I used to think resistance meant something was wrong.
Wrong with the plan.
Wrong with the timing.
Wrong with me.
Every time I tried to launch something new, raise my prices, or do anything remotely bold… resistance hit me like a wall. Sometimes it was people questioning my choices. Sometimes it was my own brain whispering, You’re not ready. Who do you think you are?
Here’s what I finally learned: resistance is part of the process. It’s not an anomaly—it’s a natural response to change and growth. The most successful entrepreneurs don’t avoid resistance; they develop systems to work through it.
This isn’t about powering through or “just doing it.” It’s about understanding what resistance actually is, how it manifests in your entrepreneurial journey, and how to move forward without quitting on yourself or burning out completely.
Resistance is the force that emerges precisely when you’re on the verge of meaningful action. Steven Pressfield, author of “The War of Art,” describes it as a repelling force designed to prevent us from doing our work. It appears most strongly when we’re pursuing what matters most to us. This is why resistance often intensifies just as you approach an important breakthrough in your business.
Let’s explore what this looks like and how to navigate it effectively.
What Resistance Looks Like for Entrepreneurs
Let’s normalize this real quick. If you’ve experienced any of the following, you’re not alone:
- You have a brilliant idea for a new service, feel initial excitement, and then suddenly feel completely paralyzed when it’s time to implement it
- You avoid checking your inbox for days because one particular email feels too overwhelming to address
- You begin planning a launch, then spiral into an endless loop of “what if it fails completely?”
- You receive one piece of lukewarm feedback from a client and feel the urge to abandon the entire project
- You open your laptop with the intention to work, stare at the screen, and walk away feeling like an impostor or failure
- You find yourself cleaning your entire office instead of working on your business strategy
- You suddenly become extremely interested in learning new skills rather than applying the ones you already have
This is resistance. Not laziness. Not weakness. Not lack of discipline or commitment. Just resistance—your mind and body saying, “Something feels unsafe here.” Understanding this is the first step toward working through it rather than being stopped by it.
Internal Resistance: Your Mind’s Natural “No”
Internal resistance isn’t random or a character flaw. It’s a sophisticated protection mechanism wired into our psychology.
For entrepreneurs, internal resistance often manifests in these common patterns:
- Task paralysis: You want to take action—you can visualize the outcome and recognize its importance—but something invisible seems to block you from starting. You sit down to work and feel an almost physical inability to begin.
- Perfectionism disguised as preparation: You tell yourself you’re just doing due diligence, but you’re actually stuck in an endless research loop. You’re not gathering necessary information; you’re avoiding the vulnerability of action.
- Fear of failure transformed into procrastination: Your brain creates convincing justifications for why now isn’t the right time. “The market isn’t ready” or “I need to refine this more” become comfortable excuses that protect you from potential disappointment.
- Impostor syndrome: The persistent belief that you’re somehow fraudulent despite evidence of your capabilities. This voice whispers that others will eventually discover you’re not qualified or worthy of success.
- Decision paralysis: When facing multiple options, you become unable to commit to any path. Every choice seems simultaneously appealing and terrifying, leaving you stuck in analysis mode.
- Overwhelm from possibility: Entrepreneurs often see opportunities everywhere, which can paradoxically lead to complete inaction. When everything seems important, nothing gets done.
This internal resistance isn’t you being weak or uncommitted. It’s your brain’s attempt to protect you from perceived risks—rejection, judgment, failure, or even the unknown consequences of success. Your mind registers these potential outcomes as threats and activates protective responses that feel real and urgent.
External Resistance: When the World Pushes Back
Even if you manage to navigate your internal resistance, you’ll encounter external pushback. The world doesn’t automatically make space for new ideas or approaches, no matter how valuable they might be.
