," and especially the Domino Project push this revolution further and faster. While a book like "Do the Work" is relatively short, that (along with its free cost) is actually a strength, once you've learned to think of how books, publishing, and influence all work differently in the digitally connected world. I'm reading "Do the Work" largely because it's free, but I'm also reading it because it's relatively short and to the point. I'm benefiting from it because it has a lot of sound practical advice about how to start and complete the important projects in my life.But I'm also aware that by reading "Do the Work" for free I'm volunteering to be a part of Seth Godin's "tribe." "Do the Work," therefore is about much more than just helping me learn how to start and complete projects: it's indirectly teaching me about the way that things work in the new digital world. As a teacher, priest, and writer who hopes to influence people, this aspect of the book and Project should not be ignored."Do the Work," in fact begins with an Forward by Seth Godin that we are all now connected to a publishing platform that can connect us to anyone, anytime and that levels the playing field. And now it's time to do the work.Pressfield names the "enemies" of the work we wish to do, and there is power in naming:1. Resistance (which may take the form of fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction, distraction, timidity, ego, self-loathing, and perfectionism).2. Rational thought3. Friends and familyThe activities or projects that will most elicit Resistance are those that reject immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth. Pressfield has hit upon an important universal truth here. For example, Henry Hazlitt "Economics on One Easy Lesson" basically makes the same point: we hurt ourselves and other economically by acting for short-term instead of long-term gain.Pressfield guides his reader through some of the characteristics of Resistance, because, again, there is power in naming our enemies. The paradoxical thing is that we can use Resistance because it always keeps pointing to the very thing we want to and should be doing!Just as we have enemies, we also have Allies: stupidity, stubbornness, blind faith, passion, assistance, and friends and family. Some of these seem counterintuitive, but this is precisely why "Do the Work" is such a valuable book: it helps us to see truths that are right under our noses but which we can't accept because they are either invisible or they don't fit into or worldview.All of the above comes from the first section of the book: ORIENTATION: ENEMIES AND ALLIESIn the remainder of the book, Pressfield attacks the specific parts of starting and completing any project: BEGINNING, MIDDLE, and END. Rather than giving away the details as I have for the section on "Orientation," I'll let you discover for yourself how powerful Press field's ideas are.I came to "Do the Work" expecting to find a fluff piece, worth the price I paid for it: free. Instead, I found something that's not only taught me about working on projects but has taught me about influence and the way things work in the new digital world. As Godin and Pressfield hoped, I find that this is a book I want to share others. And that's how things work in the new digital world.

A no nonsense " facts of creative life" lesson broken down to potato chips that leave you wanting more. Spoken from the position of experience and wisdom and delivered with laser precision and empowerment.

This has become one of my recommended business books for entrepreneurs. It’s easy to read but packed with great information.

The general theme of this book was clear; that is to get off your arse, not listen to fear and don't overplan. Just do it. The problem for me is that there was way too much symbolism and this smybolism was repeated constantly to the point that I found it quite cringing..I can't help but feel as if this book was written for an American audience who perhaps appreciate this style of writing. I get and agree with most of his points, but I personally would have just benefitted more from someone giving me the target messages straight and not feeling like they have to hit a word count (so repeat the message constantly). I'm not sure this author is for me.

You can always bank on Pressfield to kick your ass and drag you out of a pit of self loathing. This was very reminiscent of his other books to be honest. But that’s okay. I came to this book knowing I like what Pressfield has to say. This was a short book with a swift right hook. One I needed today. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go DO THE WORK.

It’s hard to start a project – or simply just a thing. Even to write this short review I had to overcome what Steven Pressfield calls in his book Resistance.While Do the Work is not a panacea it gives that force that blocks you from starting and staying with a project a definite name. Once you know its name you are over half way to understanding it. And understanding the problem is the next half to overcome it.I found the first half of this short booklet most useful as it is written in an analytical style which engenders reflexion on your particular circumstance. Later in the book Pressfield’s style becomes dangerously close to those coffee mugs you see in the work canteen cupboard: Pithy saying printed on ceramic cups purchased by the owner in a moment of inner high motivation.Once you identify Resistance and how it manifests itself in your world Pressfield outlines a number of strategies for dealing with it. A strong point of the book is it flexibility and width in offering a variety of potential solutions without ever becoming too narrow.Everyone’s Resistance has a different tap room and being able to identify this is a massive help in overcoming creative inertia.Everyone who reads this book will get something out of it and many will get a lot form it. As I did. And you’ll probably read it more than one. Its style also makes you write in short sentences. Like this. For a bit.

Aye! Fir me, it wiz a braw read. Al probably pick up mare o Steve's work in the future. It's pretty short wee book, which is gaid fir me, as am a slow reader who has to keep re-readin sentences tae get the jist o what's bein said (a bit like folk micht hae o this review 😁😋) Right! Enough of the accent nonsense, I think think book is going to help and push me forward, which is the soul intention of the writer, author, whatever of any book, whilst giving some entertaining reading. Sooooooo! Now am off doon the road wae a skip in ma step an a song in ma heart. 😁😜😋

I have read pressfields previous books , I am not the biggest fan of this one to be honest and it’s a very very short read and for the price at the time don’t think it was worth it.Some of the pages have barely a few paragraphs in and with it under 100 pages just feels like something that should be included for free in a book bundle