Not all resistance should be eliminated.
I had to learn this. For a long time my instinct when I hit resistance was to push harder. More force. More speed. More effort. The resistance became a signal to escalate, not to stop and read.
That’s expensive.
Sometimes resistance is telling you something. The negotiation that keeps stalling isn’t always a tactic — sometimes it’s an answer. The idea that nobody seems to understand no matter how clearly you explain it might not have an explanation problem. The strategy that requires constant pushing to stay alive might be telling you it shouldn’t be alive.
I’ve pushed through resistance that I should have listened to. I’ve stayed in partnerships that kept giving me signals. I’ve built in directions that kept failing to gain traction — not because the execution was wrong, but because the direction was.
The skill isn’t forcing your way through every obstacle. The skill is knowing which obstacles are tests and which ones are redirections.
Ask two questions before you push harder. Is this resistance telling me to adjust my approach — or to adjust my direction? And am I pushing because it’s right to push, or because I don’t want to admit I should stop?
Resistance is always information. The question is whether you’re listening.
The Takeaway
Before you push harder against resistance, ask whether it’s a test of your effort or a signal about your direction.
Keep Moving Forward!
Not-So-Guru
If this one landed — The Not-So-Guru Manifesto is waiting.