Whether it’s a project at work, a painting, a home-improvement project, or any of a million other things… there will always be the “messy middle.”
The traditional advice of teachers, bosses, and coaches — “You’ve just got to push through” is old-school thinking. Thinking that leads to failure more often than not. Thinking that just doesn’t work.
Beginnings are full of energy, motivation, and optimism. As you approach the end of anything big, the taste of victory isn’t far off. Even a nice tall cool one still has its merits when suffering defeat. The finality of the end, victory or not, will keep you moving forward.
It’s the “Messy Middle” that wants to screw things up.
Trying to rally the waning motivation and push through won’t get the job done. Like they say in Maine, you can’t get there from here.
Hey, some days it feels like that’s the sole purpose of the middle of most any project of consequence… to screw things up.
When I set out to pen this post, I had no idea there was a book titled The Messy Middle. I picked up the term years ago from leadership blogger, Michael Hyatt.
Whether you’re in the throes of a big project, starting a company, or leading a turnaround, it’s easy to feel lost, anxious, and alone. Don’t fret, you’re simply in the Messy Middle, the crazy ups and downs that are an inevitable part of anything worth doing.”
― Scott Belsky, author of The Messy Middle, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Behance, Inc.
For most of the endeavors we face in everyday life, we find ourselves getting stuck in the messy middle.
I haven’t read the book, but it’s now on my list. Until then, I’ve pulled together a few tips to remember to help you navigate the muck of the messy middle.
Create an image in your mind’s eye.
Do you remember Stephen Covey? Of course, you do.
Ah, but do you remember Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind?
Visualizations are powerful. And when you begin with a clear image in your mind of what the end will look like, you’ll have a driving force that can carry you right through the messy middle to a successful ending.
Give yourself some credit for having worked hard.
This is the easiest step to skip. We feel like we don’t deserve credit of any kind until the job is done and done well. We’ve all heard that mantra more times than we care to remember.
So, take a short break and celebrate how far you’ve come. Since I mentioned it, take lots of them. Teams on big projects should plan group get-togethers to celebrate the achievement of all key milestones.
Yes, a party… it’s okay to celebrate and have some fun.
Okay, now that you’ve blown off some steam, what’s next?
Bring in some fresh new eyes so you can gain some new perspectives. Invite outsiders with broader, even completely different knowledge.
They may know about other solutions. They will likely ask questions that spark new thinking.
Let’s grab coffee!
Have coffee with someone who hasn’t been through the project. But has knowledge in your area. Talk it through. They may well have that fresh point of view that will get you jumpstarted and back on the road.
Make sure it’s what they want or need.
Schedule an interim briefing with those impacted by what you’re trying to accomplish.
Contemporary wisdom says… Make sure it’s something they’ll want and use before you invest resources you can never get back. It’s a good idea to check in during the process to be sure what it’s becoming is still what they want.
Now, can you guess the simplest, yet hardest step you can take to get yourself going again and through the messy middle? HINT: It’s something most of us resist at all costs.
Ask for help.
Yes, that’s it. And no, I’m not suggesting getting down on your knees and pleading, “Come save me and my poor pitiful project.”
Start much smaller and simpler than that. Start with some isolated, but annoying little quirk that keeps getting in the way.
Do yourself a favor and ask. People want to help.
What could happen? Who knows, you may even find yourself on the other side of the messy middle.
Be untucked.
Oh! One last thing, if you found this post helpful, be sure to share it with a friend. Use the Share-Buttons at the top or the bottom of the post. Thanks, I owe you one.
Copyright © 2021 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
Ugh, we are in the messy middle of moving! Yesterday, I wondered if we’d ever be through packing. Today, I feel like the end is in sight! Great advice, Jeff. We stopped Wednesday and went out for ice cream. A needed break and a reminder to stay positive through the process!
Miss you guys already!
Moving is the worst! Glad to hear you took a break and rewarded yourselves. It’s a long process, so you’ll want to give yourself lots of rewards, self-care, and compassion. Every time I said we were over the hump… we weren’t. Now I’m pretty sure we are. Miss you guy too! Remember to have fun as much as possible.