Nick HutchisonFounder and CEO, BookThinkers

The difference between a professional and an amateur from Steven Pressfield #StevenPressfield

23 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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Steven Pressfield defines a professional as someone with self-discipline: they show up and work even when it's hard, while amateurs quit. Kobe, Jordan, and Brady exemplify this. For artists and entrepreneurs, professionalism means regulating your own habits without external pressure.

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When I think of a professional, I think of like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady. Professional shows up every day. But the difference is when we're artists or podcasters or entrepreneurs, instead of having discipline imposed externally by a boss, or a sergeant or a coach, it's self-discipline. That's the difference between a professional and an amateur. Professional is able to discipline themselves. When an amateur hits adversity, an amateur folds. When a professional hits adversity, he or she digs in and barrels through it. A professional has professional habits, and an amateur has amateur habits.