Friends,
I am writing this post on February 3, 2025. January was a whirlwind of travel, resetting, travel, and resetting again. Now, we are in the second month of 2025. Reset complete.
I spend time doing a personal year-end review and year-ahead preview each year. This year, it came a bit later than usual, and I used a great tool offered by
. If you have not already done some reflecting, remembering, and resolving, I commend his tool to you.This post summarizes three posts I wrote and published on Substack over the last three weeks. You can find the three parts here, here, and here. These posts offered ideas on how purposeful planning can help you break through the messy middle. Hopefully, you have not hit this phase yet, but trust me—it’s coming.
Greg
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You might have written out your hopes and dreams for 2025. I did, and I also wrote a letter from my beginning-of-year self to my end-of-year self. Among other things, I wrote about anticipating a new grandson and publishing my first book.
As I wrote my letter, I assumed there would be good times and challenging times.
Beginning and completing a project are the easy parts. The tricky part is what I call the messy middle.
The journey between starting and achieving our goals often feels like navigating through the fog - unclear, uncertain, and sometimes overwhelming. Drawing insights from my three-part series, this comprehensive guide offers a strategic roadmap for anyone struggling to push through what Jeff Manion calls "the land between."
Whether writing a book (I have one forthcoming later this year), building a business, pursuing personal growth, or transforming your career, understanding how to navigate this crucial middle ground can mean the difference between abandoning and achieving your dreams.
I created a simple infographic outlining my four planning steps. You can obtain your free copy below.
Understanding Your Why: The Foundation of Purpose
The first critical step in overcoming the messy middle is understanding your fundamental motivation—your "why." As the original series emphasizes, "When you can explain your 'why' in one clear, compelling sentence to someone who holds you accountable, you've found your north star through the messy middle."
To discover and clarify your why, consider these practical approaches:
Create a "Moments of Impact" Journal
Document meaningful interactions and their effects
Record how specific experiences energized or drained you
Use reflection prompts like "Who did you help today?" and "What conversation left you energized?"
Interview Your Future Self This powerful exercise helps uncover your deepest aspirations by asking:
What choices am I most proud of?
Which relationships have I nurtured?
What legacy do I want to leave?
Define Your Non-Negotiables Identify core values by examining:
What consistently energizes you?
What consistently drains you?
Which values do you refuse to compromise?
Discovering Your Purpose: The Bridge to Meaning
Understanding your purpose goes beyond knowing your why - recognizing patterns in your natural responses and life experiences. The second part of our journey focuses on two key aspects:
Natural Response Patterns
Pay attention to your instinctive reactions when others struggle. These responses often reveal your core purpose:
Do you naturally offer solutions?
Are you drawn to emotional support?
Do you instinctively gather resources?
Life Chapter Analysis
Examine pivotal moments in your journey:
Times of significant obstacle navigation
Relationships that sparked meaningful growth
Moments of peak engagement and energy
Periods of transformation
"Your most profound growth often emerges from challenges that initially seemed impossible."
These experiences shape your unique blueprint for purpose.
Beginning with the End in Mind: Strategic Vision Mapping
The final puzzle piece involves creating a clear vision of your destination and mapping the path. This approach includes several powerful tools:
Writing a Letter to Your Future Self
Create a detailed letter from your future self describing the following:
Pivotal actions that led to success
Valuable lessons learned from challenges
Evolution of your success definition
Key advice for staying purpose-aligned
Reverse Engineering Success
Start with your ultimate vision
Break down major goals into smaller milestones
Identify potential obstacles
Create contingency plans
Personal Manifesto Development
Create a resilience blueprint, including:
Core values and principles
Power statements for challenging times
Gratitude rituals
Self-reflection prompts
Milestone Mapping
Establish clear progress markers:
Quantitative metrics
Qualitative measures
Regular check-in points
Celebration milestones
Bringing It All Together
The journey through the messy middle isn't about avoiding challenges but transforming them into strategic advantages. By combining a clear understanding of your why, a deep connection to your purpose, and a well-mapped vision of your destination, you create a robust framework for sustained success.
Remember, as the original series points out, "Some of history's most outstanding leaders found their most profound purpose not despite uncertainty but because of it." Your current challenges might be the catalyst needed for your most significant growth.
Your Turn
Set aside two dedicated hours this week for strategic planning:
Review and document your why
Analyze your natural purpose patterns
Create your future self letter
Draft your personal manifesto
Start your "Moments of Impact" journal today. Capture at least one meaningful interaction and reflect on what it reveals about your purpose.
Share your journey: What's one insight from this guide that resonates most with your current situation? Comment below or join our community discussion.
Your breakthrough awaits - it's time to transform your uncertainty into your most significant advantage.
*This post contains an affiliate link. I will receive a small commission if you purchase the book through the link provided.