The Messy Middle: What to Do When You’ve Started, But Have No Clue Where You’re Going
We’ve all seen the pristine aesthetic of the “perfect” workspace.
Picture this: You’re sitting in a quiet room, the warm amber glow of a Himalayan salt lamp casting shadows on the wall, and the faint, grounding scent of incense filling the air. It’s the ultimate setup for focus. You have your tools ready. You finally took the leap and built the thing—in my case, launching a brand-new blog to accompany my YouTube channel.
You’re sitting in the moment. And then… nothing.
The blinking cursor stares back at you. You open a tab. Then another. Before you know it, you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole, jumping from YouTube video to YouTube video, site to site.
Sound familiar? Welcome to the messy middle of starting something new.
The Illusion of the “Perfect Start”
When we start a new creative project, we often think clarity comes before action. We assume that successful creators have a master plan from day one.
But here is the honest truth: Clarity doesn’t precede action; it follows it.
Right now, I have two blog posts live. If I’m being completely transparent, they aren’t ground-breaking. They don’t have the world’s best takeaways yet. But you know what they do have? A publish date. They exist.
If you are waiting for the perfect direction before you press “publish” or “upload,” you will be waiting forever.
3 Realities of Building a Creative Habit
If you are currently sitting at your desk, easily distracted and wondering what the point of your project even is, here is what we need to remind ourselves:
1. Give Yourself Credit for Beginning
Getting over the starting line is often the hardest part. Setting up the website, creating the account, or writing that first terrible draft is a victory. Don’t let the anxiety of what’s next steal the credit from what you’ve done.
2. Discomfort is Part of the Process
Distraction is often just a coping mechanism for discomfort. When we don’t know what to write or create, our brains desperately look for an escape route (hello, YouTube algorithm). Recognizing that the urge to switch tabs is just a sign that you’re doing hard, deep work makes it easier to gently pull yourself back.
3. Consistency Breeds Clarity
You can’t find your voice or your direction in a vacuum. You find it by getting disciplined, journaling regularly, blogging consistently, and forcing yourself into the flow until it becomes a daily habit. Your first ten posts might be aimless. But post eleven might just be the one where everything clicks.
Moving Forward (Even When It’s Blurry)
If you’re struggling with focus or direction today, don’t beat yourself up. Close the extra tabs. Take a breath. Take in the space around you.
We don’t need to have the next five years mapped out. We just need to commit to the habit today. Let’s embrace the messy starts, write the imperfect posts, and trust that the momentum will guide us exactly where we need to go.
