I’m not writing this because I figured it all out. I’m writing this because I didn’t wait until I did.

Yesterday I published my website. Today, this post. That’s the order: publish first, clarity after.

Before that, Resistance had me stuck. It didn’t yell. It whispered:

“Finish the website first.”

“No one will read it anyway.”

“Make sure it’s good.”

It all sounded reasonable. That’s what made it dangerous. It wasn’t fear, it was subtle anxiety. Pulling my focus anywhere but here. Making small tasks feel urgent. Making this one feel impossible.

Resistance isn’t panic or dread. It’s a subtle pull toward anything but this.

Steven Pressfield, in The War of Art, says this isn’t just an inner voice. Resistance is a universal, malevolent force. A real enemy. One every artist, writer, and creator fights. Knowing this made it easier to stop blaming myself. It’s not laziness. It’s war.

And although it might seem like an enemy, it’s still a part of you, so your job is to learn to live with it, it’s there for a reason.

I gave myself a rule: the site goes live today. No matter what. And when it did, the excuse vanished. That voice had nothing left to stand on.

So now I’m here, writing this. Still distracted. Still catching myself checking Discord.

But I’m doing it. That’s the difference.

Resistance isn’t obvious

Suddenly, when you sit down to do the work, you’re tired. Or the dishes are calling you, they really need to be done right now, you see. Or you remember that you ran out of coffee and really need to go buy some.

But it’s the same cycle every time.

Resistance is quiet. Persuasive. It uses your own rationality against you.

There’s a moment, just before you give in, when you feel that this distraction is not genuine. That’s your signal.

Yesterday, I caught it. I paused. I moved anyway. Not bravely. Just sat down and did what I have been putting away for so long.

And look how far I’ve come! Not too far… But at least I’m on my way to the next big obstacle now.

What changed after I acted

No epiphany. No transformation.

But I felt lighter. Like I wasn’t stuck anymore.

Resistance didn’t disappear. I still had to push through to write this.

In fact, I don’t think it’s possible to make it disappear completely. It’s always going to be there, in the back of your mind, trying to protect you from personal growth.

But now I have proof I can beat it.

Not theory. Not inspiration. Evidence.

Confidence comes from doing.

No matter how many motivational books and posts you read, you still have to do the work, it’s not going to get any easier.

Why I’m telling you this

Because you’ve felt it too.

You care about something. But you keep putting it off. Not because you can’t do it. But because Resistance is good at what it does.

If you’re serious about your art, this isn’t a side issue.

It’s the whole thing.

Your future depends on whether you act while the voice says not to.

In Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about becoming indispensable by giving your work as a gift. That’s what this post is. Not a product. Not a pitch. A gift. Publishing it, despite Resistance, is my way of saying: this matters, and it’s mine to give.

No tips. No system.

Just a reminder:

If Resistance is acting up, it means you’re going in the right direction.

The bottom line

You don’t need to defeat Resistance.

You just need to do the one thing it wants to stop.

Not to win.

Not to impress.

Just to show up.

And showing up is everything.