The middle of any endeavor follows some simple patterns.
People tend to follow a pattern over time with regard to self-reported life satisfaction. It follows a pattern much like the pattern of energy throughout the day. Higher, then lower, then higher again. In this case, it’s high until mid-30s, then drops until your 50s, at which point it rebounds.
Groups working together on a project tend to have bursts of productivity - and those bursts tend to happen disproportionally often around the midpoint. The author calls this ”The Uh Oh Effect“.
If you’re well-ahead of pace at the mid-point, don’t let up. If you’re slightly behind - use that as an opportunity to outdo yourself.
Midpoint Tips
- Set interim goals. Communicate those. Commit to those. → OKRs
- Stop for the day NOT at a natural end-point. Stop in the middle of a
- Don’t break the chain.