Steven Pressfield

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• View Projects as Threshold Crossings

  Creativity

  Treat every new business or creative project as a journey that will fundamentally change who you are.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Our Characters And Ourselves, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on the Hook

  Marketing

  To succeed commercially, a product must have a clear reason or 'hook' that appeals specifically to its target audience.

  Source Selling Books In The Trenches, 2011  (opens in a new tab)

• Trust Your Social Awkwardness

  Marketing

  If a marketing strategy feels awkward or annoying to the sender, it is likely bothering the recipient and needs adjustment.

  Supporting quotes

  • “Sending at once is a way of saying: "I respect your time. I understand you are busy. This is what I have going on.”

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

• Comfort is a trap

  Leadership

  Excessive creature comforts and bureaucracy can isolate a leader from the reality of the field and prevent meaningful engagement.

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Coin Strategy Vs Coin Tactics 2, 2010  (opens in a new tab)

• Intensity Over Volume

  Productivity

  As one gains mastery, the duration of work sessions can decrease if the intensity and focus increase.

  Supporting quotes

  • “So, if you guys have a full-time job, and kids, and a family, and a wife, and a spouse, whatever, if you can squeeze out a couple of hours a day, you're on the same level with me, the same level with a full-time writer.”

    “it is possible to have a full-time job and still do your artistic thing to a full-tilt version.”

  1 more supporting quote is in the member records.

• Recognize the source of criticism

  Mindset

  When others ridicule your new venture, it is often a reflection of their own internal resistance and guilt for not pursuing their own callings.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield, 2025  (opens in a new tab)

• Acknowledge the Difficulty of Calling

  Mindset

  Accept that following a personal calling is inherently frightening and difficult, often requiring a person to hit a psychological breaking point before they can act.

  Source How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield, 2025  (opens in a new tab)

• Prioritize Peace Over Peak Success

  Career

  Success is not necessarily about reaching the top of a field, but about finding work that provides a sense of purpose and peace at the end of the day.

  Source How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield, 2025  (opens in a new tab)

• Recognize Creative Work as Business

  Career

  Artists and creators should view themselves as entrepreneurs because they share the same risks and self-reliance as startup founders.

  Supporting quotes

  • “Are you a writer? A filmmaker? A dancer? Then you're an entrepreneur.”

  2 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

• Prioritize Passion Over Credentials

  Learning

  Artistic mastery comes from deep personal obsession and suffering rather than academic programs or formal certifications.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Can Writing Be Taught, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

• Use Pain as Creative Fuel

  Resilience

  The struggle to name and overcome internal pain is what gives art its power and helps the creator overcome Resistance.

  3 more supporting quotes are in the member records.

  Source Can Writing Be Taught, 2014  (opens in a new tab)