Resistance Against Success

Resistance against success is real. On this page, you will find content about winning the battle of Resistance against success.

Why Should You Fight the Battle of Resistance Against Success?

Have you ever noticed when you get close to the finish line on your important project, all of sudden you find ways to do something other than finish? That happens to me a lot, and Steven Pressfield gave it a name.

In his book “The War of Art” (Affiliate Link)  Steven Pressfield identifies what’s happening in these situations as Resistance. Yep. With a capital R.

It’s a terrific little book. And it will help you understand why cleaning your office instead of working on what you now you should be doing is so tempting. You’re not alone! We are all battling resistance against success.

What If You pay Attention to the Forms of Resistance that Impede Your Progress?

Many authors use the concept of resistance against success in their stories. In his book, “11/22/1963”(Affiliate Link) author Steven King does it masterfully.

This book, as the date might suggest to you, is about the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy. In the story, the main character, Jake Epping, travels back in time and tries to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from committing his crime.

I won’t spoil the book by telling you much more because you should read it, it’s terrific! But the “Guide” character, Al Templeton, warns Jake that when he goes back, when gets close to his objective “The past will push back.”  That made me think about resistance against success.

And boy does it push! Some weird stuff happens in this book. It is, after all a Stephen King book. So maybe not too surprising.

And I think this is a lot like success in our lives, too. When we get close, obstacles arise seemingly from nowhere? Does that ever happen to you? I’ve learned that when it does, I need to press on because I might be on the edge of something truly unique for me. And seeking humility helps here, too.

How Might You Beat Resistance Against success?

Resistance loves quitters and perfectionists. Why? Two reasons:

The First Reason Resistance Against Success Loves Quitters

Quitting is a choice. And when you give up because you think you’re not good enough, or afraid to look stupid, you’re only cheating yourself. That’s Resistance.

The Second Reason

Resistance against success loves perfectionists. Why? Because if you’re a perfectionist and discover you can’t do something perfectly, you quit. Am I right?

Think about the last time you told yourself you were going to do some new habit every day. You go a few days, you’re feeling good, and all of a sudden something happens that makes you miss a day.

What you do next is important. A perfectionist thinks, “Oh well, it’s not perfect anymore, so I’m done. I failed.” A way to beat resistance against success in this situation is to begin again.

In Conclusion

Exploring, identifying, and understanding Resistance against success is fun to write about. As a result, the content on this section of makemarketingeasy.com will continue to expand. So if you are feeling Resistance in your work and life, check back and see what’s new here - it might help you!

If you’d like a free pdf that I put together about how to make your customers and prospects feel special, fill out the form below. Or, if you’d like to schedule a time to discuss something you’re working on, email me at Joel@makemarketingeasy.com.

Good luck and good marketing and selling!