Every project has that middle time when one is in the thick of it. Michael Hyatt calls this phase of a project the messy middle. It is a time when momentum is difficult to keep and distractions reign supreme.
About two weeks ago I moved into my place. There was an initial flood of things done and then the task of unpacking and organizing became more difficult. After setting up a workable kitchen, bedroom, and workroom, I repaired my bookshelves (new shelf pins, which required drilling out the holes). Then there was a flurry of unloading a buttload of books, and getting them onto the shelves in a semi-organized fashion, and moving boxes from the storage unit to my garage (where I’m staging them).
Now I’m in the messy-middle of this project. I am greatly slowed by the need to process the material in the boxes. I don’t want to just put stuff away; I want to sort as I go and choose which things I will keep and which will go away. This is daunting because of the level of decision-making required. I have to look at each thing, then decide.
So things are now much slower. I have to keep my focus and keep my momentum. I want to get this done. Then I can enjoy my place and the things I elect to keep.
But the lesson about the messy middle is well taken.