A survival manual for ambitious artists entrepreneurs ADVENTURERS You have a Hydra: a grand, ambitious project you’ve always wanted to tackle. It feels overwhelming, unconquerable. Chop off one of a Hydra’s heads, and two more grow in its place.How will you ever defeat such a terrifying monstrosity – and live to tell the tale? In this illuminating fable, productivity expert Josh Kaufman explores the uncertainty and fear inherent in facing down any ambitious challenge, from starting a new business to completing a work of art.The risks involved can never be eliminated, but they can be understood, anticipated, and mitigated. Armed with an adventurer's insights into tackling unknown and fearsome challenges, you can tame a project of epic proportions. How to Fight a Hydra is an essential handbook for artists, creative professionals, and entrepreneurs tired of ignoring the call to adventure. So prepare for battle, brave soul. Draw your sword. Light your torch. In the darkness ahead, your Hydra awaits. "Originally I expected the title to be just a metaphor - I was delighted to learn that the book is, in fact, a short guide to fighting a Hydra. Using metaphor makes it much easier to have a clear view of reality. The way Josh tells the story is great: it starts with a picture of a world not quite like your own - but very much parallel - and then slowly the two worlds merge. By the time you put the book down, a feeling of possibility is unavoidable." - Joey Cofone , CEO of Baron Fig, baronfig.com "From start to finish, How to Fight A Hydra felt like my brain on loudspeaker. This book is a map for venturing, risking, and living how I know I must. It's not easy, but I'll take the risk. The reward is finding out WHO I AM. I just took one of the biggest risks I've ever taken in my work; this book came at the perfect time. I'm ready to quest: to find the Hydra and defeat anything that gets in the way... even if it's me." - Ishita Gupta , ishitagupta.com "As I read How to Fight a Hydra , I immediately thought of my journey as an entrepreneur. There were so many moments that mirrored the adventure of building my own business. This book is like The War of Art and Rules for a Knight tossed into a blender and combined to create a beautiful and insightful story about the quest any adventurer faces." - James Clear , author of Atomic Habits and writer at jamesclear.com "I devoured How to Fight a Hydra in one non-stop sitting and think of it often. We all have callings to do what is hard. Some are big and scary, like starting a new business. Some are small and scary, like following up with a prospect we don't know well. Our brains bias towards the downside and focus on what can go wrong. If we listen to that, we'll never begin. How to Fight a Hydra is my rallying cry to remember this. When I'm scared of something, I have to pay attention to it. Then, I have to begin." - Mo Bunnell , author of The Snowball System: How to Win More Business and Turn Clients Into Raving Fans " How to Fight a Hydra is a reminder of what it means to live a meaningful life. Too many of us get paralyzed when confronted with our own Hydras and retreat into the comfort of what everyone else is doing. And while the challenges are different for all of us, the approach of tilting the odds in our favor remains the same: intelligent preparation and an adaptive approach. The nuance is that the popular wisdom of facing your fears - even with the odds in your favor - doesn't guarantee success. However, refusing to face them ensures you haven't fully explored what it means to live a meaningful life." - Shane Parrish , founder of Farnam Street, fs.blog "No matter how much I grow in my career, I always have to wrestle with what my lizard brain is telling me. That I don't deserve something or I don't want to push myself or I'm unsure what's going to happen after I release something or take on a new client or do anything new in my business. As I'm writing this, I'm on the final edit of my 5th book before it goes to the printer. I have been working on it for five years, and I am petrified . I'm terrified about what people will think of it - of me - after it's launched. I'm terrified of what I'll become after it's launched. I'm on the final head of the Hydra, and I have no idea what kind of treasure is going to be behind it - if there is anything at all. The fear never goes away, and you constantly have to manage it. How to Fight a Hydra is great for shedding light on this essential topic and giving you the sense that you are not alone in your struggles." - Nick Disabato , founder of Draft, draft.nu Josh Kaufman is the bestselling author of two previous books: The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business and The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything... Fast! . His books have sold over half a million copies worldwide, and have been translated into twenty-two languages.