Live from the messy middle: why entrepreneurs should stop pushing at max every second — and start building for joy
Right now, I’m writing this from the messy middle of an almost-finished project I really want to finish— and I’m not moving at full speed.
That’s new for me.
Old me would’ve been sprinting, eyes locked on the finish line, wringing every ounce of energy into “finishing strong.” My spreadsheet would’ve been color-coded (ok, fine, it still is — but just a little bit), my project plans would be spotless, and my caffeine intake… well, let’s not talk about that.
But lately, I’ve been realizing that speed isn’t the same as progress. Finishing strong doesn’t matter much if you don’t want to start again.
A few weeks ago, I hit a wall.
Not full-on burnout — no dramatic quitting, no midnight breakdown — just a quiet, creeping fatigue. My body ached, my thoughts raced.
My first instinct? Push harder. Hustle through. Do the “entrepreneur” thing and optimize my way out of the slump.