Beginnings Are Fun. Endings Are Satisfying. The Middle? A Nightmare.
I love beginnings. The blank page, the clean slate, the thrill of a fresh start. There’s nothing like that rush of excitement when everything feels possible.
I also love perfect endings—when all the effort finally pays off, when things click into place, when I can stand back and say, “Look at that! I actually finished something!”
But the middle?
That’s where things get complicated.
It’s where the grind sets in, the excitement wears off, and progress feels glacial. It’s also where most people quit.
Because the messy middle? That’s where ambition meets resistance.
The Time I Got Stuck in the Middle (Again. And Again.)
I’ve been in the messy middle more times than I care to admit.
Writing a book? The first pages are exhilarating. Wrapping it up? That’s a rush.
But somewhere around chapter seven, when the momentum stalls, the ideas stop flowing, and every sentence feels like I’m dragging it out of wet cement? That’s when I start questioning everything.
Suddenly, I’m convinced:
✔ This is terrible.
✔ I am terrible.
✔ Maybe I should just set this project on fire and start something new.
So what do I do?
I distract myself. I deep-clean my house, rearrange my bookshelf, suddenly decide that today is the perfect time to organize my sock drawer by color.
And for a brief, blissful moment, avoiding my project makes me feel productive.
The problem? The middle never magically fixes itself.
The only way out… is through.
Why the Messy Middle Feels So Hard
We don’t talk enough about the middle of things.
- Starting? That’s easy.
- Finishing? That’s rewarding.
- The middle? That’s where motivation goes to die.
The middle is where:
- The initial excitement wears off, and things start to feel hard.
- The project you were once obsessed with suddenly feels boring.
- Self-doubt shows up like an uninvited guest at a party, whispering, “Maybe this isn’t worth it.”
This is the part that separates people who finish things from people who don’t.
The middle is where resilience is built, breakthroughs are earned, and the magic actually happens.
How I Get Through the Messy Middle (Even When I Want to Quit)
1. Shrinking the Timeline
The finish line can feel impossibly far away. So instead of asking, How will I ever finish this? I ask myself, What’s the next small thing I can do today?
💡 Example:
When I was halfway through a project and feeling stuck, I stopped thinking about how much was left and focused on one tiny, doable step—writing one more page or tackling one small task.
Eventually, enough “one more pages” turn into a finished project.
2. Expecting the Dip
Every exciting project has a moment where it stops feeling fun. The key is knowing that this is normal.
💡 Example:
At some point in every project, I have an existential crisis where I wonder:
✔ Is this even good?
✔ Should I scrap the whole thing?
✔ Would it be easier to just become a professional dog walker instead?
But I’ve learned that if I expect this dip, I don’t panic when it happens.
Instead of quitting, I give myself permission to take a breath, reset, and push forward.
3. Remembering Why I Started
It’s easy to get lost in the frustration of the middle and forget what got you excited in the first place.
💡 Example:
Halfway through a big project, I’ll go back and read the original idea I wrote down when I was still in the “THIS IS THE BEST IDEA EVER” phase.
It reminds me:
✔ I started this for a reason.
✔ It felt worth doing back then—and it still is.
✔ If I quit now, I’ll regret it.
4. Lowering the Bar (Temporarily)
Sometimes, I get stuck because I’m putting too much pressure on myself.
💡 Example:
If I’m working on something and perfectionism is slowing me down, I’ll tell myself:
"Okay. Let’s make a terrible first draft. Let’s write the worst, messiest version possible."
And weirdly? That’s freeing.
The moment I let go of perfection, the work starts flowing again.
5. Making Peace with the Mess
The middle is not supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be messy.
💡 Example:
Think of your favorite books, movies, or stories.
None of them skip the middle.
The messy middle is where:
- Obstacles happen.
- Tension builds.
- Characters struggle.
- Everything feels like it’s falling apart… until it finally comes together.
No great story is written without a compelling middle.
And the same is true for our own stories.
If You’re Stuck in the Middle of Something, Keep Going
Whether it’s your career, a creative project, a goal—you are not off track just because things feel hard.
This is exactly where transformation happens.
✔ Show up.
✔ Put in the reps.
✔ Trust the process.
You don’t have to finish today. You just have to keep going.
Resources to Navigate the Messy Middle
📖 Books to Read:
-
Grit – Angela Duckworth
A deep dive into perseverance and passion. -
The Dip – Seth Godin
A short but powerful read on when to push through and when to quit. -
Mindset – Carol Dweck
The power of a growth mindset and how it transforms challenges.
Where in Your Life Are You Embracing the Messy Middle?
Because trust me—it’s worth sticking it out.