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Turning Pro
The follow up to the War of Art. In the War of Art Pressfield identifies the enemy to living an authentic life – resistance. In Turning Pro, Pressfield teaches you how to defeat it.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2012
About the author
Steven Pressfield
79 books5,433 followersI was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943 to a Navy father and mother.
I graduated from Duke University in 1965.
In January of 1966, when I was on the bus leaving Parris Island as a freshly-minted Marine, I looked back and thought there was at least one good thing about this departure. "No matter what happens to me for the rest of my life, no one can ever send me back to this freakin' place again."
Forty years later, to my surprise and gratification, I am far more closely bound to the young men of the Marine Corps and to all other dirt-eating, ground-pounding outfits than I could ever have imagined.
GATES OF FIRE is one reason. Dog-eared paperbacks of this tale of the ancient Spartans have circulated throughout platoons of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first days of the invasions. E-mails come in by hundreds. GATES OF FIRE is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading list. It is taught at West Point and Annapolis and at the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico. TIDES OF WAR is on the curriculum of the Naval War College.
From 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, which calls itself "the Spartans," to ODA 316 of the Special Forces, whose forearms are tattooed with the lambda of Lakedaemon, today's young warriors find a bond to their ancient precursors in the historical narratives of these novels.
My struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in my 2002 book, THE WAR OF ART.
I have worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout and attendant in a mental hospital. I have picked fruit in Washington state and written screenplays in Tinseltown.
With the publication of THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE in 1995, I became a writer of books once and for all.
My writing philosophy is, not surprisingly, a kind of warrior code — internal rather than external — in which the enemy is identified as those forms of self-sabotage that I have labeled "Resistance" with a capital R (in THE WAR OF ART) and the technique for combatting these foes can be described as "turning pro."
I believe in previous lives.
I believe in the Muse.
I believe that books and music exist before they are written and that they are propelled into material being by their own imperative to be born, via the offices of those willing servants of discipline, imagination and inspiration, whom we call artists. My conception of the artist's role is a combination of reverence for the unknowable nature of "where it all comes from" and a no-nonsense, blue-collar demystification of the process by which this mystery is approached. In other words, a paradox.
There's a recurring character in my books named Telamon, a mercenary of ancient days. Telamon doesn't say much. He rarely gets hurt or wounded. And he never seems to age. His view of the profession of arms is a lot like my conception of art and the artist:
"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."
I graduated from Duke University in 1965.
In January of 1966, when I was on the bus leaving Parris Island as a freshly-minted Marine, I looked back and thought there was at least one good thing about this departure. "No matter what happens to me for the rest of my life, no one can ever send me back to this freakin' place again."
Forty years later, to my surprise and gratification, I am far more closely bound to the young men of the Marine Corps and to all other dirt-eating, ground-pounding outfits than I could ever have imagined.
GATES OF FIRE is one reason. Dog-eared paperbacks of this tale of the ancient Spartans have circulated throughout platoons of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first days of the invasions. E-mails come in by hundreds. GATES OF FIRE is on the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading list. It is taught at West Point and Annapolis and at the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico. TIDES OF WAR is on the curriculum of the Naval War College.
From 2nd Battalion/6th Marines, which calls itself "the Spartans," to ODA 316 of the Special Forces, whose forearms are tattooed with the lambda of Lakedaemon, today's young warriors find a bond to their ancient precursors in the historical narratives of these novels.
My struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in my 2002 book, THE WAR OF ART.
I have worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout and attendant in a mental hospital. I have picked fruit in Washington state and written screenplays in Tinseltown.
With the publication of THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE in 1995, I became a writer of books once and for all.
My writing philosophy is, not surprisingly, a kind of warrior code — internal rather than external — in which the enemy is identified as those forms of self-sabotage that I have labeled "Resistance" with a capital R (in THE WAR OF ART) and the technique for combatting these foes can be described as "turning pro."
I believe in previous lives.
I believe in the Muse.
I believe that books and music exist before they are written and that they are propelled into material being by their own imperative to be born, via the offices of those willing servants of discipline, imagination and inspiration, whom we call artists. My conception of the artist's role is a combination of reverence for the unknowable nature of "where it all comes from" and a no-nonsense, blue-collar demystification of the process by which this mystery is approached. In other words, a paradox.
There's a recurring character in my books named Telamon, a mercenary of ancient days. Telamon doesn't say much. He rarely gets hurt or wounded. And he never seems to age. His view of the profession of arms is a lot like my conception of art and the artist:
"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 849 reviews
April 20, 2018
The amateur tweets. The pro works.
That pretty much sums up the book for me.
In the face of uncertainty and doubt, the amateur chooses distraction, while the pro chooses to do the work instead. The pro knows: doubt won't go away by itself, one has to push it, shove it, kick it. By doing the work.
What is distraction, if not self-sabotage, sabotage of one's future self? As Pressfield puts it, "lives go down the tubes one hundred and forty characters at a time." It's not only Twitter, but any distraction or self-delusion that prevents us from doing the work of our life.
Mindset makes all the difference. Approach the work like a pro, and you win. Come at it like an amateur, you give up and in the end it kicks your butt.
The amateur and the pro are Pressfield's metaphors for people who either run from their fears or face them. It's a choice that one has to make every day.
What's your choice?
Ignore this book at your own peril! Short and intense, it will challenge your attitude to work and life - for your own good.
That pretty much sums up the book for me.
In the face of uncertainty and doubt, the amateur chooses distraction, while the pro chooses to do the work instead. The pro knows: doubt won't go away by itself, one has to push it, shove it, kick it. By doing the work.
What is distraction, if not self-sabotage, sabotage of one's future self? As Pressfield puts it, "lives go down the tubes one hundred and forty characters at a time." It's not only Twitter, but any distraction or self-delusion that prevents us from doing the work of our life.
Mindset makes all the difference. Approach the work like a pro, and you win. Come at it like an amateur, you give up and in the end it kicks your butt.
The amateur and the pro are Pressfield's metaphors for people who either run from their fears or face them. It's a choice that one has to make every day.
What's your choice?
Ignore this book at your own peril! Short and intense, it will challenge your attitude to work and life - for your own good.
June 22, 2012
I don't remember when I first read The War of Art, but I know it changed my life. Of all of the books I have read since then, there are few I have returned to more often. Why? Because Steven Pressfield teaches you how to be an artist--a professional one.
And now Pressfield is back to pick up where he left of with Turning Pro. The first words grabbing you by the collar and pulling you down the path: "I wrote in The War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better."
I'm not sure if Turning Pro is same shock to the system The War of Art was, but it's still a great, necessary book. It lets us know there is still striving to be done. Turning Pro is about realizing being a pro is to accept, relish even, the daily struggle.
And now Pressfield is back to pick up where he left of with Turning Pro. The first words grabbing you by the collar and pulling you down the path: "I wrote in The War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better."
I'm not sure if Turning Pro is same shock to the system The War of Art was, but it's still a great, necessary book. It lets us know there is still striving to be done. Turning Pro is about realizing being a pro is to accept, relish even, the daily struggle.
June 17, 2012
This book is a serious challenge for any creative who wants to be considered a professional in their chosen sphere. Pressfield holds nothing back and this book seriously kicked my ass. He takes the excuses we all wheel out sometimes and blows them to pieces while telling of his own past, giving emotional resonance to some difficult life lessons. The book underscores the fact that turning pro is not for everyone, that there is considerable sacrifice. I was personally convicted on my habits and how distraction can sometimes ruin my creative time. Taking action on this book is difficult but necessary, and I start today. Highly recommended.
June 29, 2012
Pressfield's War of Art really spoke to me, especially regarding the concept of Resistance.
Turning Pro seemed to be more of the same, however. Nothing new was in this book, and I was very disappointed. The core message can be summed up thusly: Wanna be a pro? Get serious. Turn off the Internet. Stop wishing, start working. That's the message. Same message as in War of Art.
Like War of Art, this is a book of sound bytes, some chapters no more than a sentence, most no more than five paragraphs. The only long chapters are when he's quoting someone else's story. So it's a very quick read, and easy to reference, but you're getting *maybe* 20,000 words for $13.
If you have read War of Art, I wouldn't suggest you buy this. If you haven't read War of Art, perhaps you'll get something out of this book. If I had to choose between them, though, I'd choose War of Art.
