Writing Wednesdays
Start Before You’re Ready
By Steven Pressfield | Published: July 7, 2010
In the past few weeks we’ve put up a couple of posts—“Cover the Canvas” and “Start at the End”—that seem like advice on the subject of writing. They aren’t. They’re about beating Resistance.
Erwin Rommel. "The Desert Fox" made a career of starting before he was ready.
A number of the principles that work against Resistance are counter-intuitive. They seem to make no sense, but in fact their logic is impeccable. Here’s one that’s worked for me many times:
Start Before You’re Ready.
Don’t wait till you’ve got your ducks in a row. Dive in now.
Have you ever asked a friend who’s an artist or entrepreneur how they’re doing on a project you know they’re psyched about? Sometimes you get the answer, “I’m getting ready to start on it.”
“I’m working up the outline.” “I’ve almost got the business plan.” “I’ve got a little more research to do.”
When Resistance hears phrases like that, it can hardly contain its glee. Resistance knows that the longer we noodle around “getting ready,” the more time and opportunity we’ll have to sabotage ourselves. Resistance loves it when we hesitate, when we over-prepare.
The answer: plunge in.
