Naval Ravikant says:

“Be impatient with execution, patient with results”

This is in the context of moving forward in life and finding success.

So to succeed we need to execute on our plans on a continuous basis, without worrying about the results.

It is in line with this verse from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥

This verse is considered as the Saar (Main Abstract) of Bhagavad Gita.

The meaning of this verse is:

You have the right to work only but never to its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction. 

In real life, we often do the opposite. We get attached to the results of what we do, a little too much. And, we don’t do the work as well as we can.

Something gets in the way of doing the work.

Steven Pressfield calls it resistance.

We face resistance when we decide to do important work.

Overcoming Resistance!

To do it we need to know it better.

Resistance comes in form of self-sabotage, procrastination, fear, arrogance, and self-doubt.

Here is what each of these is and how you can tackle it?

SELF-SABOTAGE

It happens due to excess of food, sleep, work or anything that makes us dull and less useful.

How To Deal With Self-sabotage

To tackle it, think about the effect of excesses on your life and growth.

Think about once in a lifetime gift that human life is. Also, think about how will we be different from an animal if we don’t think about the purpose of life?

Then do what matters.

PROCRASTINATION

It’s a big monster. When we procrastinate we don’t do the work until the last minute or don’t do it at all. Our monkey mind jumps from one thing to another or simply keeps us away from work, engaging in what is not work. This happens a lot when we are connected to the net which these days is almost always.

How To Deal With Procrastination

Do whatever you can do to tame the monkey mind. Meditate. Break your work into small manageable chunks so that you are not bogged down by the burden of too much to do.

ARROGANCE

It is important to know that you matter. But it is not cool to be too proud of our abilities or achievements. We need to get over ourselves.

Why Not Be Arrogant

We need to realize that we are one of 7 billion plus people on planet earth which is one of 100 billion planets in a milky way. So we should be generous, grateful and thankful about the opportunity to do the work. If we don’t do it someone else will.

FEAR

We don’t do what we want to do fearing about what people will say.

Fear appears when we feel that we lack control and that someone else controls our destiny.

To Deal With Fear

We should only worry about what is in our control and do our best.

There are times, when we don’t do what we want to do because of ‘what will people say’ mentality.

Get over fear, show up, show your work and work on your craft.

Know that if you don’t start today, you will be standing in the same place tomorrow and even in five years. So why not start today?

SELF DOUBT

I am not enough. This thought often stops people in their tracks.

At times, we also tell ourselves that we don’t have the skills, connections or resources to do what we want to do. But this thinking won’t take us anywhere.

We need to kill our self-doubt and find a way to tackle any challenge that creates self-doubt.

How To Get Over Self-doubt

Do it by reading about those who created something significant starting with an idea. Hang out with doers and not with doubters.

Know that you are enough.

Instead of worrying about the lack of skills and connections invest time to build them.

All said and done optimize for action. Do whatever it takes to act.

Resistance is real so are you.

Now, stop reading and go do whatever you want to.