Turning Pro seemed to be more of the same, however. Nothing new was in this book, and I was very disappointed. The core message can be summed up thusly: Wanna be a pro? Get serious. Turn off the Internet. Stop wishing, start working. That's the message. Same message as in War of Art.
Like War of Art, this is a book of sound bytes, some chapters no more than a sentence, most no more than five paragraphs. The only long chapters are when he's quoting someone else's story. So it's a very quick read, and easy to reference, but you're getting *maybe* 20,000 words for $13.
If you have read War of Art, I wouldn't suggest you buy this. If you haven't read War of Art, perhaps you'll get something out of this book. If I had to choose between them, though, I'd choose War of Art.
December 25, 2012
Holy Crap, Batman, this book is awesome! Until I read this book, I had no idea I hung around with, and seemed to attract, amateurs. At times, I drank their kool-aid and listened to their whiney belly-ache about how, "someday we ought to _______," and in retrospect, the too many times I bought into the procrastination and justification of, "Wouldn't it be great if we could _________."
But Pressfield hit a nerve when he said you'll know the day you turn pro...and I can verify that statement when I made that break at my niece's wedding a year ago in July. Unknowingly, I made those changes in my life, unaware of my amateur status and what it meant to turn professional. Rather abruptly, and without fanfare, I quietly moved away from the amateurs, and providentially hooked up with a coach who helped me to visualize and attain what Pressfield describes in this book.
This book, for me, was pure validation. Now I have a name for it, a mantra to propel me forward. All I need know is a tattoo, written in reverse, so every day I look in the mirror I can keep the intention moving in the right direction.
But Pressfield hit a nerve when he said you'll know the day you turn pro...and I can verify that statement when I made that break at my niece's wedding a year ago in July. Unknowingly, I made those changes in my life, unaware of my amateur status and what it meant to turn professional. Rather abruptly, and without fanfare, I quietly moved away from the amateurs, and providentially hooked up with a coach who helped me to visualize and attain what Pressfield describes in this book.
This book, for me, was pure validation. Now I have a name for it, a mantra to propel me forward. All I need know is a tattoo, written in reverse, so every day I look in the mirror I can keep the intention moving in the right direction.
June 6, 2018
I don't really know what to think of this book.
If I could summary the book it would be like this "look at me, I'm a pro, here is what a pro should be, philosophy, meaningless personal anecdotes, pro is great I swear".
This book has nothing of value, it doesn't really help you to turn into a pro, it just talks about how cool is it to be a pro.
If I could summary the book it would be like this "look at me, I'm a pro, here is what a pro should be, philosophy, meaningless personal anecdotes, pro is great I swear".
This book has nothing of value, it doesn't really help you to turn into a pro, it just talks about how cool is it to be a pro.
December 17, 2023
คุณไม่ได้ป่วยหรือบาปหนาหรอก ที่ชีวิตคุณไม่ดี เป็นเพราะคุณไม่เป็นมืออาชีพมากพอต่างหาก
เราชอบแนวคิดเรื่อง Resistance กับ treat your work as a craft จากเล่ม The War of Art แต่เราชอบเล่ม Turning Pro ยิ่งกว่าอีก ไฮไลต์แทบจะทุกหน้าค่ะ! 555
หลังจาก Steven Pressfield แนะนำให้เรารู้จักศัตรูแข็งแกร่งสุดๆ ภายในตัวเราที่ชื่อ Resistance ในหนังสือ The War of Art ผู้คนก็แห่แหนเข้ามาถามเขาเยอะมากว่า "แล้วเราจะเปลี่ยนจากการเป็นมือสมัครเล่นไปเป็นมืออาชีพได้ไงกันล่ะ?" คุณ Pressfield ก็เลยใช้เวลา 3 ปีเพื่อเขียน Turning Pro ออกมา
ด้วยสไตล์การเขียนที่สั้น ตรง แรง ทรงพลัง... และเนื้อหาที่เน้นการเผชิญหน้ากับตัวเอง เรียกร้องให้เราเผชิญหน้ากับความกลัวตลอดเล่ม Turning Pro ก็เลยไม่ใช่หนังสือสำหรับคนส่วนใหญ่ค่ะ
เขาบอกว่าหนังสือเล่มนี้มีไว้สำหรับคนทำงานสร้างสรรค์และผู้ประกอบการ
แต่จริงๆ ก็คือ ถ้าคุณมีสิ่งทีตัวเองอยากสร้างให้มันเกิดขึ้นในโลกนี้ แต่คุณยังสร้างไม่ได้สักที
หรือคุณเคยสร้างได้ แต่มันช่างทรมานหนักหนา
หนังสือเล่มนี้เหมาะสำหรับคุณค่ะ
เราสรุปความเป็นมือสมัครเล่นได้ 3 คำ คือ Shadow Career, การเสพย์ติด, และความกลัว
มือสมัครเล่นจะทำ shadow career และมี shadow life คือแทนที่จะทำสิ่งที่ตรงกับเสียงเรียกร้องภายในใจตัวเอง กลับจะไปทำอย่างอื่นที่มันปลอดภัยกว่า เสี่ยงน้อยกว่า
เช่น เลือกใช้ชีวิตแบบนักดนตรี(กิน ดื่ม เที่ยว) แทนที่จะนั่งลงแต่งเพลงเขียนเพลง เลือกที่จะเรียนวรรณกรรมเปรียบเทียบไปถึงระดับปริญญาเอก แทนที่จะนั่งลงเขียนนิยายของตัวเอง
ก็เข้าใจได้ เพราะการจะทำตามเสียงเรียกร้องในใจมันไม่ง่าย มันอาศัยความกล้าหาญและความพยายามเยอะอย่างเทียบกันไม่ได้ ใช่ บางคนก็ประสบความสำเร็จกับ shadow career และบางคนก็ไม่
