Author: Steven Pressfield
Short Summary |
The War of Art (2002) is a book about how to overcome the resistance we all feel when our lives do not turn out as we had hoped. It is a book about creativity and fear. It shows us how to live our creative dreams. It is also a book about inspiration and implementation. The War of Art summary will show you how to stop procrastinating, defeat perfectionism, and overcome the angst of an artist. |
Detailed Summary of The War of Art
The war of art is a book that offers you the tools you need to defeat your inner resistance. The most common obstacle for anyone with a big dream is just getting started. This book arms you with insights others have used to get past their blockage.
If you’re anything like me, it’s not that you don’t want to do it, but rather you feel as if obstacles are getting in the way. You’re sick of hearing people tell you just to be motivated. It’s not that easy. If it were, everyone would have done it already. It’s not your fault.
There’s a reason why so few people achieve greatness. They just don’t know what they’re doing wrong. You can stop blaming yourself for whatever is holding you back. You can change. It will take work, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
The War of Art is a book about those who are holding us back from achieving our dreams and how we can overcome them. Those tools and strategies that you need to understand and identify will be explained in this The War of Art summary.
The War of Art Key Points
The following key points will show you how you can defeat the resistance and realize your dreams in a true meaning to fulfill them and create an example for other dreamers.
You might also like to read Shoe Dog Summary to learn how to start a business
Resistance is the common Enemy of Creativity
The most common enemy of creativity, and one which people rarely talk about, is Resistance. Resistance doesn’t mean you don’t want change; it means you’re only willing to change a little bit. Resistance shows up in different forms, such as laziness and perfectionism.
If a writer who used to write ten pages a day on a new project suddenly finds themselves with three days until the project is due, and they’ve written one page, there’s a good chance that some form of Resistance is at work.
We have all had this feeling. You’re not alone; everyone struggles with Resistance, the voice in your head that tells you that you don’t have what it takes to follow your dreams. But what if I told you that the Resistance is a good thing? We all have to overcome Resistance to get where we want to go.
For example, if you want to write a book and you’ve got the inspiration, the book is fully outlined, and you even have a title. You’re ready to go. That is, until you’re not. Resistance stops us in our tracks before we even take the first step toward completion. The “I’m not good enough” voice rears its ugly head and blocks us from moving forward.
But as soon as you try to start working on that, a voice inside your head tells you to go to bed, watch some tv, read a book, or take a break. It’s called Resistance.
Treat your Dream as a Job if you want to Succeed
There are a lot of things in life that you should treat like a full-time job. For example, you should treat your body like a temple. You should treat your mind like a work of art. And you should treat your relationships like the only reason you are here.
What is the one thing that most people don’t treat like a full-time job, though? Their dream.
Don’t treat it like it isn’t important enough to work hard at. Don’t treat it like it isn’t worth the effort of waking up early and working late at night. Moreover, don’t treat it like it won’t make you money. And please, don’t treat it like you can do one thing today and coast tomorrow. You will have to put in an astounding amount of work to succeed at anything, but some days can be harder than others. Some days, you have to get up earlier, stay up longer, and give more of yourself than you think you can give. You have to treat your dream as a full-time job.
If you want to be the greatest, you have to put in the work. For some reason, we think that overnight success takes a long time. We hold onto that excuse because it makes us feel better about not putting in the work. If we’re willing to do the work, we can do it immediately.
By owning your Territory, you might Change the World
We all know that owning your territory will be hugely important in the future. That’s because owning your territory is the only way you can change the world. Your territory can be anywhere. It can be a restaurant, a school, a pond, a jungle, your room, or your backyard. It just has to be yours. And it has to be big enough for you to own it.
Definition of Owning: Obtaining something such as land, property, or rights by legal means.
Once you’ve found your territory and committed to it, you can begin to change the world. This is when the real magic begins. This is what happens when you give 100% of yourself to something or someone. You can change the world by being a great friend, an awesome parent, or a standup person at work/school.
For example, A lot of people want to write a book. Most people think it’s hard and something only a few can do. Many people don’t even bother to attempt to write a book because they don’t realize the power of committing to their territory and working their way up to publishing a book.
Once you acquire your territory, you’re free to create whatever you want within your domain. You can make any promise you want and hold yourself accountable for its fulfillment.
The War of Art Quotes
“We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause.” Steven Pressfield
“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.” Steven Pressfield
The War of Art Review
It is so refreshing to learn from Steven Pressfield. He is a great communicator. He approached the realistic way in his book ‘
The war of art. His message was don’t wait for others appraisal or motivation. Just sit and start working on your dreams because, according to him, this is the best productive hack. That’s what I also learned while writing The war of art summary.
To whom would I recommend The War of Art summary?
- Any person who has the fear to turn his passion into his profession.
- Anyone who still believes has a chance to prove himself by fulfilling his dreams. No matter what the age is.
- Anyone who still doesn’t own his territory.
Link: https://amzn.to/3ziXyeR