Episode

#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
1:53:48
Published: Fri Feb 26 2021
Description

Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey | Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the best version of LinkedIn for sales professionals, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.Steven Pressfield (@SPressfield), a former Marine and graduate of Duke University, became an overnight success as a writer after 30 years of abject failure. Identifying the omnipresence of “Resistance,” the interior force of self-sabotage he described in The War of Art, has saved his own artistic life and has helped many others struggling to find their creative calling. Steven’s novels of the ancient world, including the nonfiction The Warrior Ethos, are required reading at West Point, Annapolis, and in the Marine Corps. He lives in Los Angeles.His new book is A Man at Arms, an epic saga about a reluctant hero, the Roman Empire, and the rise of a new faith.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM21 at checkout.*This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Sales Navigator! LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the best version of LinkedIn for sales professionals. Tap into the power of LinkedIn’s 700 million+ member network. LinkedIn Sales Navigator gives you 20 monthly InMail messages, Lead Recommendations, Unlimited Searches, Actionable Insights and News, and access to free courses on LinkedIn Learning. Target the right prospects and decision-makers, unlocking 15% more pipeline from sourced opportunities, a 17% lift when saving leads on Sales Navigator, and 42% larger deal sizes.Start your 60-day free trial—that’s a two-month free trial!—of LinkedIn Sales Navigator today by going to LinkedIn.com/Navigator.*If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Tonal is a compact home gym machine that uses digital weights to deliver 200 pounds of resistance, providing a tailored workout experience that combines traditional strength training with smart technology.
00:00 - 02:45 (02:45)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Home Gym
Summary

Tonal is a compact home gym machine that uses digital weights to deliver 200 pounds of resistance, providing a tailored workout experience that combines traditional strength training with smart technology.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Steven Pressfield, author of "The War of Art," discusses the omnipresence of resistance and how recognizing and overcoming self-sabotage can help find your creative calling.
02:45 - 07:03 (04:17)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Self-Sabotage
Summary

Steven Pressfield, author of "The War of Art," discusses the omnipresence of resistance and how recognizing and overcoming self-sabotage can help find your creative calling.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode features a speaker discussing a cat that was completely self-sufficient and independent, living in the woods and would never allow anyone to feed him.
07:03 - 12:32 (05:28)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
cats
Summary

This podcast episode features a speaker discussing a cat that was completely self-sufficient and independent, living in the woods and would never allow anyone to feed him.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A man recounts how he was fired from his job delivering institutional food to small restaurants, and how he learned a valuable lesson about being diligent in his work.
12:32 - 22:21 (09:49)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Career
Summary

A man recounts how he was fired from his job delivering institutional food to small restaurants, and how he learned a valuable lesson about being diligent in his work.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A former Navy SEAL and thriller writer talks about how a blunt comment he received about his writing inspired him to overcome self-doubt and pursue his passion for writing.
22:21 - 27:04 (04:42)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Writing
Summary

A former Navy SEAL and thriller writer talks about how a blunt comment he received about his writing inspired him to overcome self-doubt and pursue his passion for writing. He also addresses the common belief that people do their best work in their twenties.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Writers and artists must create content that is so good and compelling that it overcomes the natural resistance of the reader or viewer.
27:04 - 31:41 (04:36)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Writing
Summary

Writers and artists must create content that is so good and compelling that it overcomes the natural resistance of the reader or viewer. This requires putting oneself in the mind of the audience and empathizing with their interests.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the host and guest discuss the difference between the hero's journey and the artist's journey, identifying the unique challenges that come with creative work.
31:41 - 37:44 (06:03)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Joseph Campbell
Summary

In this episode, the host and guest discuss the difference between the hero's journey and the artist's journey, identifying the unique challenges that come with creative work.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Steven Pressfield discusses how he overcame his struggles as a writer and how the hero's journey has played a role in his life and work.
37:44 - 41:48 (04:04)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Writing
Summary

Steven Pressfield discusses how he overcame his struggles as a writer and how the hero's journey has played a role in his life and work.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A producer writer comes up with big ideas, oversees the development of stories, and secures financing for the projects.
41:48 - 46:59 (05:11)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Producer Writer
Summary