แต่สำหรับคนที่มีเสียงเรียกร้องในใจให้ "สร้างสรรค์" แต่ตัวเองดันไม่สร้าง กลับไปทำสิ่งอื่น ก็จะมีความทุกข์ใจที่แก้อย่างไรก็ไม่ได้หรอกนะ ความทุกข์ใจที่ไม่ได้สร้างสิ่งที่ควรสร้างมันก็จะหน่วงชีวิตให้อยู่ได้ไม่สบาย คนก็เลยพยายามจะพาตัวเองออกจากความไม่สบายใจพวกนั้น (เบื่อโลก รำคาญผู้คน ไม่พอใจตัวเอง ฯลฯ) ด้วยการไปเสพย์อย่างอื่นที่จะพาตัวเองหลบหนีออกจากความรู้สึกพวกนี้ นั่นคือที่มาของการ "เสพย์ติด"
การเสพย์ติด ไม่จำเป็นว่าต้องเป็นสารเสพย์ติด ตามนิยามในเล่มนี้ คือ คนเป็นมือสมัครเล่นเสพย์ติดดราม่า
เพราะไม่ได้สร้างสิ่งตัวเองควรสร้าง พลังที่ควรจะใช้ใส่ลงไปในการสร้างสรรค์ผลงาน มันเลยถูกเอาไปลงกับความดราม่าในชีวิตแทน ชีวิตของมือสมัครเล่นจึงมีสีสันประดุจละครที่มีเลิฟซีน ฉากบู๊ ฉากทะเลาะ ฉากชีวิตร้าวราน ซึ่งลงเอยสุดท้ายด้วยความน่าเบื่อ แล้วก็จะไปจบลงที่การ "เสพย์ติด" ไม่ว่าจะเสพย์ติดรักครั้งใหม่ ความรุนแรง ความเจ็บปวด การพนัน สื่อบันเทิง มือถือ ฯลฯ และเพราะติดบ่วงของวังวนแบบนั้น มันเลยยิ่งทำให้ตัวเองสร้างสรรค์ผลงานที่ควรสร้างไม่ได้เข้าไปใหญ่ -__-"
แล้วมือสมัครเล่นก็จะยังคงติดอยู่ในความหวาดกลัวต่อไป สิ่งที่มือสมัครเล่นกลัวสุดๆ คือ กลัวถูกทอดทิ้ง กลัวที่จะเผชิญหน้ากับตัวเอง กลัวความเงียบ(เพราะมันจะทำให้เห็นตัวเอง) ก็เลยจะทำให้เป็นคนที่แคร์เสียงวิจารณ์ของคนอื่นมากๆ อยากได้รับการยอมรับ ตัวเองจะได้ไม่ถูกคนอื่นหรือสังคมทอดทิ้ง ก็เลยจะยิ่งไม่กล้าเป็นตัวของตัวเองยิ่งขึ้นไปอีก
ความแตกต่างใหญ่หลวงที่สุดของมือสมัครเล่นกับมืออาชีพ คือ วิธีการเข้าหาความคิดสร้างสรรค์และความกลัว
คือจริงๆ แล้ว มืออาชีพเขาก็มีความกลัว เพียงแต่ว่า ถึงกลัวก็เผชิญหน้ากับมัน และสร้างสรรค์ผลงานของตัวเองอยู่ดี
มืออาชีพใช้ร่างกายของตัวเองเป็นสื่อกลาง พลังแห่งความสร้างสรรค์ทั้งหลายจะไหลผ่านตัวเขาที่กำลังทำงานแล้วกลายมาเป็นผลงานที่จับต้องได้ สิ่งที่เป็นนามธรรมตลอดก็กลาย���าเป็นรูปธรรมที่จับต้องได้ เป็น Output ที่ใครต่อใครมองเห็นได้ในที่สุด
วิธีเปลี่ยนจากมือสมัครเล่นไปเป็นมืออาชีพ ก็คือ
1. มีสติ มองเห็นตัวเองตอนนี้
2. ยอมรับตัวเองแหล่ะ ไม่ว่าจะดีหรือร้าย ถ้าตัวเองยังไม่ยอมรับ ไม่ให้อภัยตัวเอง แล้วจะทำอะไรต่อได้ล่ะ
3. let go of self-definition. let go of the so-called tribe. เราชอบมากที่คุณ Pressfield ว่า "มันไม่มี tribe อะไรทั้งนั้นนั่นแหล่ะ!" โอ... อ่านแล้วสุดแสนจะ liberating! 555
4. do your work ทำงานจริงๆ งานที่เป็นงานจริงๆ ไม่ใช่ shadow career ไม่ใช่ living a shadow life แต่นั่งลงแล้วทำงานจริงๆ ของตัวเองไป เป็นนักเขียนก็เขียน เป็นนักแต่งเพลงก็แต่งเพลง ไม่ใช่ทำกิจกรรมอื่น
5. commit everyday มืออาชีพเป็นมืออาชีพทุกวัน เข้าหา craft ของตัวเองอย่างทุ่มเทและอ่อนน้อม การขัดเกลาฝีมือเป็นสิ่งต้องทำตลอดชีวิต ปิกัสโซ่อายุ 90 ก็ยังวาดรูปอยู่เลยนะจ้ะ
ชีวิตจะเรียบง่ายทันทีที่เราเทิร์นโปร เมื่อเราเป็นมืออาชีพแล้ว ความสัมพันธ์ที่เรามีกับ "เวลา" และ "ผู้คน" จะเปลี่ยนไป
เวลาหลับ ตื่น กิน จะเปลี่ยนไป กิจกรรมที่เราทำจะเปลี่ยนไปเป็นสิ่งที่มันสอดคล้องกับเสียงเรียกร้องในใจตัวเองจริงๆ แล้วการใช้เวลาของเราจะเปลี่ยนไป รูปร่างของเราจะเปลี่ยนไป
ผู้คนรอบตัวเราจริงๆ จะเปลี่ยนไป พวกเขาจะเห็นว่าเราค่อยๆ กลายเป็นมืออาชีพ
คนที่ทนไม่ได้(และยังเป็นมือสมัครเล่นอยู่) จะเริ่มพูดถึงเราอย่างเสียๆ หายๆ เพื่อไม่ให้เราเปลี่ยนไป
ส่วนคนที่เป็นมืออาชีพด้วยกันจะดึงดูดเข้ามาหากันมากขึ้น
คนที่เราจะใช้เวลาของเราด้วยจะเปลี่ยนไป... บางทีก็ต้องปล่อยมือจากคนบางคนในชีวิตแหล่ะนะ
สุดท้ายแล้ว การเปลี่ยนจากมือสมัครเล่นเป็นมืออาชีพ ก็ไม่ใช่อะไรเลยนอกจากวิวัฒนาการของการเติบโตภายในของเรานั่นเอง
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(รีวิวอ่านรอบที่ 1 - 2018)
Turning Pro อ่านง่ายกว่าและอธิบายเข้าใจง่ายกว่า The War of Art แต่ชอบอิมแพ็คหลังอ่าน The War of Art มากกว่า เพราะมันตรงและแรงค่ะ
เล่ม Turning Pro ย้ำเตือนถึงการเฝ้าสังเกต Resistance แต่อธิบายว่า "ความเป็นมืออาชีพ-ความเป็นมือโปร" คืออะไร มือสมัครเล่นจะทำแบบไหน ส่วนมือโปรเค้าทำเค้าคิดกันยังไง
จริงๆ ก็ชอบหลายหัวข้อในเล่ม แต่ที่จำได้คือ Play Hurt มืออาชีพเค้าเล่นจริงเจ็บจริง กระดูกหักกระดูกแตกงั้นเหรอ? ก็กินแอสไพรินไป 2 เม็ดแล้วก็ลงสนามต่อไปอยู่ดี
เราชอบแนวคิดเรื่อง Resistance กับ treat your work as a craft จากเล่ม The War of Art แต่เราชอบเล่ม Turning Pro ยิ่งกว่าอีก ไฮไลต์แทบจะทุกหน้าค่ะ! 555
หลังจาก Steven Pressfield แนะนำให้เรารู้จักศัตรูแข็งแกร่งสุดๆ ภายในตัวเราที่ชื่อ Resistance ในหนังสือ The War of Art ผู้คนก็แห่แหนเข้ามาถามเขาเยอะมากว่า "แล้วเราจะเปลี่ยนจากการเป็นมือสมัครเล่นไปเป็นมืออาชีพได้ไงกันล่ะ?" คุณ Pressfield ก็เลยใช้เวลา 3 ปีเพื่อเขียน Turning Pro ออกมา
ด้วยสไตล์การเขียนที่สั้น ตรง แรง ทรงพลัง... และเนื้อหาที่เน้นการเผชิญหน้ากับตัวเอง เรียกร้องให้เราเผชิญหน้ากับความกลัวตลอดเล่ม Turning Pro ก็เลยไม่ใช่หนังสือสำหรับคนส่วนใหญ่ค่ะ
เขาบอกว่าหนังสือเล่มนี้มีไว้สำหรับคนทำงานสร้างสรรค์และผู้ประกอบการ
แต่จริงๆ ก็คือ ถ้าคุณมีสิ่งทีตัวเองอยากสร้างให้มันเกิดขึ้นในโลกนี้ แต่คุณยังสร้างไม่ได้สักที
หรือคุณเคยสร้างได้ แต่มันช่างทรมานหนักหนา
หนังสือเล่มนี้เหมาะสำหรับคุณค่ะ
เราสรุปความเป็นมือสมัครเล่นได้ 3 คำ คือ Shadow Career, การเสพย์ติด, และความกลัว
มือสมัครเล่นจะทำ shadow career และมี shadow life คือแทนที่จะทำสิ่งที่ตรงกับเสียงเรียกร้องภายในใจตัวเอง กลับจะไปทำอย่างอื่นที่มันปลอดภัยกว่า เสี่ยงน้อยกว่า
