This weekend, I stood frozen before my canvas.
What I saw wasn’t art. It was chaos.
Blurry lines. Clashing colors. Total doubt.
But I knew what it was: the messy middle phase.
That point in the creative process where nothing looks right and quitting feels tempting.
I go through it every time I paint.
And every time, I forget it’s just part of the process.
Until it passes, and something beautiful emerges.
What’s true for art is true for organizations.
Change is not linear.
After 30 years working on complex transformations, I have both led and survived messy middles. (See post 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻… where I speak about the fall)
The messy middle, although necessary, is never easy.
This is when the hard decisions hit.
It is restructures, pivots, and layoffs.
Hard on the people making the calls.
Even harder on the ones impacted.
I have lived on both sides.
This phase, to rephrase Darwin, favors the most adaptable, not only the strongest.
Here are six practices that helped me lead and survive during uncertain times.
If you are in a messy middle now, this post is for you:
• 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲
Reset rituals matter.
Mine: 15 minutes of silence, 15 minutes of walking.
No phone. Just air.
• 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻
Master your responsibilities.
Support your team.
Invest in your growth.
• 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁
Not everything is yours to fix.
Focus on effort, not outcome.
• 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲
Isolation feeds fear.
Connection builds resilience.
• 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹
Your brain will write worst-case scripts.
Do not believe every scene. Stay present.
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴
No role is worth your health.
Sleep. Move. Unplug. Repeat.
During the messiest moments, I simplify.
I reset to basic needs with gratitude. No wants.
I declutter. I detox physically and mentally.
It gives me clarity and a sense of control.
And I double down on joy.
For me, that is painting.
The brush quiets the noise.
The colors remind me that creation still matters, even in chaos.
𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀
Do not just manage milestones.
Lead through the messy middle.
Normalize uncertainty. Check in.
Be honest, even when the answers are not clear.
𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁
This phase is temporary.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁.
You’ve made it through 100% of life’s messy middles. Transitions are not fun but you got this one too. Accept and adapt.
What is one mindset or habit that helped you push through your own messy middle?
