How to Overcome the Resistance to Improve

Summary

The video script delves into the psychological barriers of resistance that hinder progress, particularly in creative fields like art. It explains the 'Matthew Effect' and how comfort zones can become traps, making it difficult to break out and learn new skills. The speaker shares personal experiences and strategies to overcome resistance, such as using System 2 thinking to learn new techniques until they become habitual. The importance of maintaining curiosity, reducing distractions, and minimizing action barriers is emphasized to foster a productive creative process.

Takeaways

• 😨 **Fear of New Things**: People often fear trying new things and retreat to their comfort zones, which is detrimental to progress.
• 🚀 **Action vs. Inaction**: Taking action, despite being terrifying, is less harmful than not taking action at all.
• 🎨 **Overcoming Resistance**: To progress, one must overcome resistance, which increases the longer one stays in their comfort zone.
• 🤔 **Understanding Resistance**: Resistance arises when we try to learn something new and step out of our habitual processes.
• 🧠 **Two Thinking Systems**: 'Thinking Fast and Slow' describes two systems of thinking, where system 1 is automatic and system 2 requires focus and self-control.
• 🔄 **Breaking the Cycle**: To break free from the comfort zone, one must repeatedly push through resistance until it becomes easier.
• 💪 **Determination Required**: As skills develop, the effort required to improve increases, necessitating more determination.
• 🏆 **Professional Aspirations**: To become a professional, one must persevere despite resistance and the opinions of others.
• 👶 **Impact of Childhood**: Resistance can stem from childhood experiences, and it's important to overcome these to progress.
• 🔄 **Rediscover Curiosity**: Returning to one's original passion and curiosity can help reduce resistance and reignite the joy of creating.
• 🛠️ **Minimize Distractions**: Reducing distractions and barriers to action can help maintain focus and motivation.
• 🔧 **Optimize Workflow**: Establishing a routine and optimizing behaviors that delay starting can significantly increase productivity.

Q & A

What is the main challenge people face when trying to learn something new?

The main challenge is resistance, which arises when trying to learn something new and stepping out of one's comfort zone. This resistance can make the learning process feel incredibly difficult and lead to procrastination or giving up.

How does the Matthew Effect relate to staying in one's comfort zone?

The Matthew Effect suggests that the longer one stays in their comfort zone, the harder it becomes to break out of it. This is because the resistance to change increases with time, making it more challenging to step out and try new things.

What are the two thinking systems described in the book 'Thinking Fast and Slow'?

The two thinking systems are System 1, which is fast, intuitive, and requires little effort for familiar tasks, and System 2, which is slow, deliberate, and requires more cognitive load for tasks that are less familiar or more complex.

Why does the comfort zone have an addictive quality according to the script?

The comfort zone is addictive because it involves using familiar techniques and processes that require little effort and are already mastered, making it easier and more pleasant to stay within that zone rather than facing the challenges of learning something new.

What is the significance of cognitive load in the context of learning new skills?

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to process new information or learn new skills. It is significant because high cognitive load can make the learning process feel unpleasant and exhausting, which can deter progress and motivation.

How can one use System 2 to learn until it becomes a System 1 process?

One can use System 2 to learn a new skill by focusing and exerting self-control until the skill becomes habitual and requires less mental effort, at which point it transitions to a System 1 process.

What is the importance of determination in overcoming resistance to progress?

Determination is key in overcoming resistance because it drives one to continue pushing through challenges and maintaining the effort required to improve and learn new skills, even when facing obstacles.

How can childhood experiences impact an individual's resistance to change?

Childhood experiences, such as feeling unworthy of good things, can create a self-limiting belief system that pulls one back when trying to improve or change. These experiences can make it harder to believe in one's abilities and to overcome resistance.

What mindset is suggested to help hold on when facing resistance in one's creative journey?

The mindset suggested is to treat oneself as an investment, similar to long-term stock investing, where one focuses on doing the right things consistently, understanding that success may not be immediate but is more likely with persistent effort over time.

Why is it important to solve practical problems when learning a new skill?

Solving practical problems is important because it addresses the specific issues that hinder progress, allowing for targeted learning and improvement. It ensures that the learning process is effective and leads to tangible skills that can be applied in practice.

How can one reduce resistance when trying to take action on a new skill?

