A few days ago, I was on the ferry after a long week. I was lucky enough to be the first car on the boat, which means I had a beautiful view of the Puget Sound. And instead of pulling my laptop out or catching up on next steps for work, I leaned against the hood of my car, looked out at the mountains, and was present with nature.

For the first time all week, I let myself be still.

The truth is, we are in a season of transition and change at CoCreate Work. There are many exciting things on the horizon: a new program we’re building, a new website, and solidifying a larger physical footprint in the Bay Area – thanks to our amazing partner Martha Shaughnessy, and her company, The Key PR.

We’re also making a big tech expansion to further support our clients which I couldn’t be more excited for. Overall, we are aiming for what I’ve been calling our “10X moment.” And if you’ve been following along on our social media, you know we’ve been testing a few changes to our content and planting seeds for what is coming next.

Yet, in the midst of this excitement, if I’m being honest, we’re also in the messy middle. I like to think of the messy middle as that in-between place where you see momentum and impact but you know you have so much more to give and the end feels far away.

Over the past week we helped two organizations build towards their next level, including bringing together a group of leaders to co-create the shared language, shared understanding, and alignment that will carry them into a 20+ million dollar raise. Two of our amazing executive coaching clients have signed book deals, and a couple more have begun to transition to the next steps in their careers. We also sent out offers to bring two brilliant executive coaches in to partner with us this past week.

Yet, we haven’t “officially” launched any of these new items yet, and everything feels [in] the in-between. I haven’t sent a newsletter in three weeks, and on top of all of that – I’m a recovering perfectionist (hello enneagram 1).

After a good journal session and taking a beat – it came to me, ah yes, we are in the messy middle. We know where we’re going, but we are not fully there – yet.

While I ended last week feeling incredibly fulfilled and proud, I also found myself thinking of all that had not been completed. For a long time, when I found myself in a season like this, I thought the answer was to push harder: get through the checklist, stay up later to finish tasks, fight harder, activate more…

But I’ve learned that the messy middle doesn’t respond well to force.

There comes a time when continuing to push no longer creates more output, it actually creates less. After a certain number of hours, there are diminishing returns. The version of you who keeps going past midnight is less effective than the version of you who stopped, slept, and came back with a clear mind.

That was the lesson waiting for me on the ferry. Standing there, looking at the water and the mountains, I didn’t feel behind or like I wasn’t doing enough. I felt proud. I felt grounded. And most importantly, I felt connected to the impact we’re creating, even in the uncertainty. I realized that sometimes the most productive thing you can do in the messy middle is to take a moment.

The Big Idea

Taking a beat during the messy middle doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It doesn’t mean you’re slowing down permanently or that you can no longer have your “10X moment.” Instead, it is an opportunity to re-energize, get clear, and recalibrate where needed.

3 Ways To Move Through The Messy Middle

1. You Get to Choose

When things start to feel uncertain, it’s easy for chaos or self-sabotage to take over. But the truth is, you set the tone.

You get to decide whether this season feels out of control or whether it feels like a moment of learning and taking in new information. You get to decide what story you’re telling yourself, and your team, about what’s happening.

What does it sound like to own the narrative? What does it feel like to say: “We are still building, still learning, and still moving forward?”

When you create that groundedness for yourself, you create it for those around you as well.

2. Give Your Projects Time Instead of Judgement

Lately, I’ve caught myself asking: why isn’t this working?

Then, I was asked the same question by two different people: “Have you given it time to work?” 

Both times, that question woke me up a little. So often, we quit in the messy middle because we assume the lack of immediate results means we are failing, but most meaningful things take a bit longer than we want them to.

The quote “All great achievements require time” attributed to Maya Angelou feels very fitting.

Don’t give up simply because you haven’t arrived yet; sometimes you’re closer than you think, you have to stay in it long enough to see the results.

3. Make a Plan and Return to It

One of the things that has helped ground me the most in this season is having a plan.

When everything feels uncertain, having a plan is your anchor. Quarterly planning, strategic planning, clear priorities, and alignment with your team can help remind you that just because things feel messy doesn’t mean they’re directionless.

The messy middle can feel significantly less scary when you can zoom out and remember where you’re going. You don’t need to have a full plan sketched out right now, nor do you need to have every detail of what to include. But you do need something to come back to when things feel overwhelming.

The Key Takeaway

The messy middle can make you feel like you’re doing something wrong – I’m no stranger to that feeling either. What helps me shift my mindset is remembering that I’m exactly where I need to be, and I am in the process of building.

If you are in the messy middle with me, remember that this is a season of growth and learning. You are building something beneath the surface, even if you can’t fully see it yet.

And a gentle reminder: you do not have to push through at the expense of yourself. You do not have to prove your worth through exhaustion. Take the break, reconnect with the bigger picture, and trust the process.

As for me and CoCreate Work, we are in the messy middle, but we are also in the middle of something meaningful, and I can’t wait to share more soon!

If you’re in the messy middle season right now, we’d love to hear your thoughts and learn about how you are navigating this moment. Simply reply to this email, we read and respond to every single message we receive. We are excited to hear from you!

THIS WEEK’S LEADERSHIP AFFIRMATION

Even in the messy middle, I am building something meaningful and moving exactly as I need to. I believe that growth is happening even when I can’t yet see the full picture. 

LATEST IN LEADERSHIP & CULTURE THIS WEEK

• Harvard Business Review: To Put Your Company Values into Action, Create Working Agreements​
• Harvard Business Review: To Change Company Culture, Focus on Systems—Not Communication
• Fast Company: Here’s the leadership skill AI can’t replace
• ​Fast Company: Job seekers don’t discount culture fit

HOW WE CAN HELP

At CoCreate Work we are human-first. Results always. We work with founders and executives ready to lead their next stage of growth. If that resonates with you, here are a few ways we can help:

• Executive Coaching
• Leadership + Team Development
• Culture Design

Interested in learning more? Schedule a conversation with our team.