21 Quotes by Famous Author Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield is a bestselling author known for his books on creativity, resistance, and personal discipline, including The War of Art, Turning Pro, and Do the Work. His insights on overcoming self-doubt, procrastination, and fear have helped countless creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals break through barriers and do meaningful work.
Here are 21 of Steven Pressfield’s most profound quotes, each with a brief explanation to help you apply his wisdom to your life and career.
1. Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate; it will seduce, bully, cajole. Resistance will assume any form, if that's what it takes to deceive you. It will reason with you like a lawyer or jam a nine-millimeter in your face like a stickup man. Resistance will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned. If you take Resistance at its word, you deserve everything you get. Resistance will not be reasoned with. It is always lying and always full of shit.
Resistance is the invisible force that tries to stop us from doing creative work. Recognizing its tricks is the first step in overcoming it.
2. The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.
Fear and self-doubt often indicate that something is worth doing. The greater the Resistance, the more likely it is that the action is meaningful.
3. Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.
Fear points toward the work that truly matters. Instead of running from it, use fear as a guide.
4. You’re entitled to your labor, but not the fruits of your labor.
Focus on the work, not the rewards. Creative and meaningful work should be done for its own sake, not for external validation.
5. Resistance will bury you.
Ignoring Resistance leads to stagnation. The longer you delay action, the harder it becomes to start.
6. The professional respects Resistance. He knows if he caves in today, no matter how plausible the pretext, he’ll be twice as likely to cave in tomorrow.
Discipline and consistency are key. Every time you overcome Resistance, you build mental strength; every time you give in, Resistance grows stronger.
7. A professional acts in the face of fear.
Fear never disappears. Professionals learn to move forward despite it.
8. 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.
Waiting to feel ready or fearless before starting guarantees inaction. The only way to move forward is to work through the fear.
9. The professional understands that Resistance will never be overcome. He knows there will never be a blissful state free of worry, self-doubt, and fear.
Success doesn’t eliminate Resistance. Even the best creators and professionals battle it daily.
10. We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause.
Creative work done for external rewards loses its purity. True fulfillment comes from doing the work itself.
11. Resistance will most likely strike when we’re about to cross a threshold.
Moments of breakthrough often come with the greatest self-doubt. Pushing through those moments leads to transformation.
12. The professional concentrates on the work and allows rewards to come or not come, whatever they like.
A professional stays focused on output, not on immediate recognition or results.
13. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.
Creativity is a daily practice, not an occasional inspiration. Showing up consistently is the foundation of success.
14. The Muse favors working stiffs. She hates prima donnas. To invoke the Muse, work.
Waiting for inspiration is a trap. Doing the work consistently invites creativity and ideas to flow.
15. Turning pro is like kicking a drug habit or stopping drinking. It’s a decision, a commitment to a new way of being.
Becoming serious about creative work requires a mental shift from amateur thinking to professional dedication.
16. A hack is someone who writes what he thinks will sell. A professional writes what he himself thinks is good.
Authenticity is key. Writing or creating for the market instead of personal conviction leads to mediocrity.
17. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.
True creatives and visionaries doubt themselves. Arrogance often signals superficiality.
18. The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.
Routine beats talent. Doing the work consistently is what separates professionals from amateurs.
19. The professional does not allow himself to become arrogant. He reminds himself it is better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.
Taking action and risking failure is better than sitting on the sidelines. Courage and resilience define professionals.
20. Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. ‘I write only when inspiration strikes,’ he replied. ‘Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.’
Creativity comes from discipline. Waiting for inspiration is a myth—real work happens through daily effort.
21. The sure sign of an amateur is he has a million plans and they all start tomorrow.
Procrastination is Resistance in disguise. The professional takes action now rather than postponing what needs to be done.
Final Thoughts
Steven Pressfield’s wisdom on creativity, resistance, and discipline speaks to anyone struggling with self-doubt or procrastination. His message is clear: do the work, overcome Resistance, and commit to the craft.
By showing up every day, embracing fear, and pushing through Resistance, you take control of your creative destiny and move from amateur to professional.