You’ve likely heard me say that to accomplish anything you have to get good at getting started. Sometimes it’s hard to get started. Sometimes it’s exciting to get started. It’s also really fun to finish.

Do you know what’s not so fun? The middle. That part of the process when you’re kind of in the dark. When you’ve come too far from the beginning to turn back but can’t yet see the light at the end.

Imagine you just pulled everything out of your closet with plans to sort through the contents, reorganize, and neatly put back only that which you decide to keep.

The pulling everything out is kind of fun because, well, making a mess is fun and you know it’s gonna be so good when it’s done.

Thinking about the beautifully-organized closet and how great it’ll be to easily find things is exciting, too.

Sitting and looking at the pile of who-knows-what? Not so fun.

As you get going on the sort, it can feel like you’re not making any headway at all or that you’ll never finish, and you can easily get caught up in the mental loop of dread. But what if the dread could turn into excited anticipation?

Believe it or not, the middle is the best part. It’s not gonna feel the best, but it really is.

This is the place that determines whether you succeed or fail; whether you win or lose.

The middle is where you fall down and learn how to get back up.

The middle is where you take some blows and you come back swinging.

The middle is where you learn what you’re made of.

The middle is also where you come up against new territory. You face things you haven’t before. This in and of itself can be exciting, requiring a tweak here, a revision there, a new approach, process, or tool to get to the next level.

Some things you just can’t know until you’re at that stage, so the middle can be exciting and new in its own right.

The middle is also where you get to upgrade your tools – maybe you need better equipment now. Those running shoes that were fine for your daily walks aren’t so great now that you’re logging a couple of miles or getting ready for a marathon.

This is also where you get to upgrade your dream. Maybe when you started out, you thought you were going in one direction, but now that you’re in the thick of it, you’ve banked some bravery and are ready to blow that initial goal out of the water!

If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. Maybe you reach for the excuse because you’re scared of playing bigger in the world. Could it be serving you to keep things difficult so you can keep yourself small but feel accomplished? You know the whole big fish small pond, small fish big pond idea…

Here’s the deal. You, my friend, are a trailblazer and trailblazers stay the course. We stick it out. We know that every small step we take is getting us closer and closer to the life we deserve. Not despite setbacks, but because of them.

You know how long I was stuck in the middle with our tiny house build — years! But we stuck it out (and we continue to) and each day it gets more and more worth it.

Now I want to hear from you!

• What “middle” have you made it through? That, looking back, you’re glad you stuck it out?
• Is there a “middle” you’re struggling in now?