เช่น เลือกใช้ชีวิตแบบนักดนตรี(กิน ดื่ม เที่ยว) แทนที่จะนั่งลงแต่งเพลงเขียนเพลง เลือกที่จะเรียนวรรณกรรมเปรียบเทียบไปถึงระดับปริญญาเอก แทนที่จะนั่งลงเขียนนิยายของตัวเอง
ก็เข้าใจได้ เพราะการจะทำตามเสียงเรียกร้องในใจมันไม่ง่าย มันอาศัยความกล้าหาญและความพยายามเยอะอย่างเทียบกันไม่ได้ ใช่ บางคนก็ประสบความสำเร็จกับ shadow career และบางคนก็ไม่
แต่สำหรับคนที่มีเสียงเรียกร้องในใจให้ "สร้างสรรค์" แต่ตัวเองดันไม่สร้าง กลับไปทำสิ่งอื่น ก็จะมีความทุกข์ใจที่แก้อย่างไรก็ไม่ได้หรอกนะ ความทุกข์ใจที่ไม่ได้สร้างสิ่งที่ควรสร้างมันก็จะหน่วงชีวิตให้อยู่ได้ไม่สบาย คนก็เลยพยายามจะพาตัวเองออกจากความไม่สบายใจพวกนั้น (เบื่อโลก รำคาญผู้คน ไม่พอใจตัวเอง ฯลฯ) ด้วยการไปเสพย์อย่างอื่นที่จะพาตัวเองหลบหนีออกจากความรู้สึกพวกนี้ นั่นคือที่มาของการ "เสพย์ติด"
การเสพย์ติด ไม่จำเป็นว่าต้องเป็นสารเสพย์ติด ตามนิยามในเล่มนี้ คือ คนเป็นมือสมัครเล่นเสพย์ติดดราม่า
เพราะไม่ได้สร้างสิ่งตัวเองควรสร้าง พลังที่ควรจะใช้ใส่ลงไปในการสร้างสรรค์ผลงาน มันเลยถูกเอาไปลงกับความดราม่าในชีวิตแทน ชีวิตของมือสมัครเล่นจึงมีสีสันประดุจละครที่มีเลิฟซีน ฉากบู๊ ฉากทะเลาะ ฉากชีวิตร้าวราน ซึ่งลงเอยสุดท้ายด้วยความน่าเบื่อ แล้วก็จะไปจบลงที่การ "เสพย์ติด" ไม่ว่าจะเสพย์ติดรักครั้งใหม่ ความรุนแรง ความเจ็บปวด การพนัน สื่อบันเทิง มือถือ ฯลฯ และเพราะติดบ่วงของวังวนแบบนั้น มันเลยยิ่งทำให้ตัวเองสร้างสรรค์ผลงานที่ควรสร้างไม่ได้เข้าไปใหญ่ -__-"
แล้วมือสมัครเล่นก็จะยังคงติดอยู่ในความหวาดกลัวต่อไป สิ่งที่มือสมัครเล่นกลัวสุดๆ คือ กลัวถูกทอดทิ้ง กลัวที่จะเผชิญหน้ากับตัวเอง กลัวความเงียบ(เพราะมันจะทำให้เห็นตัวเอง) ก็เลยจะทำให้เป็นคนที่แคร์เสียงวิจารณ์ของคนอื่นมากๆ อยากได้รับการยอมรับ ตัวเองจะได้ไม่ถูกคนอื่นหรือสังคมทอดทิ้ง ก็เลยจะยิ่งไม่กล้าเป็นตัวของตัวเองยิ่งขึ้นไปอีก
ความแตกต่างใหญ่หลวงที่สุดของมือสมัครเล่นกับมืออาชีพ คือ วิธีการเข้าหาความคิดสร้างสรรค์และความกลัว
คือจริงๆ แล้ว มืออาชีพเขาก็มีความกลัว เพียงแต่ว่า ถึงกลัวก็เผชิญหน้ากับมัน และสร้างสรรค์ผลงานของตัวเองอยู่ดี
มืออาชีพใช้ร่างกายของตัวเองเป็นสื่อกลาง พลังแห่งความสร้างสรรค์ทั้งหลายจะไหลผ่านตัวเขาที่กำลังทำงานแล้วกลายมาเป็นผลงานที่จับต้องได้ สิ่งที่เป็นนามธรรมตลอดก็กลาย���าเป็นรูปธรรมที่จับต้องได้ เป็น Output ที่ใครต่อใครมองเห็นได้ในที่สุด
วิธีเปลี่ยนจากมือสมัครเล่นไปเป็นมืออาชีพ ก็คือ
1. มีสติ มองเห็นตัวเองตอนนี้
2. ยอมรับตัวเองแหล่ะ ไม่ว่าจะดีหรือร้าย ถ้าตัวเองยังไม่ยอมรับ ไม่ให้อภัยตัวเอง แล้วจะทำอะไรต่อได้ล่ะ
3. let go of self-definition. let go of the so-called tribe. เราชอบมากที่คุณ Pressfield ว่า "มันไม่มี tribe อะไรทั้งนั้นนั่นแหล่ะ!" โอ... อ่านแล้วสุดแสนจะ liberating! 555
4. do your work ทำงานจริงๆ งานที่เป็นงานจริงๆ ไม่ใช่ shadow career ไม่ใช่ living a shadow life แต่นั่งลงแล้วทำงานจริงๆ ของตัวเองไป เป็นนักเขียนก็เขียน เป็นนักแต่งเพลงก็แต่งเพลง ไม่ใช่ทำกิจกรรมอื่น
5. commit everyday มืออาชีพเป็นมืออาชีพทุกวัน เข้าหา craft ของตัวเองอย่างทุ่มเทและอ่อนน้อม การขัดเกลาฝีมือเป็นสิ่งต้องทำตลอดชีวิต ปิกัสโซ่อายุ 90 ก็ยังวาดรูปอยู่เลยนะจ้ะ
ชีวิตจะเรียบง่ายทันทีที่เราเทิร์นโปร เมื่อเราเป็นมืออาชีพแล้ว ความสัมพันธ์ที่เรามีกับ "เวลา" และ "ผู้คน" จะเปลี่ยนไป
เวลาหลับ ตื่น กิน จะเปลี่ยนไป กิจกรรมที่เราทำจะเปลี่ยนไปเป็นสิ่งที่มันสอดคล้องกับเสียงเรียกร้องในใจตัวเองจริงๆ แล้วการใช้เวลาของเราจะเปลี่ยนไป รูปร่างของเราจะเปลี่ยนไป
ผู้คนรอบตัวเราจริงๆ จะเปลี่ยนไป พวกเขาจะเห็นว่าเราค่อยๆ กลายเป็นมืออาชีพ
คนที่ทนไม่ได้(และยังเป็นมือสมัครเล่นอยู่) จะเริ่มพูดถึงเราอย่างเสียๆ หายๆ เพื่อไม่ให้เราเปลี่ยนไป
ส่วนคนที่เป็นมืออาชีพด้วยกันจะดึงดูดเข้ามาหากันมากขึ้น
คนที่เราจะใช้เวลาของเราด้วยจะเปลี่ยนไป... บางทีก็ต้องปล่อยมือจากคนบางคนในชีวิตแหล่ะนะ
สุดท้ายแล้ว การเปลี่ยนจากมือสมัครเล่นเป็นมืออาชีพ ก็ไม่ใช่อะไรเลยนอกจากวิวัฒนาการของการเติบโตภายในของเรานั่นเอง
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(รีวิวอ่านรอบที่ 1 - 2018)
Turning Pro อ่านง่ายกว่าและอธิบายเข้าใจง่ายกว่า The War of Art แต่ชอบอิมแพ็คหลังอ่าน The War of Art มากกว่า เพราะมันตรงและแรงค่ะ
เล่ม Turning Pro ย้ำเตือนถึงการเฝ้าสังเกต Resistance แต่อธิบายว่า "ความเป็นมืออาชีพ-ความเป็นมือโปร" คืออะไร มือสมัครเล่นจะทำแบบไหน ส่วนมือโปรเค้าทำเค้าคิดกันยังไง
จริงๆ ก็ชอบหลายหัวข้อในเล่ม แต่ที่จำได้คือ Play Hurt มืออาชีพเค้าเล่นจริงเจ็บจริง กระดูกหักกระดูกแตกงั้นเหรอ? ก็กินแอสไพรินไป 2 เม็ดแล้วก็ลงสนามต่อไปอยู่ดี
August 7, 2021
On par with the War of Art, Steve enlightens readers about the vast difference between those that 'try' aka amateur, and those that are professionals. Focus, regimen, acknowledging what we resist and countless other tools are shared. Whether a writer, teacher, sales exec or parent, the principle are universal much as the elements of resistance in War of Art. A great read from an amazing author.
March 12, 2014
Turning Pro may be a quick read, but it will quickly get to the core of suppressed dreams and unfulfilled passions. If you are an artist or writer who doesn't draw or write, this may be just what you need to face and own your talents and calling. If you are a musician who doesn't play or sing, or an entrepreneur who will write that business plan tomorrow, this book may well give you the not necessarily gentle nudge you need to Turn Pro. Now.
