The War of Art - by Steven Pressfield #

Resistance - whatever that is stopping us from doing what we always wanted to do.

is internal, affects everybody
fueled by fear
stops us from becoming better
takes the form of any preoccupation, e.g. sex, sugar, shopping, anything that provides immediate gratification
anything that draws attention to oneself in a pain free easy way, e.g. causing trouble, causing drama, being angry, being a victim
feels like boredom, restlessness, when you hate your life
criticizing other people, esp. people who are doing what you always wanted to do
seeking support, seeking validation
when you are scared to death, is it where you need to push yourself through

Being a Professional

success, happiness comes as a by product of work. The Professional focuses on the work
showing up everyday 7 days, doing x hours everyday
what’s important is the work
be prepared to be miserable, isolated, rejected, self-doubt, ridicule, contempt, humiliation
doing it for money
there is more than money involved
patient - playing the long game
does in spite of fear
no excuses
practices technique - is prepared for opportunity
does not show off
asks for help
distances, does not take the success or failure of the work personally
self-validates
reinvents
You Inc. - Professional - the business will deliver. Run status meetings, distribute the work assignments

The Muse

accept that there are conditions you don’t control
ask for divine help everyday
accept that you are just performing a service that (hopefully, eventually) survives a long time
record your thoughts while not at work, work on it tomorrow
territory vs hierarchy
hierarchy - when in school and small environments, it makes sense. We can form cliques, specialize in some club, skill and achieve psychological safety
hierarchy - the problem is when there is too many people it becomes too anonymous. You compete with too many peers, evaluate your happiness by your rank, act towards others based on your rank. But you cannot look to others to validate your efforts. You can only do your work for its own sake. You cannot ask the market for what it wants.
territory - when in your territory, you feel refreshed after doing your work, a closed feedback loop. In the end you have to do it yourself. You get what you put in.
we have a right to our labor but not the fruits of our labor