Ways Resistance Sneaks Up on Me

Just not having the energy. I know the falsehood that feeling precedes action. The truth: action leads to feeling. Yet I let "not feeling like it" stop me.

This is an excuse. No doubt, I am aging. No doubt, that leads to all kinds of changes. But that's not what keeps me from living my purpose.

This is important. It is something that needs doing. Partially disabled, she does need help, she does interrupt me, and I do prefer to work in long bouts of concentration. But that's a preference, not a necessity. It may not be the way I'd rather work, but I can still work toward my purpose.

Same as #3, except my daughter is completely disabled, completely dependent on other people, and her challenges are truly life-threatening. It's still a fact that I can work toward my purpose. It may take me an hour to do 10 minutes worth of work, but that will be 10 more minutes than if I do no work toward my purpose.

This one has gotten in the way for years, but it's not the day job itself; it's me letting the day job get in the way. At least this one should go the way of the dodo as far as excuses. Not only am I close to retirement, but I'm on leave of absence now. The challenge, therefore, is that the day job can now easily get replaced by the other things on this list, since the people around me will assume I have more time now.

Honestly, this one isn't too bad. Neither is the next one. I have gotten pretty efficient at both. But I can let the need to accomplish these things (a genuine need) be yet another interruption in my flow.

See #6.

Instant gratification, coupled with "satisfying" the creative urge. I've made part or all of my living (at times) with writing for over 50 years, and yet I've only written a couple of books in that time (only one of which ever got much traction). I have satisfied the creative urge with short pieces. I know the wisdom that @JamesAltucher shares in Reasons to write a book, but I have not acted on that wisdom. Time to change that. I don't have to stop short posts, and I can even repurpose some of them, but I do need to recognize how being satisfied with short posts feeds the Resistance.

And there are so many. No need to expand on this one—it's probably the most common form of Resistance these days.

I'm not a shopaholic. In fact, I really hate shopping. And yet, the need to gather groceries and necessities can become just another reason why "I don't have time to write today, so I'll do it tomorrow."