Pressfield makes clear distinctions between the amateur and the professional. "You don't have to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind." It is a choice, a decision, a commitment - not a long drawn out process. He warns that it is not easy. We will have to daily and consistently show up and do our best with no excuses or procrastination.
The amateur has many fears but the two that top the list are solitude and silence. The professionals seek these out in order to hear and capture their own unique voice, whether through writing, song writing, art . . . what ever their vehicle. The quality of the work might not be good immediately after they make the decision to go pro, but the effort will be immediate, consistent and ongoing. It will effect every aspect of their lives front the way they eat, exercise, spend their leisure time, as well as the hours they commit to studying and practicing and perfecting their craft.
The Pro will overcome 'Resistance', a force that Pressfield describes in more detail in his book the War of Art. Resistance is the force within each of us that will do anything it can to divert us from following our dreams. Procrastination, addictions, social pressures, and excuses are all forms of 'Resistance'. Resistance does have value. It points us in the direction of our calling, as whatever we are most resisting may well be the dream we are suppressing. There are other clues. It may be the writer that reads everyone else's books instead of writing her own. Or the gallery owner who coordinates shows for other artists but has never painted his own.
Turning Pro is not for everyone. The price is great. Friends and family may not understand the need for time alone to study, write, create, etc. Many may try to distract us from your efforts. Turning pro means no longer looking for validation in others. Turning Pro is a point of knowing in our hearts what we need to do to fulfill our passion and calling, and moving toward that goal with dedication, passion, order and commitment. Now.
I recommend this book to anyone seeking guidance, clarity, possibly a kick in the seat of the pants and the motivation to finally become who you are destined to be. We know who we are.
Pressfield makes clear distinctions between the amateur and the professional. "You don't have to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind." It is a choice, a decision, a commitment - not a long drawn out process. He warns that it is not easy. We will have to daily and consistently show up and do our best with no excuses or procrastination.
The amateur has many fears but the two that top the list are solitude and silence. The professionals seek these out in order to hear and capture their own unique voice, whether through writing, song writing, art . . . what ever their vehicle. The quality of the work might not be good immediately after they make the decision to go pro, but the effort will be immediate, consistent and ongoing. It will effect every aspect of their lives front the way they eat, exercise, spend their leisure time, as well as the hours they commit to studying and practicing and perfecting their craft.
The Pro will overcome 'Resistance', a force that Pressfield describes in more detail in his book the War of Art. Resistance is the force within each of us that will do anything it can to divert us from following our dreams. Procrastination, addictions, social pressures, and excuses are all forms of 'Resistance'. Resistance does have value. It points us in the direction of our calling, as whatever we are most resisting may well be the dream we are suppressing. There are other clues. It may be the writer that reads everyone else's books instead of writing her own. Or the gallery owner who coordinates shows for other artists but has never painted his own.
Turning Pro is not for everyone. The price is great. Friends and family may not understand the need for time alone to study, write, create, etc. Many may try to distract us from your efforts. Turning pro means no longer looking for validation in others. Turning Pro is a point of knowing in our hearts what we need to do to fulfill our passion and calling, and moving toward that goal with dedication, passion, order and commitment. Now.
I recommend this book to anyone seeking guidance, clarity, possibly a kick in the seat of the pants and the motivation to finally become who you are destined to be. We know who we are.
April 29, 2024
I just finished reading Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. My honest thoughts are simple: I couldn't put it down. Although it's a short book, Turning Pro contains lots of useful advice that gripped me from the very first page.
Steven explores the journey from amateurism to professionalism, drawing on his own experiences as an author and those of others. He also says we need to embrace dedication, discipline, and step into the arena of our chosen craft with courage and commitment. Overall, it's a fantastic book that left me with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
Four stars.
Steven explores the journey from amateurism to professionalism, drawing on his own experiences as an author and those of others. He also says we need to embrace dedication, discipline, and step into the arena of our chosen craft with courage and commitment. Overall, it's a fantastic book that left me with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
Four stars.
September 8, 2024
This book really struck a nerve with me. So much so, that I decided to write my first review on Goodreads. It's rated 4.15 on Goodreads and I guess that is not unrelated to the fact that we've created a world where the masses are looking for quick 'success' without truly having their personal philosophy of what success actually means.
**Summary of the three parts of his book**
It started off interesting, with this notion of a "shadow career." I think it's an adequate metaphor for the jobs and lives we have before we dedicate our time to our passions.
Next, the author defines the "amateur" or in other words, the people that have not yet become “professionals". He basically paints this picture of an absolute coward that has a constant need of approval of others and seems to be afraid of any risk or an exciting life.
Later in the book he defines what a Pro is in his worldview. Which is basically someone that managed to find his/her calling and is deliberate in how he/she spends his/her time.
**Review**
Where do I even start? I guess we’ll start with some specifics before tackling the fundamental problems with the author and his book.
It’s already been mentioned by others, but it’s worth mentioning again: the author shamelessly plugs in entire paragraphs from his previous books. And I don’t mean he’s quoting himself to add a new perspective on his previous statements. No. He’s just quoting entire pages of his already monetised words. Who does that?!
If you read the book carefully, you start noticing how paradoxical his arguments are. It’s insane. I’m not talking about minor details. No. The whole reason he wrote this book was to explain what a “pro” is. He even dedicates 40+ pages on its description, only to end up calling this alcoholic veteran without matching any of the qualities a “pro”.
It gets worse. He seems to have this childish worldview where everyone who isn’t at his level is basically a loser. If you are not dedicating your entire life to a single goal, you’re a coward and an amateur. At least you got to respect the fact that he is somewhat unbiased: he tells us about one of his friends that completely wastes her life [in his eyes] by being a passionate lover rather than someone that pursuit her talents (i.e. music). This might have been fine if it had been about people in a certain profession, but he seems to hold this worldview for everyone regardless of their job. He seems to disdain the people that decide to enjoy their lives rather than fixate on success. That’s pretty sad if you ask me.
Next, he starts introducing metaphors early on that turn out not to be metaphors at all. The first is where he introduces the word “artist” as a metaphor for a professional. But it later turns out that those are synonymous in his view. Then you have the metaphor “addiction” to mean anything we waste our time on. But based on the examples he gives, he seems to have more experience with actual subsistence abuse addictions. He somewhat jokingly makes the connection between artists and addictions, but when you read on you start to realise these aren’t metaphors at all. He’s just actually talking about his artistic friends that dealt with addictions who hit rock bottom and decided to kick it. Take Dave, the alcoholic veteran who is clearly still dealing with PTSD. Or Ms. X, who found herself in a motel room without knowing how she got there and decided to change her life.
Lastly, there is this “all-or-nothing” approach he mentions where he says he’d rather kill himself than quit. Later on he says it again. A few pages earlier he mentioned the words “zen” and “motorcycle maintenance”. He is clearly referencing ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, an also overrated book written by a brilliant, yet schizophrenic, author. This makes you think back at the introduction where the author admits to living in a home for the otherwise insane while claiming he wasn’t actually insane himself. You start to tie it all together and realise the author actually rather kills himself than not be successful in his field.
It all feels like this book was written for Crypto-bros. Those losers that always felt like outsiders, not because they got picked on in school, but because they felt too smart for us mortals. They probably all believed they, too, ‘Turned Pro’ when they first invest their life savings in crypto.
Anyway, I’m not so sure if this author should be writing motivational / self-help books for people that are miserable about their current situation and want to change it. His writing style is pretty pleasant and there is absolutely nothing wrong with ambition, but this underlying do-or-die mindset is not healthy.
**Summary of the three parts of his book**
It started off interesting, with this notion of a "shadow career." I think it's an adequate metaphor for the jobs and lives we have before we dedicate our time to our passions.
Next, the author defines the "amateur" or in other words, the people that have not yet become “professionals". He basically paints this picture of an absolute coward that has a constant need of approval of others and seems to be afraid of any risk or an exciting life.
Later in the book he defines what a Pro is in his worldview. Which is basically someone that managed to find his/her calling and is deliberate in how he/she spends his/her time.
**Review**
Where do I even start? I guess we’ll start with some specifics before tackling the fundamental problems with the author and his book.
It’s already been mentioned by others, but it’s worth mentioning again: the author shamelessly plugs in entire paragraphs from his previous books. And I don’t mean he’s quoting himself to add a new perspective on his previous statements. No. He’s just quoting entire pages of his already monetised words. Who does that?!
