Eye Of The Tiger: How To Survive The "Messy Middle" As A Solopreneur
As a child, I was introduced to the phenomenon of the movie montage by Rocky III. (I pity the fool who missed seeing Mr. T play the villain in that flick).
A montage is a great tool for films to compress time, so that you see the hero make progress toward the big goal while inspirational music plays in the background.
80's movies did this impeccably. Ren helping Willard find rhythm in Footloose. Daniel doing karate moves by the ocean (and later advancing in the tournament) in The Karate Kid. Baby's moves transforming from awkward to elegant in Dirty Dancing.
Montages created a satisfying sense of excitement and progress.
(By the way, can you hear any of the songs from those montages playing in your head now?)
What you don't see in a montage:
The tedium of long training days and repetitive practice
The deep frustration of trying, and falling short, over and over and over.
The silence (main characters can't hear that inspirational music-- they just hear the sound of their breathing + their own self-doubting thoughts).
The time dedicated to sleeping and rest so their muscles can recover and brains can store new learning.
We're coming to the time of the year when the initial excitement of setting goals and intentions for 2022 may be starting to wear off, as the reality of the “in-between” is setting in.
While I still deeply believe that building a business can be fun, I also know there are moments of tedium, frustration, boredom, unknowing, and anxiety that happen between “montage scenes.”
This is often the time some solopreneurs decide that maybe they had the wrong business idea, and are tempted to start something new (when really they want the excitement and dopamine-hit that comes with visualizing a brand new venture).
How do you get through this time that Brené Brown calls the “Messy Middle”?
A few ideas:
Know that you're normal. It's common for the shine to wear off a bit and to dislike some of the in-between work. It doesn't necessarily mean you're off-track.
Build in rest. Not only does taking breaks and getting enough sleep allow you to prevent burnout, integrate learning and keep you in shape for the long haul; it also helps you get in touch with your intuition. You need rest to have insight into whether there are tweaks or changes that can make things go more smoothly, or whether you just need to stay the course.
Have a mentor or helper. All of the best movie montages include an encourager/coach/teacher who keeps the hero moving forward. I love playing this role with my coachees.
Choose your theme song or phrase. It's easier to get through the tedious parts when you've got one of those great montage-theme songs playing in the back of your head, or hear Apollo Creed saying “Eye of the Tiger, man, eye of the tiger". (I mean, even as I'm writing this I'm hearing “You're the Best Around” from Karate Kid. Cheesy but effective).
What's your favorite movie-montage? How can you let it inspire you, by seeing yourself living out your own business-building movie? Comment and tell me below.