“Naming the Enemy and Starting Anyway”
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Title: Do the Work
Author: Steven Pressfield
Category: Career Growth, Startups & Entrepreneurship, Focus, Habits & Productivity
What if the only thing standing between you and your most important work wasn't a lack of talent or time, but an invisible enemy called Resistance? Sam and Sophie sit with Steven Pressfield's brutal diagnosis of why we don't start the things that matter most.
They walk through Pressfield's three-phase framework for any creative project: the beginning (where Resistance is strongest), the middle (where most projects die), and the end (where perfectionism attacks). Along the way, they unpack the idea of 'turning pro'—a mental shift from amateur to professional that has nothing to do with getting paid. The ship metaphor and the principle of the ugly first draft anchor the conversation.
If you've ever felt stuck before starting a book, a business, or a hard conversation, this episode names the real enemy and hands you a weapon. The takeaway: Resistance never goes away, but you can build the strength to act in spite of it.
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Chapters
00:00Naming the Enemy: Resistance01:17The Beginning: Start Before Ready02:25The Middle: Discipline and No Revision03:19The End: Perfectionism and Release04:03Turning Pro and Final Advice
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