If you read the book carefully, you start noticing how paradoxical his arguments are. It’s insane. I’m not talking about minor details. No. The whole reason he wrote this book was to explain what a “pro” is. He even dedicates 40+ pages on its description, only to end up calling this alcoholic veteran without matching any of the qualities a “pro”.
It gets worse. He seems to have this childish worldview where everyone who isn’t at his level is basically a loser. If you are not dedicating your entire life to a single goal, you’re a coward and an amateur. At least you got to respect the fact that he is somewhat unbiased: he tells us about one of his friends that completely wastes her life [in his eyes] by being a passionate lover rather than someone that pursuit her talents (i.e. music). This might have been fine if it had been about people in a certain profession, but he seems to hold this worldview for everyone regardless of their job. He seems to disdain the people that decide to enjoy their lives rather than fixate on success. That’s pretty sad if you ask me.
Next, he starts introducing metaphors early on that turn out not to be metaphors at all. The first is where he introduces the word “artist” as a metaphor for a professional. But it later turns out that those are synonymous in his view. Then you have the metaphor “addiction” to mean anything we waste our time on. But based on the examples he gives, he seems to have more experience with actual subsistence abuse addictions. He somewhat jokingly makes the connection between artists and addictions, but when you read on you start to realise these aren’t metaphors at all. He’s just actually talking about his artistic friends that dealt with addictions who hit rock bottom and decided to kick it. Take Dave, the alcoholic veteran who is clearly still dealing with PTSD. Or Ms. X, who found herself in a motel room without knowing how she got there and decided to change her life.
Lastly, there is this “all-or-nothing” approach he mentions where he says he’d rather kill himself than quit. Later on he says it again. A few pages earlier he mentioned the words “zen” and “motorcycle maintenance”. He is clearly referencing ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, an also overrated book written by a brilliant, yet schizophrenic, author. This makes you think back at the introduction where the author admits to living in a home for the otherwise insane while claiming he wasn’t actually insane himself. You start to tie it all together and realise the author actually rather kills himself than not be successful in his field.
It all feels like this book was written for Crypto-bros. Those losers that always felt like outsiders, not because they got picked on in school, but because they felt too smart for us mortals. They probably all believed they, too, ‘Turned Pro’ when they first invest their life savings in crypto.
Anyway, I’m not so sure if this author should be writing motivational / self-help books for people that are miserable about their current situation and want to change it. His writing style is pretty pleasant and there is absolutely nothing wrong with ambition, but this underlying do-or-die mindset is not healthy.
July 16, 2015
This book literally kicked my ass. OK, maybe not literally, but this book contains urgency, man. It's like Pressfield is standing over every would-be artist exhorting, "Fight! Write! Create! Grow!" Starting this book is power, and finishing it is life-changing if you want it to be.
April 26, 2013
Pressfield concludes his trilogy of works designed to hurtle you past your fear and into becoming the person you want to be. (Part one: "The War of Art"; Part two: "Do The Work") In each successive book, Pressfield pulls the camera further out, revealing more landscape. "The War of Art" is designed to teach you how to fight what he calls Resistance (aka fear, anxiety, avoidance, self-sabotage) and get started on your life's goals. "Do The Work" pulls out from there, detailing specific strategies for making it through a piece of work, be it a novel, poem, business plan, political action, pastry business, etc. "Turning Pro" goes completely macro, setting strategies for making your moment of artistic/professional accomplishment not just a one-off, but a life path. Just like it sounds. You've got to turn pro, or you'll always live the frightened life of an amateur.
"Do the Work" and "Turning Pro" are technically 4.5 stars, in that they aren't really as useful as stand-alone books as "The War of Art." However, as a three-book span, they are invaluable, and should be on your re-read shelf from now 'til you cash in the chips. Pressfield is stern, but he's also infinitely encouraging and seemingly very excited to see what it is you've chosen for your life's calling. He almost makes you want to send him a copy of that book you finally finished when you're done.
Of course, like any self-help book either good or bad, it only works if you put the book down and do the hard work of fighting through the anxiety and self-doubt in person. Pressfield helps you visualize the great artists and warriors of our time all going into battle terrified and unsure, which can be a great help. But you can't ever forget that you have to feel the fear in your belly yourself. Not the fear of avoidance, but the fear of doing. Which is infinitely more healthy for you.
"Do the Work" and "Turning Pro" are technically 4.5 stars, in that they aren't really as useful as stand-alone books as "The War of Art." However, as a three-book span, they are invaluable, and should be on your re-read shelf from now 'til you cash in the chips. Pressfield is stern, but he's also infinitely encouraging and seemingly very excited to see what it is you've chosen for your life's calling. He almost makes you want to send him a copy of that book you finally finished when you're done.
Of course, like any self-help book either good or bad, it only works if you put the book down and do the hard work of fighting through the anxiety and self-doubt in person. Pressfield helps you visualize the great artists and warriors of our time all going into battle terrified and unsure, which can be a great help. But you can't ever forget that you have to feel the fear in your belly yourself. Not the fear of avoidance, but the fear of doing. Which is infinitely more healthy for you.
September 9, 2015
Ugh. I don't normally read these kinds of books but after the third recommendation I decided to give this one a chance. It wasn't written for me.
I have little patience for pop psychology and even less for self-aggrandizement. This book has both, exclusively. Don't quote your own work. Say something new or quote someone else and say something new about the quote. The ideas in this book couldn't fill a leaflet and the ones that are here are completely undeveloped.
If you like watching infomercials or buying CutCo knives, or reading Robert Kiyosaki, you're going to love this book. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
I have little patience for pop psychology and even less for self-aggrandizement. This book has both, exclusively. Don't quote your own work. Say something new or quote someone else and say something new about the quote. The ideas in this book couldn't fill a leaflet and the ones that are here are completely undeveloped.
If you like watching infomercials or buying CutCo knives, or reading Robert Kiyosaki, you're going to love this book. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
October 23, 2020
I finally made the link - The Resistance is the Lizard, talked about by Seth Godin in Linchpin. It's the safe (emotional, physical, financial, or other) decision that protects you from real failure by stopping you from ever really trying.
Anyway, this book is everything I liked about The War of Art, without the bits I didn't like. It's more practical, more detailed, includes more examples, and has less voodoo-spirituality and meandering philosophising (though not none; an appropriate amount of meandering philosophising.)
Anyway, this book is everything I liked about The War of Art, without the bits I didn't like. It's more practical, more detailed, includes more examples, and has less voodoo-spirituality and meandering philosophising (though not none; an appropriate amount of meandering philosophising.)
August 24, 2018
I don't know how long this stuff sticks with me, but every time I read one of Pressfield's books I feel like I could do anything.
December 24, 2021
En este libro, Pressfield presenta artículo cortos en los que explica algún aspecto sobre volverse "Pro" y dejar de ser un amateur.
La principal idea para mi del libro es esta: un profesional se toma en serio su arte, y pone el empeño necesario para hacerlo en serio. Esto es muy fácil de decir, pero muy difícil de hacer, sobre todo considerando que tenemos a "La Resistencia" dentro de nosotros, el miedo, la incertidumbre, la indecisión.
Pressfield promete que cuando DECIDES ser Pro, todo cambia y tu vida es diferente. Muchas veces vas a tener que obligarte a hacer el trabajo pero tienes que empezar por algún lado. Y que seas un Pro no quiere decir que siempre harás buen trabajo pero sí que serás constante y cada vez serás mejor.
Lo recomiendo mucho como un libro de inspiración para decidirte hacer lo que quieres en la vida y poner manos a la obra lo antes posible sin pensar que sólo con leer un libro inspirador ya hiciste el trabajo.
La principal idea para mi del libro es esta: un profesional se toma en serio su arte, y pone el empeño necesario para hacerlo en serio. Esto es muy fácil de decir, pero muy difícil de hacer, sobre todo considerando que tenemos a "La Resistencia" dentro de nosotros, el miedo, la incertidumbre, la indecisión.
Pressfield promete que cuando DECIDES ser Pro, todo cambia y tu vida es diferente. Muchas veces vas a tener que obligarte a hacer el trabajo pero tienes que empezar por algún lado. Y que seas un Pro no quiere decir que siempre harás buen trabajo pero sí que serás constante y cada vez serás mejor.
