Overcoming resistance

Photo by The District Recording Studio

In his opening speech at the Lionheart Camp a few weekends ago, Willi Whiston, Creative Director of The District Recording Studio, talked about the gap between the life we live and the life we want to live.  What lies in the middle is resistance.

A concept from the book War of Art by Steven Pressfield, it illuminates the million things that seem to get in our way of doing the things that matter.  What is your resistance?

As an exercise, you might want to grab a sheet of paper and make a list of all the things that prevent you from moving from the life you are living to the life you want to live.  Don't overthink things, just starting listing absolutely everything that comes to mind.

Facebook
Social obligations
Fatigue
Fear
Cold weather
Netflix
Hunger
Lack of inspiration
Facebook
Chores
Children

Don't stop.  Keep listing until every possible form of resistance has been identified.

Willi suggests that the Nike slogan is a great simplifier to what we need to do move from the life we're living today to the life we want to live.  Just do it.

Photo by The District Recording Studio

In many ways, I feel I've absorbed these three words and they inspire me every day.  Matt, a colleague and friend from Shaw TV went to my Russell Thomas Art website the other day to look at my collection of paintings.  He was a little shocked.

"I just kept scrolling and scrolling," he said.  "It seemed to never end."

It is somewhat sobering, even for me, to scroll through over 900 paintings produced in just over 4.5 years.  The secret to my productivity is simple.  I go out and create every single day.  I just do it.  This discipline has served me incredibly well and has enabled me to move from the life that I was living before to the life I am living now.

I still spend far too much time scrolling through Facebook.  I also can get addicted to Netflix offerings like so many others, my latest weakness being Designated Survivor with Keifer Sutherland.  But I endeavour to get out to the studio by 8 am, Monday to Sunday, and get moving on whatever projects are in front of me for the day.  Whether it is painting, drawing, sorting, shipping or picking up bits of cardboard that Coco has been chewing, just doing it feels good.

The other concept that has served me well is from Robin Sharma:  It is the little things, done consistently, that make the biggest difference.  I search for tiny improvement opportunities, method enhancements, and other small things that can make me better.  After I find something, it becomes part of my daily routine.

We all get held back by resistance.  Start by making a list, then make a commitment to just do it.  You will make on giant leap from the life you are living to the life you want to live.

If you want to hear Willi talk about the message he gave at the Lionheart Camp, you can listen to our IMPACT interview by clicking here.