Steven Pressfield is the king of explaining “The Resistance“; that little voice inside our heads that tries to keep us from coming to harm… by keeping us from doing anything outside the lines.
As Seth Godin brilliantly explained in Linchpin, that voice was helpful for our prehistoric ancestors, when trying something new (going somewhere new) could get you eaten by a saber tooth tiger. Fortunately, we rarely run the risk of being eaten as a result of our experimentation anymore. Yet the voice persists. Talking us out of doing anything new. Out of doing anything bold. Of doing anything noteworthy. So, as Pressfield rightly states, we need to fight the resistance and push through in our creations; our innovations.
But what about those cases where the voice is right? Where the idea we had really is a dumb idea? Where, particularly as an entrepreneur, that leap of faith could put you out of business, should it end badly?
I think the answer is in balancing fear with rational planning. With running a “best case/worst case” set of scenarios when you feel the Resistance rear it’s ugly head. It’s not about blindly pushing through, but it is about pushing through. Just keep your head up while you’re at it.
Thoughts?
