Always Think Professionally
I just finished the second portion of The War of Art Book. This section was all about Combating Resistance – Turning Pro. Turning pro is about commitment, its about having the drive to do something all the time and put your all into it.
Professionals focus. Professionals don’t talk about their work, they quiet down and do it. They find their concentration, buckle down, to beat resistance, and create new things. Whether that’s a painting, a program, a plate of food, or a campaign. They do their work out of love.
The professional also has to practice patience. They have to understand that timing is everything, and sometimes even if they’re ready the last course of the meal may still be cooking in the kitchen yet…but it’s coming alright. They also understand that because they are on a mission to be professional they must have order in their lives, that way they can function at maximum capacity. They must be organized and have all the tools they have at the ready.
Professionals recognize they can’t do everything, nor are they professional at everything they also recognize that they need to find others to help them with what they can’t do to be successful. She does not hesitate to ask for help, or listen to instruction or advice, though she is smart about the advice she implements in her work.
As for approval, the professional self-validates, she understands that she has to see the value she’s creating before others will. The professional blows off unhelpful criticism or takes constructive criticism and betters herself she remembers that: “The critic hates most that which he would have done himself if he had had the guts.” (The War of Art, 93)
Were all professionals, sometimes of things we don’t want to be professionals of. Whether we spend all our time getting to jobs we dislike, or we get to travel the world for a living. Professionals can change their direction, though, they have to. They reinvent themselves to be better than they were before. They ensure the world can still benefit from their work.
