As an author, picking a favorite book is akin to choosing a favorite child. That said, one book has kept me fed, motivated and strong, from when I was strictly a freelance journalist to when I began public speaking to today as an entrepreneur. It is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
In fact, it inspired my new book The Bite-Sized Entrepreneur: 21 Ways to Ignite Your Passion & Pursue Your Side Hustle.
Here’s the gist: You are the only person blocking yourself from creative achievement. You are your worst enemy. From the people in your life to the goals you set, you are ultimately responsible for your success and, perhaps, failure.
Inc. asked me to talk about it in a video:
What he talks about in the book is something called “Resistance”. Resistance is that thing that stops us from spending a little time working on something, the thing that tells us that we’re not quite good enough… And the whole book talks about how Resistance can be defeated – and how it will never go away.
It is a short, passionate book, filled with essays on the many self-defeating habits we have as humans. Steven Pressfield is a former Marine, once lost soul, who tapped into his writing talent late in life with The Legend of Bagger Vance and many other titles. And in every word, from the discussion on self-worth to the need to just do the work, you can tell that he walked the path he preaches.
The Bite-Sized Entrepreneur opens with a quote from The War of Art, and nearly every entrepreneur that got an early copy of my book said that seeing me reference it immediately put them at ease.
The War of Art is the rightful foundation for many modern books on creativity and passion. It is the blueprint.
It should already be on your shelf.