Steven Pressfield

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• Supply chain delays

  “We were supposed to get 500 hardbacks of my new book, GOVT CHEESE: A Memoir , on 12/1/22 to sign and ship to readers who had preordered.”

  Our noteSteven explains why signed copies of his new memoir were delayed for over a month.

• Silence during creation

  “I never talk about a book while I'm working on it. It's bad luck. The Muse doesn't like it.”

  Our noteSteven explains why he kept his three-year project a secret until it was finished.

• Price of freedom

  “You have never tasted freedom friend, or you would know it is purchased not with gold, but steel.”

  Our noteDienekes discusses the true cost of maintaining freedom in Gates of Fire.

• Cost of resistance

  “To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and makes us less than we are and were born to be.”

  Our noteDescribing the spiritual consequences of failing to pursue one's calling.

• Powerful thematic elements

  “How much more powerful when it's on-theme, when it reinforces the story's meaning, and, even better, when it comes to the fore in the climax?”

  Our noteSteven discusses how a well-integrated McGuffin elevates a story.

• Source of Resistance

  “The source of Resistance, to my mind, is the clash between the ego and the Self.”

  Our noteSteven explains his theory on why we feel internal resistance to our work.

• Discipline of Soul

  “The pursuit of art, originality, selflessness or excellence in any ethical form is, beyond all its other aspects, a discipline of the soul.”

  Our noteSteven explains that creative work is a method for self-transformation.

• Understanding Audience Segments

  “It's an interview with me on the subject of "crossover," which in this case refers to the two distinct groups of people who read my stuff - novel readers and War of Art/Do The Work readers”

  Our noteSteven explains the divide between his fiction and non-fiction audiences.

• Audience Reluctance

  “I do understand the reluctance. It's like mixing friends, which almost never works.”

  Our noteSteven discusses why readers of one genre often hesitate to try another by the same author.

• Small gestures matter

  “There's a lot of power in just a note, in just a thank you, in just a little personalization, and giving your time to someone else.”

  Our noteSteven summarizes the core lesson of using small, simple acts to build powerful connections.

• Leading by Example

  “Alexander was declaring for all to see, without a word, that he was a soldier just like them ... that he would never ask his men to endure any perils or make any sacrifices that he wasn't prepared to undergo himself.”

  Our notePressfield explains the meaning behind Alexander the Great pouring out the water offered to him in the desert.

• Defeating resistance

  “the reason we fail to be self-motivating, self-validating, self-reinforcing is that we're being defeated by our own Resistance.”

  Our noteHow internal resistance prevents people from adopting a free-agent mindset.

• Finding True Self

  “Our job in this lifetime is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”

  Our notePressfield explains the core philosophy behind his views on Resistance and Professionalism.

• Entrepreneurship as Discovery

  “To me the practice of art or entrepreneurship is an Amnesia Story. The act is one of self-discovery. Who are we? What are we good at? What brings us joy?”

  Our noteHe compares the creative and entrepreneurial journey to a protagonist solving the mystery of their own identity.

• Outcome mindset

  “Seth has two phrases that he uses about ventures he's about to launch: "This might not work" and "This might work." These are the only possible outcomes. Why worry?”

  Our noteSteven discusses how to handle the fear of failure in new ventures.

• Granting self permission

  “What spending a week with Seth does is it gives us permission to be like Seth . To do the same stuff he does, only do it for ourselves.”

  Our noteSteven explains the real value of mentorship and exposure to masters.

• Internal Antagonists

  “This works even for interior villains, for antagonists that reside only inside our characters' heads.”

  Our noteDiscussing how psychological obsessions function as villains in a story.

• Recognizing true professionals

  “The professional senses who has served his time and who hasn't. Like Alan Ladd and Jack Palance circling each other in Shane , a gun recognizes another gun.”

  Our notePressfield explains how professionals can identify peers who have put in the work.

• Multiple narrative lines

  “I like to think of these narrative threads as "lines in the water." Like a fishing boat will trail six, eight, ten different lines with eye-catching lures hoping to attract fish”

  Our noteHe describes his method of maintaining multiple engaging plot points to keep readers interested.

• Logic vs Creativity

  “Logic and rationality rarely jibe with the unknowable intangibles of creativity.”

  Our notePressfield explains why traditional logic doesn't always apply to the creative process.

• Input Over Output

  “Put your brain on "input" instead of "output" until something clicks.”

  Our noteAdvice for creators who are stuck and unable to find their next big idea.

• Handling creative panic

  “The artist learns that panic strikes at that point in a project when a creative breakthrough is imminent. Panic is Resistance pulling out the stops to keep us from ascending to the next level.”

  Our notePressfield explains that feeling panic during a project is often a sign of an upcoming breakthrough.

• Focus on basics

  “Too often the goal is the New York Times bestseller list, when it needs to be "to get on base."”

  Our noteHe compares the obsession with bestseller lists to a baseball player only wanting home runs.

• Supporting diverse products

  “As readers, listeners, watchers, it isn't our responsibility to keep the different industry companies alive. But . . . If we want diversity, it is our responsibility to support it.”

  Our noteEncouraging consumers to support niche or personal projects to ensure market diversity.

• Definition of Mojo

  “Mojo is a force field of positive attraction produced by sweat, intention, dedication and love. It's a groove, a rhythm. It's "flow." It's "the Zone.”

  Our noteDefining the concept of creative momentum and flow.

• Honoring Your Gifts

  “The goddess does not like it when we sell ourselves and our gifts short. Can you blame her? She's the one giving us those gifts.”

  Our noteSteven discusses the spiritual obligation to fully utilize one's creative potential.

• Resistance Attacks

  “Resistance rears its malignant head and hammers us. That's what happened to Rocky and that's what happened to Paul.”

  Our noteDescribing how internal resistance manifests as self-doubt during critical moments.

• Speed versus perfection

  “The fastest runs are never the perfect ones. Perfect runs are always slow.”

  Our notePressfield quotes Lindsey Vonn to explain why seeking perfection hinders performance.

• Inculcating Warrior Virtues

  “An honorable training regimen seeks to inculcate the warrior VIRTUES and to eradicate, or at least to bring under control, the potential excesses inherent in the warrior soul of man.”

  Our noteHe discusses how structured training channels raw aggression into disciplined virtues.

• Learning through imitation

  “I used to copy these two paragraphs over and over on my ancient Smith-Corona, trying to teach myself the rhythm and punch of the thing.”

  Our noteSteven Pressfield describes how he studied T.E. Lawrence's writing style to improve his own prose.