Lo recomiendo mucho como un libro de inspiración para decidirte hacer lo que quieres en la vida y poner manos a la obra lo antes posible sin pensar que sólo con leer un libro inspirador ya hiciste el trabajo.
October 26, 2017
7 days and 148 pages after. This book was a direct recommendation from someone who quickly became a mentor for me. So I had great expectations about it.
The book is about how transform yourself into a pro, because you are a amateur right now.
All the book I was expecting that the book explain how to be a pro, and that never happen... at least not very clear. The book is about habits, is about what you should do or you shouldn't.
The issue with those kind of books is that wants to show you that you have the power, capability, and self awareness to transform your life. And I mean, could work for some persons, persons who need the right direction in their empty lifes, of course it works, but not for everyone. Not for me.
It has some good phrases, the author knows how to write a book, but the subject is not the right.
Let's keep searching.
Probably will be a more extensive review.
The book is about how transform yourself into a pro, because you are a amateur right now.
All the book I was expecting that the book explain how to be a pro, and that never happen... at least not very clear. The book is about habits, is about what you should do or you shouldn't.
The issue with those kind of books is that wants to show you that you have the power, capability, and self awareness to transform your life. And I mean, could work for some persons, persons who need the right direction in their empty lifes, of course it works, but not for everyone. Not for me.
It has some good phrases, the author knows how to write a book, but the subject is not the right.
Let's keep searching.
Probably will be a more extensive review.
November 19, 2022
Just read this after the art of war. Took a couple hours and was time well spent. So many sections highlighted!!
My favourite:
- The amateur believes that she must have all her ducks in a row before she can launch her start-up or compose her symphony or design her iPhone app. The professional knows better.
- Has your husband just walked out on you? Has your El Dorado been repossessed?
- Keep writing.
- Keep composing.
- Keep shooting film.
- Athletes play hurt. Warriors fight scared.
- The professional takes two aspirin and keeps on truckin’.
Just one of many things that is addressed but clinically I see so many people that are waiting to get better before they do the things they want to do. How about if the thing that you want to do is the thing THAT WILL GET YOU BETTER?
I look forward to re-reading this and will be recommending it to struggling creatives.
My favourite:
- The amateur believes that she must have all her ducks in a row before she can launch her start-up or compose her symphony or design her iPhone app. The professional knows better.
- Has your husband just walked out on you? Has your El Dorado been repossessed?
- Keep writing.
- Keep composing.
- Keep shooting film.
- Athletes play hurt. Warriors fight scared.
- The professional takes two aspirin and keeps on truckin’.
Just one of many things that is addressed but clinically I see so many people that are waiting to get better before they do the things they want to do. How about if the thing that you want to do is the thing THAT WILL GET YOU BETTER?
I look forward to re-reading this and will be recommending it to struggling creatives.
December 18, 2016
Shaman, Muse, Goddesses, Gurus, Sublime, our Calling, our true purpose, our destiny, etc. are all brought up in this book just to tell you to do the work and don’t get distracted.
Anyone who needs pump up from external motivational content to do his/her work is a lost cause anyway. Why bother.
کل کتاب توی این جمله خلاصه می شه که کاری که باید بکنی رو انجام بده و حواست پرت چیزهای دیگه نشه.
با صفحات خالی زیاد و فونت درشت و سطرهای دور از هم یک متن انگیزشی پر از قصه و روایت به شکل کتاب دراومده، که لازم نبود.
Anyone who needs pump up from external motivational content to do his/her work is a lost cause anyway. Why bother.
کل کتاب توی این جمله خلاصه می شه که کاری که باید بکنی رو انجام بده و حواست پرت چیزهای دیگه نشه.
با صفحات خالی زیاد و فونت درشت و سطرهای دور از هم یک متن انگیزشی پر از قصه و روایت به شکل کتاب دراومده، که لازم نبود.
July 25, 2018
The endless repeating idea during the whole book : pro is cool, amateur sucks.
I'm pro, I'm cool, my friends and you're not - you suck, you need to become pro asap.
And endless blahblahblah who's pro and what she should do, leaving readers with the hope of explanation of what's it and how to become pro but it never really happens.
You can find some ideas about pro habits at the end of a book, it might be useful, but not really mind-blowing ideas, just some ordinary stuff everybody knows.
But the whole book is an annoying waste of time. It should be a short article for one page.
I'm pro, I'm cool, my friends and you're not - you suck, you need to become pro asap.
And endless blahblahblah who's pro and what she should do, leaving readers with the hope of explanation of what's it and how to become pro but it never really happens.
You can find some ideas about pro habits at the end of a book, it might be useful, but not really mind-blowing ideas, just some ordinary stuff everybody knows.
But the whole book is an annoying waste of time. It should be a short article for one page.
July 4, 2022
HOW YOUR MIND CHANGES WHEN YOU TURN PRO
Turning pro is like kicking a drug habit or stopping drinking. It's a decision, a decision to which we must recommit every day.
Twelve-step programs say "One Day at a Time." The professional says the same thing.
Each day, the professional understands, he will wake up facing the same demons, the same Resistance, the same self-sabotage, and the same tendencies to shadow activities and amateurism that he has always faced.
The difference is that now he will not yield to those temptations.
He will have mastered them, and he will continue to master them.
Turning pro is like kicking a drug habit or stopping drinking. It's a decision, a decision to which we must recommit every day.
Twelve-step programs say "One Day at a Time." The professional says the same thing.
Each day, the professional understands, he will wake up facing the same demons, the same Resistance, the same self-sabotage, and the same tendencies to shadow activities and amateurism that he has always faced.
The difference is that now he will not yield to those temptations.
He will have mastered them, and he will continue to master them.
July 29, 2023
Steven's War of Art changed me forever. This is a near perfect follow-up to that. Works really great as an extension to War of Art.
November 20, 2022
Ja mooie inzichten wel. War of art had wel meer impact.
September 23, 2019
Simple and elegant.
October 13, 2019
The beginning and the end were strong. It had sections I would rate 3 star that felt more lazy and unfinished than deliberately polished and concise, and other sections that I’d rate as 5 star or more that were power-packed and zinged with truth like electricity running through me. Overall, I think I liked the War of Art more in some ways, but I loved the parts of Turning Pro that were autobiographical.
I agree with much of it; I disagree with putting work above all else, including human relationships and family. I’ve seen people who were top in their respective field who ruined family relationships severely, and in the end they were not happy or satisfied, and their former family members were scarred and damaged. I don’t think it’s worth it. And I do think there’s a way to have healthy happy relationships and to Turn Pro. Mozart did it, as have a handful of others. Someone can be a brilliant artist or writer and terrible with family; and I suppose it’s better to contribute something amazing to the world rather than nothing if you’re going to have terrible relationships and your family is going to fall apart anyway, but what if part of the beautiful, creative,
inspiring work you provide the world is your very life? And you create overt, tangible art (in its myriad forms) as well?
I will say, this book is very motivating and helped kick me into action on some creative projects. I also loved the ending - the last few sections. It’s a quick, fun, easy, energizing read. I do love Steven Pressfield’s writing style and would like to learn to emulate it. This book also does provide a lot of useful habits and mindsets that would benefit me and anyone in Turning Pro. I don’t want to give away too many specifics, so I’ll stop there.
I agree with much of it; I disagree with putting work above all else, including human relationships and family. I’ve seen people who were top in their respective field who ruined family relationships severely, and in the end they were not happy or satisfied, and their former family members were scarred and damaged. I don’t think it’s worth it. And I do think there’s a way to have healthy happy relationships and to Turn Pro. Mozart did it, as have a handful of others. Someone can be a brilliant artist or writer and terrible with family; and I suppose it’s better to contribute something amazing to the world rather than nothing if you’re going to have terrible relationships and your family is going to fall apart anyway, but what if part of the beautiful, creative,
inspiring work you provide the world is your very life? And you create overt, tangible art (in its myriad forms) as well?
I will say, this book is very motivating and helped kick me into action on some creative projects. I also loved the ending - the last few sections. It’s a quick, fun, easy, energizing read. I do love Steven Pressfield’s writing style and would like to learn to emulate it. This book also does provide a lot of useful habits and mindsets that would benefit me and anyone in Turning Pro. I don’t want to give away too many specifics, so I’ll stop there.
October 24, 2017
Turning Pro: The symphony that creative soul is hungry for. So, so good!
