This sentence will not be perfect.
That’s the thought that led to the collection of sentences written on a page which eventually became this post.
Going into any creative pursuit, business venture, relationship, or whatever it may be with an expectation of anything more than a notion that ‘this will be a continual learning process’ is a recipe for the unauthentic, sterile, boring and incomplete.
This challenge is overcoming resistance. The realisation of, ‘this thing that I’m about to attempt will not be perfect’ is eventually what stares everyone who wants to create anything authentic, interesting or new directly in the face. There’s no getting around it.
And the more we fight it, the more energy is spent trapped in the resistance, not producing those things – the artworks, stories, relationships, businesses that we are responsible for bringing out into the world.
Resistance comes in many forms. It can be the need to learn just that little bit more, to do just a little bit more work on ourselves, our career, our image, or to have just a little more saved in reserve before we truly go for it. This resistance is procrastination.
It can also come from somewhere outside of ourselves, in the form of support. The parent or friend or partner who loves us, but thinks we should take a second look at that safe job or do something a little bit less ambitious first. Or it could be the sensible, rational side of our personality that says, “let’s just think this through a little bit more first.”
Ultimately all of this resistance is fear. And it’s an important sign.
In Jiu-Jitsu, when you first begin to learn the sport and encounter resistance from your opponent for the very first time it’s a natural instinct to push back against that opponents force. We fight it, not knowing we are wasting precious energy and time on trying to overcome it with our own strength.
But the more you practice Jiu-Jitsu and gain experience, the more you realise that resistance is something you can use to your benefit and advantage. Because when your opponent resists you, that energy can be used against them, pulling them into your preferred position and giving you the upper hand instead of pushing against an unyielding force.
When you see resistance as a sign, rather than letting it take energy and steal your ability to be creative, you can use its energy to produce something authentic. Something that flows.
But like a Jiu-Jitsu opponent, resistance will regroup, and come back again, usually in a different form. Resistance is a lifelong constant, but absolutely necessary for any form of creative mastery.
But mastery doesn’t require everything to be perfect.