One can reduce resistance by returning to the original intention, rediscovering curiosity, and focusing on the joy of learning rather than the struggle. Additionally, minimizing distractions and barriers to action can make it easier to start and maintain the learning process.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Overcoming Resistance to Growth

This paragraph discusses the universal fear of trying new things and the tendency to retreat to familiar territory, which hinders progress. The speaker shares their personal experience of creating illustrations every two weeks to overcome resistance and improve. The concept of the Matthew effect is introduced, explaining how staying in one's comfort zone makes it increasingly difficult to break out. The paragraph also references 'Thinking Fast and Slow' to explain the cognitive load and resistance encountered when trying new methods, contrasting it with the ease of using familiar techniques. The importance of pushing through this resistance to achieve progress is emphasized.

05:00

🎨 Cultivating Curiosity and Reducing Resistance

The second paragraph focuses on the strategies to minimize resistance in the creative process. It suggests returning to one's original intention and rediscovering curiosity as ways to overcome the discomfort of learning new techniques. The speaker shares personal anecdotes about losing and regaining passion for drawing, highlighting the importance of maintaining a curious mindset. The paragraph also addresses the importance of focus and how reducing distractions and barriers to action can improve productivity. Practical tips are given, such as putting away distractions and simplifying the process of starting work to make it easier to take action. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the need to establish routines and minimize obstacles to increase productivity and enjoy the creative process.

Keywords

💡Resistance

Resistance in the context of the video refers to the mental and emotional barriers one faces when attempting to learn or create something new. It is depicted as a significant obstacle to progress, especially when stepping out of one's comfort zone. The video emphasizes that while resistance is natural, it can be overcome by acknowledging it and pushing through it, as seen in the speaker's personal journey of creating an illustration every two weeks despite the initial challenges.

💡Comfort Zone

The comfort zone is described as a state of minimal stress and risk, where one performs routine activities that require little conscious thought. The video suggests that staying in this zone for too long can hinder personal growth and creativity. It is used to illustrate the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone to achieve progress, as the speaker did by experimenting with different illustration styles.

💡Matthew Effect

The Matthew Effect is mentioned to explain how the longer one stays in their comfort zone, the harder it becomes to break out of it. This concept is used to highlight the increasing difficulty of overcoming resistance as time passes without challenging oneself. It serves as a warning to viewers to actively seek growth and change to avoid becoming entrenched in their comfort zones.

💡System 1 and System 2

These two thinking systems, from the book 'Thinking Fast and Slow,' are used to explain the cognitive processes involved in learning and creating. System 1 is associated with automatic, habitual actions that require little effort, while System 2 involves focused, deliberate thinking that is effortful and can be exhausting. The video uses these concepts to illustrate why trying new things is challenging and how it can lead to resistance.

💡Cognitive Load

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to process new information or learn new skills. The video explains that when one is in their comfort zone, cognitive load is low, but when learning something new, the cognitive load increases, leading to resistance and the feeling of being overwhelmed. This concept is used to explain why new learning can be so difficult and why it's important to manage this load effectively.

💡Determination

Determination is highlighted as a key factor in overcoming resistance and achieving progress. The video suggests that having a strong determination to succeed, even in the face of resistance, is crucial for pushing through challenges and achieving one's goals. It is exemplified by the speaker's decision to continue creating illustrations despite the initial resistance they faced.

💡Beginner's Trap

The beginner's trap is a concept that refers to the plateau that beginners often reach where they struggle to improve beyond a certain point. The video uses this term to describe the phase where one needs to put in more effort to refine their skills and progress further. It is a call to action for viewers to not be satisfied with their current level of skill and to continually strive for improvement.

💡Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma is mentioned as a potential source of resistance to personal growth and change. The video suggests that past experiences can shape one's self-perception and create barriers to progress. It is used to encourage viewers to recognize and overcome these internal obstacles in order to move forward in their creative pursuits.

💡Investment Metaphor

The investment metaphor is used to compare the process of learning and creating art to investing in the stock market. The video suggests that just as long-term investors hold onto their investments through market fluctuations, artists should persist in their efforts despite short-term setbacks. This metaphor is used to encourage a long-term perspective and perseverance in the face of resistance.

