“The middle is messy, but that’s where the magic happens.” Brene Brown
When we set goals, we see the end result. We see what we want to have, what we want to be, and sometimes even what we want to lose. We see the money we will save or the credit card debt that will be gone. We are already looking at the new clothes for when we hit our goal weight. Or thinking about the celebration when the new product is launched. We are so focused on the end that we forget about the journey to get there, the messy middle.
The middle is many things – exciting, hard work, tiring, frustrating, scary – to name a few. I find the process to be fun and empowering along with terrifying. When I first became serious about goal setting, personally and professionally, I doubted and questioned myself constantly. A few years into this life changing process and I realize that with every goal I work towards I learn something new about myself. I realize what I am capable of and it’s usually way more than I ever imagined. The mess in the middle has made me realize what I am truly made of – grit and determination to name a few.
What makes the middle so messy and terrifying? There are so many ups and downs and it never goes as planned. Because I am laser focused on the final result, I get discouraged when the process doesn’t go the way I planned or expected. I expect the middle to be hard work but I also hope it’s smooth. It never is. The middle brings change and the unknown, two things a lot of people don’t necessarily embrace.
The middle is never simple or easy but there are things we can do to simplify and stay focused by planning. Imagine a goal to back squat 200 pounds. On day 1 you determine you can squat 150 pounds. Great, you have a starting point but you don’t have a plan. On day 2 you are focused so you have a workout written down and you follow it. Day 3 you decide to run and day 4 you sleep in. Day 5 hits and you back squat again but you don’t know how may reps or sets you should do. After a week or two of this, you probably give up on that 200 pound back squat goal. Another way of tackling that back squat goal would be to sit down on day 1 and map out a six week plan working towards the goal.
Which path makes more sense? Of course the second but we don’t always attack our goals this way. Planning helps the middle. It keeps us focused and helps to adjust for the bumps, the mess, along with way. We need to be attacking our business goals the same way, with a plan. If you need help with the plan, I can help.
