“Amateurs wait for inspiration. The rest of us just show up and get to work.”– Chuck Close
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
Last week, we talked about knocking on the door—the essential courage to face fear and take action. But once the door is open, what stops us from walking through it? What keeps us from showing up consistently for our goals?
The answer lies in the difference between being an amateur and a professional.
The Scariest Line in My Coaching
82-year-old best-selling author Steven Pressfield impressed upon us this truth: Amateurs act on how they feel, but professionals don’t care how they feel. The pro shows up every day, regardless of mood, and stays on the job. The pro has habits that are done no matter what.
This leads to a line I often use in my coaching: “I don’t care how you feel.”
It generates some interesting looks. I quickly follow it up with: “I care about you. I really do. But, I don’t care how you feel when it comes to doing the hard work you committed to.”
This is generally in response to one of the many flavors of resistance:
- “I am tired today.”
- “I got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
- “Reading bores me.”
- “I feel like I am doing pretty good (so I can relax).”
All these statements are simply a response to the pain of growth. They are resistant.
I define Discipline as: Doing WHAT you need to do, WHEN you need to do it, even when you don’t FEEL like doing it… SO THAT you can do WHAT you want to do WHEN you want to do it with WHO you want to do it with.
The War of Art
In his book, The War of Art, Pressfield perfectly describes the force we battle: “Resistance is Invisible. It cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But, it can be FELT. It aims to distract us or prevent us from doing our work. It will reason with you like a lawyer. It will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned.”
The tragic truth is that when we let this internal resistance win, we sacrifice our future for our present comfort.
Bronnie Ware, in The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, identified the painful cost of letting feelings dictate life:
| The Five Regrets | The Root of the Regret |
| 1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself. | Letting the fear of judgment win. |
| 2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard (on the wrong things). | Letting the feeling of obligation win over family time. |
| 3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. | Letting the discomfort of conflict win over honesty. |
| 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. | Letting the inconvenience of making time win. |
| 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. | Letting worry and responsibility win over joy. |
The way I see it, all of these regrets emanate from allowing our feelings to distract us from what we truly want and are called to do.
The Path to Professionalism
So, how do we keep our “feelings” from achieving our true potential and avoid those crushing regrets?
The answer is simple, though not easy: Get over yourself!
- Awareness (Call Out the BS): Whenever you hear yourself saying something like, “I should be doing this, but…” or “It would be easier if I just…” or “I will get to it tomorrow.” — Recognize it. Call it out as resistance (or BS) and push through.
- Set Heartfelt Goals (Focus on the ‘Why’): Set the goal first, worry about the ‘how’ later. If we focus on the how first, we will always talk ourselves out of big goals. The bigger the goal, the harder the resistance, the more necessary the discipline.
- Ask & Allow Others to Call You Out (Embrace Accountability): It is human nature to take the easy route. You don’t have to do it alone. Ask others to hold you accountable to your goals, not your feelings.
The spirit we are given is not one that allows us to be pushed around by our mood or fear. It is a spirit of power and discipline:
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Quote of the Week
“You are the CEO of your life. Hire yourself as the professional, fire the amateur.”
– Coach John Gallagher (modified)
Being effective as a leader means consistently choosing discipline over distraction. It’s about deeply reflecting on what’s working, humbly learning from what hasn’t, and courageously course-correcting in relentless pursuit of uncommon growth. Leaders don’t just drift into success—they evaluate, decide, and act.
Email me at coachjohngallagher@gmail.com with the subject line “PRO” and tell me the one task you are committing to finish today, regardless of how you feel.
What you need to do:
Your Call to Action: Design Your Legacy
What is the one commitment you need to follow through on today—not tomorrow, and not when you “feel like it”—to honor the professional in you?
It’s an honor to be your trusted Friday Coffee Guy. Each week, I bring what I’m learning and living in the trenches of leadership. If this edition challenged or encouraged you, share it with someone who leads, stays faithful, or learns alongside you, then click subscribe. Let’s grow Brew Nation together!
Until next time—stay focused, stay faithful, and keep growing, Champions! 💪