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is presented as a driving force behind creativity and a key to overcoming resistance. The video encourages viewers to rediscover their innate curiosity as a means to reignite their passion for learning and creating. It is exemplified by the speaker's experience of losing and then regaining their passion for drawing after watching artists discuss their work.

💡Action

Action is emphasized as the essential step in overcoming resistance and making progress. The video suggests that taking action, despite the fear of resistance, is crucial for growth. It is illustrated by the speaker's commitment to creating illustrations regularly, which helped them to break through their resistance and improve their skills.

Highlights

Fear of trying new things is a common obstacle to progress.

The Matthew effect suggests that staying in your comfort zone makes it harder to break out.

Creating an illustration every two weeks helped overcome resistance and improve.

Resistance exists when trying to learn something new and unfamiliar.

Thinking Fast and Slow introduces two thinking systems: System 1 for habitual actions and System 2 for focused, effortful tasks.

The comfort zone is addictive and hard to break free from.

Using System 2 to learn until it becomes a System 1 process is a strategy for growth.

As skills improve, more effort is required to create decent work and progress.

Determination is key to overcoming resistance and achieving professional artist status.

Resistance can stem from childhood trauma and self-worth issues.

It's important to treat oneself as an investment and not be discouraged by short-term setbacks.

Effective practice involves understanding why progress stalls and addressing the root causes.

Solving practical problems in art is a correct approach for long-term improvement.

Reducing resistance involves returning to one's original intention and rediscovering curiosity.

Focus is improved not by trying harder but by reducing distractions and barriers to action.

Establishing a routine and minimizing obstacles between thought and action increases productivity.

