How I Look At Self-Doubt
When I start a new project, I’m invariably crippled with self-doubt.
“Steve, this is a dumb idea. Steve, you’re not good enough to pull this off. Steve, this has been done a million times, blah blah etc.”
This self-doubt stays with me for months. I mean six months, nine months, a year.
This has happened to me on so many projects that I now say to myself, “If I’m NOT experiencing overwhelming self-doubt, something is wrong.”
In other words, I’ve come to consider self-doubt a good sign.
Why? Because self-doubt is one of the weapons Resistance uses against us.
Resistance is trying to undermine our faith in ourselves and our belief in the material.
Therefore, I tell myself, the more self-doubt I’m feeling, the more certain I can be that I’m onto something good.
If I weren’t, Resistance wouldn’t be trying so hard to derail me.
How to overcome self-doubt? We can’t reason or argue our way out of it. Resistance is too diabolical. It will present us with doubt after doubt until it overwhelms us.
The only way is to DISMISS it. “I see you, buddy. You are full of shit and I won’t listen to a word you say.”
Take self-doubt as GOOD and keep on rolling.
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
Thank you so much dear Steve.
The day will come when we annihilate self-doubt. Until then, we learn how to be miserable. We must not let the purpose out of our heart even if reality enslaved us in indifferent cages of neutral (neutral is evil) reality.
We carry the future: me, you, Diana, Kate, Joe, the exceptional others.
Let us build the muscles of our back and legs to carry its glory and not its survival.
Tolis, I always love the things you write, written with regard and respect.
The things I think we all feel about Steven Pressfield.
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Thank you my dear Kathy! You bring your spring aura everytime you comment on Steve’s works.I wish you a beautiful weekend.
Dear Steve,Hi.You’ve helped me so much since I started reading your books. I remember a time when I was selling something big and while talking about it to the person buying it (resistance showed up) I then heard your voice saying “trust the soup” I felt better and it all worked out!Thank you for teaching me about resistance,wish I would’ve known sooner.Much love to you and your family.Merry Christmas.Yours Truly David A Graziano
Thankyou. You are teaching me that the more monster restistance growls and mimicks and mocks my song work in my head , the more I am going to try throwing sparkles at it/they whatever it is…also when it shows up i can now feel like maybe there is tiny amount of magic possible
I have so much doubt I can barely do anything – I know in my heart my projects have value to the world but my brain is very nasty about it all. But I like the possibility of reframing the feeling “I see you buddy. you’re full of shit and I won’t listen to a word you say…” in other words fack off eh what have to offer will help others.. thx for writing this Steve – making my day just a little better!!
Such sublime guidance by Mr Pressfield
Self doubt, get thee to smithereens, while I write these few sentences.
And be warned, I’ll always be here to blow you away.
I’m writing a book, and I will find it both useful and pleasurable to put you aside, in detail, at every step.
Needed this to be the first thing I read this morning! Gift in the inbox….no doubt. Thank you.
I ask myself why do I keep doing this. I had an awful couple of months. Better now. Thanks Steve.
“I see you, buddy. You are full of shit and I won’t listen to a word you say.”
After all, we know sh*t makes an excellent fertilizer. Thank you, Resistance, for providing nutrients for my ideas!
Thank you, Steve🙏
That is very funnny! And that fertilizer helps us grow our creation.
Ah, it actually provides something else in my eyes: darkness, for your light to be seen even brighter! So go Kate, show darkness what light means.
Needed to hear this message today! Thank you! 🙏🏼💜
Steve, that’s a beautifully empowering post. Thank you.
Fabulous, let’s welcome the Doubt, and greet it and use it. Thank You, sir
I wonder why Resistance exists? Is it learned? Is it a part of the cosmic cocktail of emptions that latch on to a vulnerable soul? I have to re read your book The war of Art….I must have missed something probably because Resistance got in my way. Thanks for your insight.
Hahaha. I was thinking this very thing! I think I forgot.
Hey you two..thought on a brief update on Franken situation as regards your OK?
Hi Steve, so much wisdom on your words. I was just starting a project yesterday and got the exactly same feeling of “is it worth it?” “what people may say?” and i was about to quit but kept going and today i saw your mail. Man talk about paralel universes…..jajjaa! Thanks so much for your good NRG !!!
Thank you, Steve.
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Thank you, Steve. This comes at the perfect time!
Good advice…as usual.
I used to experience extreme stage fright before speaking engagements, Wobbly knees, nauseousness, the works. Once I got started I was fine and I soon related that the physical impairments illustrated that my adreniline was up and I would deliver a more dynamic presentation.
I started to see the signs as a signal that things were as they should be, very similar to what you describe here.
Thanks for your constant, upbeat encouragement. You are never falling on deaf ears!
Brian
My self doubt is boarding on dread. Some days worse than others, especially when it co-insides with other tasks that need to be dealt with (research other auto/home insurance companies for example) and then comes the rain….
Gonna try and fight through this one.
Thanks Steve for getting me to try and fight a little harder!
If anyone craves a softer way to approach this dance, I submit a favorite sentiment from Martha Beck: “Every time I sit down to write something that matters to me, I’m never sure I can do it right. But I also feel pulled toward the experience, as though the sirens are singing from the very place I’m most afraid to go.”
Oh this hits the spot. Yes. Yes and 100% yes. Thank you
Judy
There is a tradition from Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev that if something comes too easy, it’s a sign that Satan is involved. He always puts obstacles in the way of really good things….
I would reply to this but, thx to The War of Art, I’m too busy writing my book, so I can’t spare the time. Thanks again, Steve.
“I see you, buddy. You are full of shit and I won’t listen to a word you say.”
Love it – it’s the same before I go on stage to perform standup comedy (minutes, hours, sometimes even days before) I thank the nerves for being there since without them I would be lost, feel no resistance and then what? Guess what? I’m in the throws of putting a new comedy show together to tour the UK with, resistance is like the sky my idea the cloud.
Danke schön, Steve🙏
I took this post as a sign. It came at the perfect time. I started my 4th book project and said before starting “This is the one I will see to the very end.”
Of course self doubt and resistance kicked in right away. So, I did what anyone does when resistance starts winning…I checked my email and saw this post. It fired me up to say the least. With chapter 1 down and the feels still present but less prominent I push forward.
Thank you Mr. Pressfield
Thank you, Steve!! We love your tips!!
Even with all the affirmations, I just don’t believe you. At 88, I had very few self doubts. But the Internet – and Google – are beginning to drive me nuts. Hoping you’re right, I’ll keep listening and working on it. Ed Lovern
I just read this to my partner, a classical musician and punster who said “Resistance is fertile!”
*See what he did there?
Thank you for the inspiration and reminder.