A producer writer comes up with big ideas, oversees the development of stories, and secures financing for the projects. They are also responsible for making deals and taking meetings in the industry.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A successful author shares his experience of how he found a buyer for his manuscript, despite doubts from his agent about the book's success.
47:00 - 50:32 (03:32)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Writing
Summary

A successful author shares his experience of how he found a buyer for his manuscript, despite doubts from his agent about the book's success.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Establishing a routine of completing basic tasks and achieving small successes can help with overcoming resistance and building momentum for more significant tasks.
50:32 - 59:40 (09:08)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Productivity
Summary

Establishing a routine of completing basic tasks and achieving small successes can help with overcoming resistance and building momentum for more significant tasks.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
An editor brings to the writer's work an awareness of the various structures that work, and when an editor feels the writer has violated them, they can bring back the writer from that.
59:40 - 1:09:33 (09:52)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Writing
Summary

An editor brings to the writer's work an awareness of the various structures that work, and when an editor feels the writer has violated them, they can bring back the writer from that. Integrating the editor's mindset into the writer's mindset is essential to producing an outstanding work.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker explains how when we start identifying with our inner self and intuition, the ego becomes threatened because it realizes it will lose control.
1:09:33 - 1:15:36 (06:02)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Ego, Self-identification, Intuition, Unconscious, Collective Unconscious, Archetypes
Summary

The speaker explains how when we start identifying with our inner self and intuition, the ego becomes threatened because it realizes it will lose control. This self includes the unconscious, collective unconscious, hero's journey and archetypes that are often driving us in a positive way towards our deep dreams and inspirations.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The entertainment industry is notorious for its risky, romanticized careers in drugs and alcohol, which often pushes people into taking up low-risk shadow careers of their passion, that could have downsides with none of the benefits.
1:15:36 - 1:25:20 (09:43)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Entertainment Industry
Summary

The entertainment industry is notorious for its risky, romanticized careers in drugs and alcohol, which often pushes people into taking up low-risk shadow careers of their passion, that could have downsides with none of the benefits. This also applies to some entertainment lawyers who secretly aspire to be writers or directors, and use law as a shadow career.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The beauty of writing fiction is that you enter another dimension of reality, and while it can be intimidating, it is an endless fascination.
1:25:20 - 1:32:24 (07:04)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Fiction Writing
Summary

The beauty of writing fiction is that you enter another dimension of reality, and while it can be intimidating, it is an endless fascination. Writing a book like this is a way for writers to explore alternate realities, even if their friends and family don't read it.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This episode delves into the intersections between Jewish mysticism, memory, and mindfulness with guest Rabbi Joseph Edelheit.
1:32:24 - 1:37:46 (05:22)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Jewish Mysticism
Summary

This episode delves into the intersections between Jewish mysticism, memory, and mindfulness with guest Rabbi Joseph Edelheit.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The fear of rejection can prevent writers from producing fiction but it is essential to turn off self-sensors and write fearlessly to invoke the muse in a good way, according to Marisa Silver, author of "The Mysteries."
1:37:46 - 1:43:09 (05:22)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Fiction Writing
Summary

The fear of rejection can prevent writers from producing fiction but it is essential to turn off self-sensors and write fearlessly to invoke the muse in a good way, according to Marisa Silver, author of "The Mysteries."

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The Tonal device delivers high resistance workouts in a small space with over 150 different exercise options available.
1:43:09 - 1:52:37 (09:28)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Fitness
Summary

The Tonal device delivers high resistance workouts in a small space with over 150 different exercise options available. Additionally, taking a vitamin D supplement can help support gut health, energy, and immunity, and subscribing to Five Bullet Friday emails provide regular fun insights.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tonal is a smart home gym with personalized programs using AI and engineering for real-time feedback.
1:52:37 - 1:53:38 (01:00)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Smart home gym
Summary

Tonal is a smart home gym with personalized programs using AI and engineering for real-time feedback. It also provides expert-led workouts with suggested weight recommendations for each move, and has a 30-day trial and $100 discount on smart accessories using the promo code TIM21.

Episode
#501: Steven Pressfield — How to Overcome Self-Sabotage and Resistance, Routines for Little Successes, and The Hero’s Journey vs. The Artist’s Journey
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show