Turning Pro

This is one of those books (along with The War of Art) that’s lived rent-free in my head since reading it. No one gives such a mental kick to get yourself in gear as Pressfield does.

The War of Art was all about “Resistance,” which is how he describes the force to overcome to get any creative work accomplished. It’s inertia, a train sitting still on the track held fixed by gravity, and it’s our job to muster the activation energy to get the train moving.

Turning Pro is about the professionalization of fighting Resistance. To be a pro means to take the work seriously, to prioritize it over other things, to be a grown up, quit making excuses and get to work. The pro doesn’t need the perfect environment to get their work in. They show up and get the practice done whether it’s at the home office, a hotel room, or sitting in the parking lot at the mall.

There are plenty of forces at work to raise Resistance and create an environment that steals our attention. But part of acting the pro is realizing you’re the one with the agency over your attention. You can decide not to hand it over, and spend it how you want.