As an entrepreneur, you’ll likely encounter:
- People questioning your business model, pricing strategy, or core offerings
- “Helpful” advice from friends, family, or colleagues that feels completely misaligned with your vision
- Existing systems, platforms, or market expectations that don’t accommodate your innovative approach
- Skeptical potential clients who hesitate to try something different
- Doubters who express their concerns through passive-aggressive comments, dismissiveness, or outright criticism
- Industry gatekeepers who seem resistant to new entrants or methodologies
- Potential partners or collaborators who don’t immediately understand your value proposition
- The general inertia of the status quo—people’s tendency to stick with what’s familiar
These external forces can be exceptionally difficult because they feel like objective confirmation of your internal doubts. When someone questions your pricing structure, it awakens your own uncertainty about your worth. When a potential client hesitates, it triggers your fears about market fit.
But external resistance isn’t always a sign to stop or change direction. Sometimes it’s actually confirmation that you’re creating something genuinely new or disruptive. Innovation, by definition, challenges the established order—and the established order pushes back.
How to Move Through Internal Resistance
Understanding resistance is essential, but knowledge alone doesn’t dissolve it. You need practical strategies for moving forward despite its presence. Here’s what has helped me break free from resistance spirals:
Name it explicitly
The simple act of labeling resistance dramatically reduces its power. I practice saying out loud: “This is resistance, not failure or incompetence.” Naming it creates psychological distance—a space between you and the feeling. It transforms resistance from an overwhelming internal state to an observable phenomenon. Try documenting what your specific resistance feels like, where you notice it in your body, and what thoughts accompany it.
Shrink the task ruthlessly
When resistance appears, immediately make the next action absurdly small. Don’t try to “create a marketing strategy.” Instead, just “open a document and write three potential customer pain points.” Don’t aim to “redesign the website.” Just “sketch one possible layout for the homepage on paper.”
This approach works because resistance scales with perceived task magnitude. By reducing the action to something trivial, you slip beneath resistance’s radar. Once you’ve started, momentum often carries you forward naturally. I’ve found that 80% of the battle is simply beginning.
Develop compassionate self-dialogue
Replace internal criticism with the voice you’d use with a respected colleague facing a challenge. I explicitly practice phrases like: “It’s completely normal to feel uncertain here. You’re attempting something difficult and worthwhile. It’s okay to do this imperfectly. Starting is enough for today.”
This isn’t empty self-help talk—it’s strategic psychological intervention. Harsh self-criticism triggers threat responses that intensify resistance. Compassionate dialogue creates the psychological safety needed for creative risk-taking.
Create a consistent activation ritual
Develop a specific sequence of actions that signal to your brain it’s time to work. For me, it’s arranging my workspace, putting on instrumental music, opening my project management system, and setting a timer for just 20 minutes. The ritual becomes associated with productive states through repetition.
These rituals bypass conscious resistance by engaging habitual behavior patterns. They create a transitional space between resistance and action. The key is consistency—using the same sequence each time strengthens the association.
Anchor to your deeper purpose
When resistance feels overwhelming, reconnect with the fundamental “why” behind your work. I keep a document with testimonials from clients whose businesses were transformed by my services. I review stories of how my work has created meaningful change.
Resistance typically disconnects us from purpose, reducing our work to tasks, metrics, and potential failures. Deliberately reconnecting with impact and meaning provides motivational energy that can overcome resistance. Consider keeping concrete reminders of your purpose visible in your workspace.
Implement strategic accountability
Resistance thrives in isolation but weakens under observation. Create external structures that expect your follow-through. This might be a business accountability partner, a coach, a mastermind group, or even public commitments to your audience.
The most effective accountability includes both support and expectation—people who believe in your capability while also anticipating your delivery. Choose accountability partners who understand entrepreneurial challenges and can distinguish between resistance and legitimate strategic pivots.
How to Respond to External Resistance Without Shrinking
Navigating other people’s resistance to your ideas requires different strategies. Here’s how to maintain your direction amid external pushback:
Prepare thoughtful responses to common objections
I’ve had people directly tell me, “That’s not how businesses are run.” And sometimes they’re right—for their business model. Not mine. Prepare clear, non-defensive responses to typical objections. When someone questions my approach, I calmly state: “This is the methodology I’ve found works best for my business model and client outcomes.”
Having pre-formulated responses prevents you from being caught off-guard and reacting from insecurity. Practice delivering these responses with calm confidence. The goal isn’t to convince everyone but to remain centered in your own discernment.
