The Middle Game Tests Perseverance

Starting May Not Be Your Biggest Challenge……….

When it comes to our dreams and goals, we often encourage one another to just start on the journey. We talk about how starting something is the hardest part, almost as if conquering the start has already secured the finish for us. No doubt, starting something is pretty difficult; multitudes quit at the thought of starting, even without getting past the starting line. To illustrate this, imagine how difficult it is to start a run. Just the thought of “I need to go on a run” causes many to not put on the running shoes. