One Step Up, Two Steps Back

Resistance exists to impede us. It'll use every seductive distraction, every alluring comfort, and every beguiling temptation to knock us off course and hold us back.

Steven Pressfield, a favorite historical novelist of mine who also writes about writing and the creative process, conceived of Resistance in his remarkable book, The War of Art. He describes it as a mystical, malevolent, "objective force of nature, as immutable as gravity."

Anyone who has written even a short paragraph has felt Resistance. Basically, all of us.

It shows itself in various forms: procrastination, self-doubt, distraction, hubris, imposter syndrome, inertia, and busyness. Resistance dwells in each of us and is the source of our self-sabotage. It's the friction that impedes and disrupts every attempt we make to improve our condition and make incremental progress toward becoming the person we are meant to be.

Busyness is an especially insidious version of Resistance. That's because when we permit and cultivate busyness in our lives, we feel like we're working hard and maybe even being productive. But, it's a deception. Busyness just has us on a treadmill. Working hard but going nowhere.

My favorite Springsteen song popped on the radio the other day and got me pondering busyness...

…given each of us some hard lessons lately

But we ain't learnin'

We're the same sad story that's a fact

One step up and two steps back

… sittin' here in this bar tonight

But all I'm thinkin' is

I'm the same old story, same old act

One step up and two steps back

...When I look at myself I don't see

The man I wanted to be

Somewhere along the line I slipped off track

I'm caught movin' one step up and two steps back

Busyness is an affliction of midlife. Career and family, constant striving, chronic stress. Precious little time is left for our own health and wellbeing.

It's "the same old story, same old act; one step up and two steps back."

There is an antidote to busyness. It requires clarity of what is truly essential to us. Then, the dogged persistence to keep first things first.

I created MidStrong for this purpose - to help you overcome Resistance and start making two steps up for each step back.

You can start right now. Make time on your calendar tomorrow and for the weeks ahead. Carve out 3 hours out of the 168 you get each week. Then guard that time like a pitbull.

And please share this with a friend or loved one who has been feeling overwhelmed with busyness and held down by Resistance.

Together, we are STRONGER than our excuses.

MidStrong is for life.