The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don't just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed. Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.
Interpretation
Procrastination can lead to a lifetime of missed opportunities, but we always have the power to change our circumstances.
This quote emphasizes the destructive nature of procrastination, suggesting that it not only delays our immediate tasks but can also rob us of our entire lives. Pressfield encourages individuals to recognize their ability to change their situations at any given moment, asserting that the power to alter our destiny lies within us. The message is clear: take action now, rather than waiting for a more 'convenient' time that may never come.
In practice
This quote can serve as a powerful reminder during a workshop on time management.
Late at night have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn't write, a painter who doesn't paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.
It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior's life.
The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.
When we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen... Unseen forces enlist in our cause; serendipity reinforces our purpose.
You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study... Ever see one of his paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. Call it overstatement but I'll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.
It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.
I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance.
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
I never thought very many people in the world were very much like John Laroche, but I realized more and more that he was only an extreme, not an aberration - that most people in some way or another do strive for something exceptional, something to pursue, even at their peril, rather than abide an ordinary life.
Don't give up on your ideals. Don't compromise. Don't turn to expediency. And for heaven's sake . . . don't get cynical.
Nothing makes a man so adventurous as an empty pocket.
I don't lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.
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