UPDATE: Stephen Pressfield has a new War of Art mini course and a new site for the War of Art. Check it out here. 

It’s kind of funny that I started to write this post when I did. I was going to describe how Resistance, when unable to distract you, derail you or discourage you, will attempt to take you out. Read Part One here

But I couldn’t get to the post because I ended up in the hospital. Hello Resistance.

yep. Really. this was after my laptop died and all 3 of my back-ups had issues stopping me from recovering them. Shaking my head. There were other things on top of that but you get the idea. Avalanche.

So I’m going to get this out quick. Lol.

Buried in Battles

In no particular order, this might happen.

You’ll lose your keys. The worst possible autocorrects will happen. You’ll miss the stoplight. And the next. Your pants will rip. You’ll randomly fall down. There will be a weird coffee error where the pot just doesn’t get made. Random people will overreact to things that weren’t Things but now? They’re THINGS.  And if a situation can drain you exhaust you and suck up your time? It’s happening.

Sometimes those things get dangerous. Make sure your checks don’t bounce, no petty paperwork can go awry. In fact, recruit assistance if you get to this stage. You’ll need it. Make sure bills get paid. Pay attention to minor pain. Don’t let it go. Pretty much you need to live as if there’s an evil bad luck wizard that hates you on your trail.

When you see the Avalanche, you’ll understand.

Prepare by limiting human contact. Only interact with those most stable and least querulous souls you know. Get at least one person on standby ready to help with the battles as they get thrown at you. Stay organized.

This is real. It’s war. Prepare for that. Do the Work. Don’t say “I can’t do this.” Or anything even close. It isn’t just you. Your work matters. You may have to fight to finish it. You can do it. You must. Finish the work.

Is it worth it?

You betcha.

3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell [b]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, [c]let him hear.

See, there’s a glory, a majesty, a real weight to your work. It means this parable is very applicable to it. See the Resistance in the parable? Same principles. If you don’t have the right motivations to work or the Avalanche hits you unprepared you’ll abandon the project.

Don’t give up. Finish.