The Messy Middle

Starting something feels exciting.

You have the idea.
You can see it clearly in your head.
The first lines of code or the first design sketches feel like momentum.
Everything seems possible.

Finishing something feels great too.

You get to look at the thing you built.
You get to share it with others.
There’s a sense of closure.
A small celebration.

But the middle?

The middle is messy.

That’s the part no one talks about.
The part where the excitement has faded.
The part where the end feels too far away.

In the middle, doubt shows up.
You start asking yourself - why am I even doing this?
You question if the idea is worth it.
You question if you are capable enough to pull it off.

The middle is where distractions feel louder.
Where new ideas tempt you.
Where you want to quit and start something fresh.

Most of my projects almost died in the middle.
Not because of bugs.
Not because I didn’t have the skills.
But because I got tired.

The messy middle is where the fight happens.
It’s not glamorous.
It’s not exciting.
It’s slow, repetitive, and frustrating.

But it’s also where the real growth happens.

Because when you push through the middle, something changes.
You learn patience.
You learn discipline.
You learn how to keep moving even when it doesn’t feel fun.

Every project I’ve actually finished taught me this.
That the middle will always be messy.
And that finishing isn’t about motivation.
It’s about persistence.

So now, whenever I hit the messy middle, I don’t panic.
I recognize it.
I remind myself this is normal.
And I keep going.

Because on the other side of the middle - is something worth finishing.