Transcripts

we all fear trying new things even when

we want to we try a little face

obstacles and then Retreat to what we

already know or just procrastinate this

is the biggest enemy of progress taking

action is terrifying but not taking

action is even worse every time we try

to create and learn something new there

is resistance and because of the Matthew

effect the longer you stay in your

comfort zone the harder it is to break

out of it in the past 3 months I've

created an illustration every 2 weeks

experimenting with different styles and

forms before this my progress was slow

but I've realized some methods that can

help in this video we will discuss why

resistance exist why some artists can

maintain their passion and how to

progress with the least amount of

resistance why resistance exist when we

use familiar techniques and processes

there are no obstacles but when we try

to learn something new it becomes

incredibly difficult we might endlessly

save tutorials on YouTube or buy some

courses get excited by its introduction

and then give up when we encounter

something hard to understand than to buy

another course this doesn't lead to

progress the book Thinking Fast and Slow

explains this through two thinking

systems system one we don't need to

consciously think about our daily route

home how to turn the steering wheel when

to hit the gas or when to break often we

find ourselves back home without even

realizing it when these activities

become habitual we require little effort

to execute them the same applies to

drawing using familiar processes for

line art shading and and listening to

music time seems to fly by but when we

try a new method we Face enormous

resistance you may have seen my

composition video if you hadn't

encountered composition before trying to

use this knowledge in your work would be

challenging this is normal this thinking

process is system 2 system 2 requires a

high degree of focus it demands

self-control which gets depleted over

time psychologist Roy bow meister's

experiments show that this process is

unpleasant and exhausting Thinking Fast

and slow refers to this as cognitive

load when only system one is active

we're in our comfort zone the comfort

zone has a certain addictive quality the

longer you stay in it the harder it is

to Break Free the tough part is we have

to admit that stepping out of our

comfort zone is hard the good news is

that it gets easier the more we push

through once we gain momentum everything

becomes easier use system 2 to learn

until it becomes a system one process

then use system 2 to learn something new

again consistently push ourselves

because we want to get better so we need

to make a firm decision when we first

start learning we don't need much

determination because there aren't many

obstacles and we don't have high

expectations of ourselves but as we gain

some skills and experiences and want to

move beyond the beginners trap to create

work that looks decent we need to spend

several times more effort on a single

piece we must refine the lines rethink

the elements and details and figure out

how to explain them we should address

the issues we previously ignored as long

as the direction is correct repeating

this process with a few pieces will lead

to significant Improvement determination

is key if you truly decide to win the

game every problem will be solved if you

want to become a professional artist and

your friends or family say it's too

risky but you only have a try it out

mentality you're likely to give up when

you face resistance some people see

themselves as victims thinking they

suffer so much but don't get the results

sacrificing something to do what you

want is basic nothing special everybody

does that nobody respects someone who

decides to do something but quits after

some resistance respect yourself and

take action sometimes this resistance

stems from childhood trauma perhaps

someone made you feel Unworthy of good

things as you grew up every time you try

to become a better person your past self

pulls you back but in your journey there

must have been people who supported you

thinking you're doing well yet you don't

believe the good words you only remember

the hurtful ones this is normal

childhood has a massive impact on us

give yourself another the chance you

deserve better what if there are no

results this is tough to endure and is

why many people give up before a video

goes viral I created over 70 videos each

taking about 10 hours after a year I

only had 400 subscribers and many videos

didn't even reach 100 views I wanted to

quit countless times but there's a

mindset that helped me hold on treat

yourself as an investment when stocks

start to Trend downward some people

panic and sell While others hold

longterm the stock might recover or it

might not no one can know for sure I

decided to become an artist but can I at

least make a living or will I never

succeed how should we think about this

situation the answer is that these

concerns are irrelevant they're just

noise we need our own strategy and code

of conduct the investors who earn in the

market longterm don't time the market

long-term investing has a principle as

long as you keep doing the right things

logically time and accumulation will

inevitably lead to good results

in the stock market doing the right

thing means having an Investment

Portfolio with a built-in system of

survival of the fittest for example spy

the S&P 500 invests in the best

companies in the US market despite

short-term fluctuations it's bound to

make money longterm this isn't an

investment Channel let's get back to Art

what's the logical choice in art

effective practice for example I wanted

to learn Anatomy so I copied a lot of

references but I couldn't apply it to my

work this is ineffective at this point I

need enough knowledge to understand why

I'm not progressing because when copying

I was just tracing lines without

understanding muscle structure what if I

understand the muscle structure but

still can't draw well the usual problem

is perspective when the angle changes I

can't draw it then it's a perspective

issue first I need to learn how to

simplify the structure then rotate it

solving practical problems is the

correct approach in the short term it

might look like you're drawing worse but

in the long term you'll improve because

it's the logically correct thing to do I

share my studies and illustration

breakdowns on patreon I'm not a

professional artist yet but I'm on this

path and documenting the process of

solving problems and experimenting it'll

be helpful to you now back to the theme

of the video how to reduce resistance as

much as possible the more you fight

against it the stronger the resistance

gets which can make drawing feel

unenjoyable that's a sign that the

approach is wrong the truth is it's very

simple return to your original intention

and ReDiscover

curiosity there was a time when I

completely lost my passion for drawing

until I watched a video of two artists

who truly love art discussing their

Works what touched me the most was how

they kept repeating something like

it's that simple it's all the noise that

makes us forget why we started drawing

in the first place that curious heart is

still there keep drawing we've

understood why there's resistance made

the decision to push forward and

rekindled our curiosity now it's time to

take action action requires Focus many

people mistakenly think they need to try

hard to focus but in life there are many

things where the harder you try the

harder they become focus is one of them

in this case we need a different

approach if we reduce distractions we

now naturally become more focused if we

reduce the barriers to taking action we

become more motivated to act when I'm

writing scripts I often find myself

opening YouTube and mindlessly scrolling

that's a distraction once I realize this

I stop doing it sometimes I catch myself

opening YouTube out of habit but as soon

as I notice I close it of course the

biggest distraction is the phone so when

I start working I put my phone on

airplane mode and leave it in another

room next let's talk about reducing the

barriers to action imagine two scenarios

in the first scenario you turn on your

computer wait for it to load open clip

Studio Paint wait for it to load and

then start drawing in the second

scenario you turn on your iPad open

procreate and start drawing immediately

it's not that you have to use an iPad

but it's about making it as easy and

quick as possible to start doing the

work I'm used to drawing on a tablet so

it's not a barrier for me anymore but

when I travel I bring my iPad in

situations where there's a lot of

waiting I can pull out my iPad and do

some practice I often end up drawing

more than I do at home

the essential step is to identify and

optimize the behaviors that delay your

start by establishing a routine your

productivity will increase significantly

minimizing the obstacles between thought

and action is key hope this is helpful

thank you for watching