Are You an Amateur or a Pro?

Raise your hand if there’s a creative project, book, business idea, or dream job that you keep thinking about… but haven’t actually pursued. Or maybe you have started but just can’t seem to reach the finish line.

My hand is raised. Is yours?

If so, Steven Pressfield, the bestselling author of Turning Pro, would say that it may be because you’re approaching your work like an amateur instead of a professional.

When I say pro who do you think of?

Tom Brady? LeBron James? Serena Williams? Michael Phelps? Simone Biles?

Or, someone else?

What do those pros have in common? Steven defines a pro as someone who:

...shows up every day.

...remains dedicated to the job.

...does not take success or failure personally.

....plays hurt.

On the contrary, an amateur:

...folds when confronted with adversity.

...spends more time talking about the work than actually doing it.

...lets themselves off the hook too easily.

Now think about that creative project, book, business idea, or dream job again.

What do you think? Are you approaching that goal as an amateur or a pro?

I decided to read Turning Pro because, admittedly, I’ve been treating my goal of writing a New York Times bestseller like an amateur. I’ve spent far more time talking about writing than actually doing it. I’ve even used distractions, like reading Turning Pro, to figure out why I’m not doing the work… instead of just doing the work. I don’t write every day, although I’m very good at making excuses for why I couldn’t fit it in.

But I’m grateful that my amateur self got distracted by Turning Pro, because I closed the book feeling inspired and ready to actually take action.

Steven doesn’t give readers a checklist or a secret formula for becoming a professional, which frustrated me at first. But he does encourage readers to define what being a professional means to them.

What would it mean for you to show up for your dream like a pro?

He encourages readers to get granular. What time does a professional pursuing your dream wake up in the morning? What are their daily habits? How do they structure their day? Then, pretty bluntly, he tells us to wake up and commit to being that person every single day.

I know what you’re thinking. Easier said than done.

Agreed.

Steven agrees too. In the book, he mentions that although turning pro is free and doesn’t require a course or certification, it does require sacrifice.

When Steven was interviewed by Andrew Huberman on the Huberman Lab Podcast, Andrew commented that living life like a pro is similar to taking yourself more seriously. He shared that when he started taking himself seriously and approaching life like a professional, there was a cost: the way people reacted to it.

“When I switched from being a fun guy to be around to the guy that is absolutely going to ace the exam… no matter how much work I put into it, who is absolutely going to be in the gym three days a week, who is absolutely going to get my sleep, you get a lot of flak.”

He goes on to explain that not everyone likes it when you start showing up like a pro, especially if they’re still showing up like an amateur. Your discipline can feel like pressure to other people, so sometimes they’ll make you feel bad for taking yourself seriously.

So no, it’s not easy. And yes, there’s a cost.

But it is possible.

And we can trust Steven on this one because it took him 27 years to get his first novel published. He eventually made it to the finish line by taking the same advice he now shares with readers.

So, as Steven suggests, if we start approaching our dreams like professionals instead of amateurs, we become far more capable of achieving them. And if we start now, maybe it won’t take us 20+ years to get there.

Now… are you ready to wake up tomorrow and approach life like a pro?

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Find one thing that brings you joy today.