Establish values-based boundaries
Clarify which aspects of your business approach are negotiable versus non-negotiable based on your core values. I don’t compromise on client communication protocols, pricing structure, or my production process—they’re designed intentionally to support both quality work and sustainable business practices.
You don’t owe lengthy explanations for choosing tools, timelines, or workflows that align with your business values. A simple “This is how we work” is often sufficient. Clients who respect these boundaries typically become your best long-term relationships.
Recognize projection and displacement
People often resist what challenges their own choices or triggers their insecurities. A potential client’s concern about your pricing might actually reflect their own money mindset. A colleague’s criticism of your marketing approach might mask their fear of taking similar risks.
This awareness doesn’t invalidate all feedback, but it helps you discern between constructive input and others’ projected fears. Ask yourself: “Is this feedback about a genuine flaw in my approach, or is it about the other person’s relationship to change, risk, or innovation?”
Build a concrete evidence repository
Create a systematic record of your successes, positive feedback, and breakthrough moments. I maintain a dedicated folder with screenshots of client wins, testimonials, and personal milestones. When external resistance intensifies, review this evidence as a counterbalance to doubt.
This isn’t about ego—it’s about maintaining perspective when external voices threaten to overwhelm your own knowing. The most damaging aspect of external resistance is how it can make you question your own judgment and capabilities. Concrete evidence provides an objective reminder of your impact and effectiveness.
Cultivate a discerning support network
Not everyone deserves an equal voice in your business decisions. Intentionally build relationships with people who understand your vision while still offering honest feedback. This might include mentors who’ve walked similar paths, peers who share your values but bring different perspectives, and clients who genuinely benefit from your approach.
The right support network helps you distinguish between resistance that signals a needed adjustment versus resistance that simply reflects status quo inertia. This discernment is crucial for innovation without recklessness.
The Power of Persistence Through Progressive Iteration
I won’t pretend that these strategies eliminate resistance entirely. They don’t. Resistance remains a constant companion on the entrepreneurial path, but your relationship with it can fundamentally change.
I now recognize resistance as a natural part of meaningful work rather than a sign of personal deficiency. Its presence often signals that I’m pushing into important territory. I’ve learned to greet it with curious recognition: “Oh, there you are again. You always show up when I’m growing, don’t you?”
The entrepreneurs who ultimately succeed aren’t those who never experience resistance. They’re the ones who develop systems for working through it repeatedly, learning and adjusting with each cycle. Every time you choose to take one more step despite resistance—sending that proposal, launching that service, raising that price—you strengthen your capacity for future challenges.
This isn’t about perfection or uninterrupted productivity. It’s about developing the resilience to continue despite uncertainty. Sometimes the process is messy. Sometimes you’ll need to step back temporarily. Sometimes you’ll need to adjust your approach based on valid feedback. But you keep returning to the work that matters.
That’s what real entrepreneurship looks like: not the highlight reel of seamless victories, but the ongoing practice of meeting resistance with resourcefulness and persistence.
Conclusion: From Resistance to Resilience
If you’re feeling resistance right now—emotionally, mentally, or even physically—I want you to know:
It doesn’t mean you’re not ready.
It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It doesn’t mean you have to stop.
It means your mind is noticing change.
Your body is registering uncertainty.
Your system is saying, “Are we safe to grow?”
And your job is to respond with patient persistence: “Yes. One step at a time.”
Resistance never completely disappears from the entrepreneurial journey because growth never stops challenging us. But with practice, what once felt like an impassable barrier becomes a familiar landscape you know how to navigate. The resistance itself becomes valuable data—information about where your growth edges lie and what matters enough to trigger protection mechanisms.
Take a moment now to reflect on where resistance appears most strongly in your current work. Rather than avoiding these areas, consider what would happen if you approached them with curiosity and the strategies outlined above. What might become possible if resistance became a signal to lean in rather than pull back?
Write this down somewhere you’ll see it regularly:
“This is resistance. Not truth. I can keep going—even imperfectly, even gradually.”
The path forward exists. You’ve navigated resistance before, and you’ll do it again. Trust your capacity to grow through challenges rather than be defined by them.
You’ve got this. I promise.
