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1-Page Summary of Do the Work
Overview
Have you ever had a project or task that you started and it just didn’t go anywhere? It’s easy to get stuck in the middle of a big project. You have all these ideas, but they never come together into something concrete. What exactly is this inner resistance that stops us from achieving our goals, and where does it come from?
The following points provide helpful advice on how to overcome resistance and get back on track. The first step is to identify the causes of resistance, so you can stop it from stopping you from taking action. Explore various techniques for overcoming resistance and finally make your dreams, ambitions and goals a reality.
Charles Lindbergh was successful because he was ignorant and arrogant. He didn’t know everything, which allowed him to be more creative. It also helped that he acted like a jerk sometimes (ignorance). Furthermore, his arrogance led him to believe in himself without doubting what he did or said (arrogance). These traits helped him succeed with flying across the Atlantic Ocean.
Big Idea #1: Identify your enemies and allies so you can more effectively get things done.
Certain things help you achieve your goals, while others prevent you from achieving them. Good music can motivate you to work out, for example, whereas watching your favorite television show can make it more difficult to go outside and exercise. These are the allies and enemies in our lives.
Ambition and self-awareness are the keys to achieving any goal, but they’re always under threat by a common enemy: resistance.
When you’re working on something meaningful and passionate, but find yourself bogged down by self-criticism and doubt, that’s resistance.
Any activity that requires a lot of energy and time will be met with resistance. The more important an activity is to you, the harder it’ll be for you to accomplish it.
Acting was so important to Henry Fonda that he would throw up before every performance. He did this even when he was 75 years old and already a famous actor.
Passion and dedication are powerful, but they’re not the only way to succeed. Ignorance and stubbornness can be beneficial for artists and entrepreneurs.
When we try to apply our passion or dedication in situations where it doesn’t work, we feel frustrated.
Charles Lindbergh was an American aviator who accomplished amazing things because of his ignorance and stubbornness. He flew for 33 hours straight without knowing how difficult it would be, but he had the arrogance to believe that he could do it.