By creative, we don't mean just the arts. By creative, we mean anyone who sets out to create a life outside of the normal path, without a map or guidebook. Turning Pro is about taking the amateur self, looking it in the eye, and deciding that enough is enough. We are now doing this and we're doing it damn well too. We are reaching the upper realms not through addiction or avoidance or distractions, but through Labor and Love.
I re-read Do The Work before reading Turning Pro to experience the combined effect. Do The Work speaks at length to the internal enemy, the Resistance. Turning Pro is focused more on the artist vs. the addict, the pro vs. the amateur, and how the answer to all our internal suffering and struggles in that path is to turn pro. Pressfield's own life story fills a few of his short two-page chapters, revealing that he has lived everything he preaches in this book.
One concept that will stick with me, I imagine, is that of "the shadow career", or even, "the shadow life". It's not our real career, our real work, our real life, the one we were truly meant to live. It is close to it but we're fooling ourselves, and fear and resistance help us keep up with the fooling. Say you do admin work for a startup company instead of starting your own, you are the assistant to the singer instead of taking your voice lessons, you are the editor for some publishing house instead of responding to your own calling to write. And these are just the obvious shadow careers. There are many more subtle ones that would take a harder look to identify. How do you KNOW you are living a shadow career or a shadow life? You just know. You know by how you feel at the end of the day or night. You know by how satisfied or empty you feel at the end of a work project. You just know, even if you refuse to admit it, deep down, you just know.
It is one of the best short reads on the human condition, the internal conflict and suffering, and the art of liberation through the act of turning pro. It reads like a symphony; Pressfield's writing is poetic, punchy, and powerful. What I'm beyond impressed with is the succinctness of this book and its immeasurable power. I can see how the author must have wanted to pull his hair out to get the book down to this size, and yet, it is complete. It is no less and no more than what it needs to be to say exactly what it wants to say.
Some of my favorite parts, in quotes:
(This sentence made me cry, not sure why) => What we get when we turn pro is, we find our power.
Turning pro is free, but it's not without cost. When we turn pro, we give up a life with which we may have become extremely comfortable. We give up a self that we have come to identify with and to call our own. Turning pro is free but it's not easy. You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.
The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. The professional has professional habits.
When we turn pro, we stop running from our fears. We turn around and we face them.
Next up: War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Stay tuned for the review.
By creative, we don't mean just the arts. By creative, we mean anyone who sets out to create a life outside of the normal path, without a map or guidebook. Turning Pro is about taking the amateur self, looking it in the eye, and deciding that enough is enough. We are now doing this and we're doing it damn well too. We are reaching the upper realms not through addiction or avoidance or distractions, but through Labor and Love.
I re-read Do The Work before reading Turning Pro to experience the combined effect. Do The Work speaks at length to the internal enemy, the Resistance. Turning Pro is focused more on the artist vs. the addict, the pro vs. the amateur, and how the answer to all our internal suffering and struggles in that path is to turn pro. Pressfield's own life story fills a few of his short two-page chapters, revealing that he has lived everything he preaches in this book.
One concept that will stick with me, I imagine, is that of "the shadow career", or even, "the shadow life". It's not our real career, our real work, our real life, the one we were truly meant to live. It is close to it but we're fooling ourselves, and fear and resistance help us keep up with the fooling. Say you do admin work for a startup company instead of starting your own, you are the assistant to the singer instead of taking your voice lessons, you are the editor for some publishing house instead of responding to your own calling to write. And these are just the obvious shadow careers. There are many more subtle ones that would take a harder look to identify. How do you KNOW you are living a shadow career or a shadow life? You just know. You know by how you feel at the end of the day or night. You know by how satisfied or empty you feel at the end of a work project. You just know, even if you refuse to admit it, deep down, you just know.
It is one of the best short reads on the human condition, the internal conflict and suffering, and the art of liberation through the act of turning pro. It reads like a symphony; Pressfield's writing is poetic, punchy, and powerful. What I'm beyond impressed with is the succinctness of this book and its immeasurable power. I can see how the author must have wanted to pull his hair out to get the book down to this size, and yet, it is complete. It is no less and no more than what it needs to be to say exactly what it wants to say.
Some of my favorite parts, in quotes:
(This sentence made me cry, not sure why) => What we get when we turn pro is, we find our power.
Turning pro is free, but it's not without cost. When we turn pro, we give up a life with which we may have become extremely comfortable. We give up a self that we have come to identify with and to call our own. Turning pro is free but it's not easy. You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.
The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. The professional has professional habits.
When we turn pro, we stop running from our fears. We turn around and we face them.
Next up: War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Stay tuned for the review.
February 4, 2016
Turning Pro is concise, well-written and well argued. It came to me highly recommended by artists and professionals I respect a lot. I expected to find it useful. Right now as I read it, I'm encountering a speed bump on my writing journey and was looking for help overcoming it. Turning Pro sounded like just what I needed.
Instead, I found myself exasperated. Despite its conciseness, Pressfield makes his point, and then repeats it six times from six slightly different angles to make sure you get it. Then he does it with his next point. Of the entire book, the only bit that I found useful for me at my current stage, was the final part, book three where he outlines what a professional does. I found it somewhat empowering -- but only somewhat.
Ultimately, this was less helpful than I wanted, mainly because I was already aware of resistance and how necessary it is to combat it, and wanted practical tips for combatting resistance -- not five more pages telling me that I have to fight resistance. I think this book will be more useful to authors who are at the beginning of their writing journey or floundering with how to take their hobby to the next level.
Instead, I found myself exasperated. Despite its conciseness, Pressfield makes his point, and then repeats it six times from six slightly different angles to make sure you get it. Then he does it with his next point. Of the entire book, the only bit that I found useful for me at my current stage, was the final part, book three where he outlines what a professional does. I found it somewhat empowering -- but only somewhat.
Ultimately, this was less helpful than I wanted, mainly because I was already aware of resistance and how necessary it is to combat it, and wanted practical tips for combatting resistance -- not five more pages telling me that I have to fight resistance. I think this book will be more useful to authors who are at the beginning of their writing journey or floundering with how to take their hobby to the next level.
April 1, 2013
Some people have a serious dislike for this book. I can understand that. Some of their complaints are warranted. I haven't read "The War of Art" yet so I don't have that as a judge to go on. I have read "Do the Work" (which seems to be greatly disliked as well), but rather enjoyed that book.
This books seems to be very straight and to the point. Yes, the chapters are short. Yes there is a one sentence chapter. But good writing is in brevity. If an author can get their point across in a single sentence, they should us only one sentence.
What I personally didn't like about the book was that it doesn't really tell you how you go pro. From a Seth Godin "there is no map" perspective I get that. However, the book is entitled "Turning Pro" indicating it's at least going to point you in a direction. It kind of does that, but it's way more philosophical than I was expecting it to be.
I may need to read "The War of Art" though to better understand that book is this one's spiritual predecessor.
This books seems to be very straight and to the point. Yes, the chapters are short. Yes there is a one sentence chapter. But good writing is in brevity. If an author can get their point across in a single sentence, they should us only one sentence.
What I personally didn't like about the book was that it doesn't really tell you how you go pro. From a Seth Godin "there is no map" perspective I get that. However, the book is entitled "Turning Pro" indicating it's at least going to point you in a direction. It kind of does that, but it's way more philosophical than I was expecting it to be.
I may need to read "The War of Art" though to better understand that book is this one's spiritual predecessor.
July 26, 2016
This is a great book, especially after reading the War of Art a year before. The distinction between amateur and pro is very clearly made by Pressfield and in making this distinction he gives a very clear image of what it means to overcome your amateurism and what it means to turn pro.
I especially liked the quotes about how the amateurs has a million plans, which all start tomorrow and how the amateurs tweets, while the pro works. I especially like this as this feels how it is to me. Right now I have a couple of ideas of scientific papers, access to the data as well and in my head I will start working on it, tomorrow. I think it is time to turn pro.
Highly recommended read, especially as you can read it within an evening, while it is worthwhile to read it over again.
I especially liked the quotes about how the amateurs has a million plans, which all start tomorrow and how the amateurs tweets, while the pro works. I especially like this as this feels how it is to me. Right now I have a couple of ideas of scientific papers, access to the data as well and in my head I will start working on it, tomorrow. I think it is time to turn pro.
Highly recommended read, especially as you can read it within an evening, while it is worthwhile to read it over again.
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