The Unsexy In-Between

There is a place where I believe we spend a majority of our lives. A place I am calling “The Unsexy In-between.” 

It is not the Mountaintop, a.k.a. the glorious moment when we reach a goal or an opportunity comes our way as a result of work we have done. Nor is it the Valley, those darker, heavier seasons where tragedy strikes or painful lessons are learned.

The “in-between” is where we can easily fall into the monotony of life. Where days of taking no steps can easily slide into weeks and before we know it months or years have slipped by. However, if we are mindful the “in-between” is also the place where we can set ourselves up to take small consistent steps.

I’m currently reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. There are a lot of gems in this book, but what’s striking me this week is the idea that “goals-first mentality” promotes the idea that once I reach my goal THEN I’ll be happy.  

Now, I’m all for the value of delayed gratification, but if I am only going to allow myself to be happy when I hit the Mountaintop (which by definition is a place you only visit, not set up camp) then that would mean I am vastly limiting my experience of joy and happiness in my life. #hellno

Lifelong success comes to those who enjoy the process, not just the end result.

As James Clear says it “When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.”

Right now, I have been in a season where I am not seeing as much “end result” as I would like. What that currently looks like is auditioning for projects that don’t come through and not getting responses or interest in my artwork. 

If I would only focus on that current lack of results, it would be easy to get discouraged. However, if I look at the growth and learning that has taken place and continue to find joy in the process of growing my skills and discovering new ways to get my work out into the world then I channel my energy toward continued improvement and don’t waste a moment on any kind of pity party. #partyofone

If you are currently working towards a goal, lean into enjoying the process and it will sustain you through the lean times. If you don’t enjoy your current process, make changes to make it more enjoyable or reconsider how important that goal really is to you.

Finally, we have one weekend left for our show Noises Off. Thank you to all of the family and friends who have attended the first 2 weekends. There are still seats available for this final weekend, so if you enjoy laughing and being entertained, I suggest you click on the link to buy tickets. 

Here’s a little taste of what you’ll see (and yes, I DID win the vote for widest range of facial expressions). 

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of this week’s post or pass it along to a friend who may be interested in joining in the journey.