Do the Work
by Steven Pressfield · first published 2011
14mentions
11recommended by
13HN commenters
2011–2025first – last mentioned
85% recommend15% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A short, practical book on overcoming resistance, the inner urge to procrastinate or quit on creative and professional work. It offers guidance for working through projects and staying on track.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Maybe someone will see this late comment: Do The Work, by Steven Pressfield, is free on Amazon for Kindle (you could read it on your computer or smartphone, too) for now, so grab it! His War of Art changed my life. Understanding the nature of Resistance…
on “Fooling myself to work” ↗If this struck a chord, you should definitely check out Steven Pressfield's Do the Work book linked in the post. His reading of it is super awesome.
on “The problem isn’t you. The problem is the problem.” ↗…Business - Charles Duhigg Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise - Anders Ericsson, Robert Pool The War of Art - Steven Pressfield Do the Work - Steven Pressfield Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future - Ashlee Vance Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike - Phil Knight The one that surprised me the most was the…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗Obligatory, but important: Do the Work - https://www.amazon.com/Do-Work-Overcome-Resistance-Your/dp/1... The War of Art - https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1... You have to build a muscle for this stuff. It's hard.
on “How to never complete anything” ↗My field (programming) has been well covered so I'll share books about my side-field, writing. - On Writing - Stephen King - Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott - Story - Robert McKee (screenwriting) - Do the work - Stephen Pressfield (he's more famous for The War of Art but I haven't actually read that one yet) Also there are some great blogs out there - Terrible Minds by Chuck Wendig - The Creative Penn -…
on “Ask HN: Which books are “must-read” for anyone trying to learn about your field?” ↗I recommend 2 books: "The War of Art" and "Do The Work", both from Steven Pressfield. In short, this is Resistance. Do The Work.
on “Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma” ↗…resistance to new obviously rewarding habits. I won't go into details about what I think - but two books that have helped me understand and deal with the symptoms (and possibly helped me help others) are: Do the Work - Steven Pressfield The Now Habit - Neil Fiore
on “Try exercise to improve memory, thinking” ↗Reminds of of HN frequenter Jason Shen's rejection therapy. It's all about getting over the initial reptilian fear, or resistance. Also see "Do The Work" by Steven Pressfield, dedicated fully to this "resistance".
on “What Happens When You Try to Flirt with 100+ Women in Two Weeks in Amsterdam?” ↗Two books by the same author that I recommend on this subject- --The War of Art --Do The Work Both by Steven Pressfield. They're imperfect -- they call out to imaginary forces uncomfortably too often, and they take a relatively concise bit of content stretching it to book form, leaving it sometimes…
on “Tricks to start working despite not feeling like it” ↗This is excellent! I’ve lived this experience with a graduate thesis project that has taken over a decade to complete. Stephen Pressfield’s books (especially Do The Work) felt very close to the mark, but I also couldn’t buy into the idea that the resistance should be thought of as something external (a malevolent force in the universe). I think this article solves the…
on “You Are Not Lazy or Undisciplined. You Have Internal Resistance” ↗…you won't, start down the path of solving your chosen problem and if someone appears who's thinking aligns, pursue a partnership if it makes sense. > Any intermediate steps I should consider? Read "Do the Work" and "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. Those two (short) books have done wonders.
on “Ask HN: How to be independent as a developer?” ↗There are two books on the issue by a guy called Steven Pressfield, "The War of Art" and "Do the Work". I've read the latter and it's good. He talks about how resistance strengthens the closer you get to ending a project. I've found it useful in my work.
on “The 90% Gravity Problem: Why We Tend to Quit Right Before the Finish Line” ↗perhaps this is the difference between Elon Musk and regular people? Everyone has an ego but few actually "do the work" http://www.amazon.com/Do-Work-Steven-Pressfield/dp/193671901...
on “Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma” ↗…check out those resources and here's links for anyone else: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield et al. Link: http://amzn.com/1936891026 Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way by Steven Pressfield et al. Link: http://amzn.com/1936891379 The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin…
on “Ask HN: Help with Perfectionism” ↗