“If you're experiencing resistance, it means you're doing something that matters.” — Steven Pressfield

You’ve clarified your vision. You’ve aligned your actions. You’ve mapped your community and tuned into your internal guidance. So why… does it still feel hard sometimes?

Welcome to resistance — not as failure, but as feedback. In this phase of the journey, resistance is not something to fight, suppress, or run from. It’s a teacher. A compass. A rite of passage.

This article invites you to shift your relationship with resistance—from an obstacle to overcome, to a doorway to what’s next.

Resistance is a Signpost, Not a Stop Sign

Resistance shows up in many forms:

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  Procrastination or perfectionism

  
  


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  Fear of visibility or judgment

  
  


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  Overwhelm, distraction, or avoidance

  
  


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  Body fatigue or emotional shutdown

  
  

It can be external (delays, conflict, rejection) or internal (self-doubt, imposter syndrome, inner critics). But here’s the key: resistance doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path—it often means you’re on the edge of a breakthrough.

Think of resistance like weight training: it strengthens you through tension, not in spite of it.

️ Reframing Resistance

Rather than pushing it away, ask:

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  What is this resistance protecting?

  
  


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  What truth might it be pointing toward?

  
  


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  What outdated belief or identity might be surfacing for renewal?

  
  

When we listen to resistance with curiosity, it becomes a doorway to greater freedom. When we fear it or try to bypass it, it only grows stronger.

Types of Resistance (and What They Might Mean)

Resistance TypePossible MessagePerfectionismYou’re scared to be seen before you're “ready”AvoidanceThe work might touch a vulnerable truthOver-researchingYou don’t trust your own voice or intuitionImposter syndromeYou’re stepping into unfamiliar—but necessary—rolesOvercommitmentYou're buffering real action with busyness

Understanding your resistance lets you meet it wisely, not reactively.

The Three-Part Practice: Engaging Resistance as a Guide

Use the downloadable worksheet to deepen your practice.

1. Name It

What are you currently resisting in your project, mission, or personal journey?

Write down the task, idea, conversation, or decision that feels “sticky.” Give it a name and location in your life.

2. Trace It

Ask:

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  What story do I tell myself about this?

  
  


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  When have I felt this kind of resistance before?

  
  


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  What am I afraid might happen if I take the next step?

  
  

This helps you understand the root, not just the symptom.

3. Move with It

Choose a tiny, non-threatening step forward. One email. One sketch. One paragraph. One invitation.

Let action be a conversation with your resistance—not a war. Often, just beginning is enough to shift the energy.

From Resistance to Resilience

Each time you engage resistance mindfully, you expand your capacity. You grow in creative courage, emotional agility, and trust in your own process.

Over time, you may notice:

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  You resist less because you avoid less

  
  


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  You judge your procrastination less harshly

  
  


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  You recover more quickly after setbacks

  
  


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  You hold discomfort as part of the creative rhythm

  
  

This is resilience: not perfection, but persistence rooted in presence.

️ Companion Episode Suggestion

What if confronting conflict was the gateway to peace?

The Series in Motion

This article sits at the turning point of the Planetary Citizens framework:

1. 
   

   Vision to Action

   
   


2. 
   

   Values into Accord

   
   


3. 
   

   Mapping the Commons

   
   


4. 
   

   Sourcing the Signal

   
   


5. 
   

   Navigating Resistance ← you are here

   
   


6. 
   

   Designing Experiments

   
   


7. 
   

   Tracking Progress

   
   


8. 
   

   Harvest & Renewal

   
   

Now that you’ve engaged resistance as a teacher, you’re ready to start prototyping—not perfect answers, but living experiments that grow as you do.

Final Invitation

Resistance is not the end of the path—it’s the next threshold.

So pause. Breathe. Listen. Then take the next smallest step forward. It matters more than you know.

Download the worksheet

️ Tune into the podcast

Reflect with others at Planetary Citizens LinkedIn Page

Because this work isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about proceeding with heart.

By Zen Benefiel

Keywords: Coaching, Creativity, Leadership

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