Super Saturday: Let's Focus on the Messy Middle

I spent some time working on my book proposal this week. 

As I wrote, I soon realized something disturbing. It wasn't good. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say it sucked.

This realization made me want to close the file, shut the laptop, and go eat a handful of chocolate chips.

I'm in the messy middle, and it's not fun.

The messy middle is where we're tempted to give up on a dream or goal because we are faced with the reality of what it will actually take to accomplish what we want to do.

When we first set a goal, it's exciting. We think about how great it will be to write that book, lose that weight, make that money, learn that skill, or achieve whatever dream we have.

When we accomplish the goal, it's thrilling. I wrote the book! I lost the weight! I made the money! I learned the skill! I achieved my dream!

We often forget about the messy middle. The hours and hours we have to sit and write, rewrite, and edit our words before they become a book that is ready for readers. The cravings we have to ignore, the choices we have to make, and the exercise we need to put in before those pesky pounds are shed. The calls we have to make, the hard work we have to put in, and the sacrifices we have to make before we make the money, learn the skill, or achieve the dream.

It's hard, but it's absolutely necessary.

I'd even say the accomplishment of our goal or dream wouldn't be nearly as sweet without the hard work we chose to put in during the messy middle.

So I'll keep writing that book proposal. It will suck at first, but each hour I spend at it will hopefully make it better and better. Someday, it might even lead to a finished book about depression that will be an encouragement to many people.

That will be sweet, and worth every second of the messy middle.

  

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

Are you tempted to give up when you're in the messy middle? How can focusing on God help you to work through that difficult time and accomplish your goals and dreams?

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on What We Can Do

Sorry to brag, but I just had to share this banner about this year's win at NaNoWriMo. Don't know what that is? Well, it stands for National Novel Writing Month and lots of people sign up to attempt writing 50,000 words of a novel in the month of November. I do it every year. I usually win, but this year was a little more challenging.

By Saturday morning, November 28, I had written only 20,534 words. Yes, I had skipped many days and hadn't pushed myself to keep up with the 1,667 daily word goal. But I determined that I would win, so I had lots of typing to do in three days. 

By typing like crazy most of the day, I had 30,060 by Saturday night. By Sunday night I had 42,220 words. On Monday at 7:04 p.m. I verified my word count at NaNoWriMo's website and was a winner with 50,178 words. Whew! I did it!

The funny thing is, I did not sit constantly at the computer for those three days. I would write for a while and then take a break to get something else done. I went to church on Sunday morning and took time to eat and talk to my family. I typed as fast as I could when I was working. Anything to get my word count up. That means sometimes I typed things like this: Laura read some magazines before her hair appointment. She read People and Time and Newsweek and Reader's Digest and Our Iowa and Woman's Day and Redbook.

You get the picture. There was lots of junk like that. But there were also some pretty wonderful lines that came out as I was typing madly. Things happened in my very rough first draft of a novel that surprised me and made me think Hey! This has some potential.

I found myself thinking something like this when I was done: Wow! Look what I got done just by sitting down and working hard. There's no reason I can't edit my novel and submit it for publication. There's no reason I can't get those things done that are on my "To Do" list. All it takes is some focus and dedication. 

We can do much more than we think we can when we really work at it. So really, I just took away all of my excuses for not accomplishing everything I feel God calling me to do. I have the time, I have the talents, I have the motivation if I just decide that I want to get it done.

Now I just have to decide if I really want to edit all of the junk I wrote in the month of November.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

Are there things you've been thinking you can't do? How can focusing on God help you to really apply yourself and get done whatever He is calling you to do?