Sometimes it’s helpful to conceptualize our pursuit of our goals and dreams in a concrete way. For these purposes I’m sharing the diagram for resistance I use with my own coaching clients.

Point A

Imagine a straight line. On one end you have Point A, it is where you are right now. It’s what you have. The other end is Point B it’s what you want. Everything in between is the interesting and terrifying things that you do to get from Point A to Point B. If you get to Point B – hallelujah – good for you.

Point C

If not, you end up at point C. Some other result, not good, not bad, just some other result other than what you wanted at Point B. What usually gets in your way and knocks you off that straight line from Point A to Point B or prevents you from ever getting to Point B in the first place? Well that’s simple, you hit up against the barrier we call resistance, at which point Point A starts looking pretty good.

Point A is Comfortable

Remember Point A is what you have, it’s what you know, it’s comfortable. When something gets in your way of getting what you want – fear, most likely – it is easy to cling to what you know, to play it safe, to make excuses. So how do you get through it and make it to your Point B?

Making it through Resistance

Resistance exacts a cost. It usually requires to let go of something, face something, or stop doing something that you’ve become quite comfortable with. Resistance is uncomfortable but there are many ways you’ve probably known yourself to be capable of overcoming resistance. You can think about it with an easy example of getting out of bed in the morning and hitting the gym. It’s hard, it’s uncomfortable, but you are committed to getting stronger so you keep doing it. You are letting go of your cozy bed, extra sleep and comfort. The more you do it, the more memory you have of yourself doing it, the stronger your belief is that you can in fact do it. And in this example you get to be in at your Point B, a stronger, healthier body.  I have given an easy example here but definitely agree with Steven Pressfield when he says,

The more important a call to action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel about answering it.

Point B

Point A is what you have but once upon a time Point A was what you wanted, Point B. You get to savor it, enjoy it, just don’t grow roots there. Point B is where your growth lies, it’s you expressing your creativity and potential. So whenever you set out to learn, accomplish or create something new, know that resistance is part of the equation. Know that you can get to your point B because you’ve done it before in many ways.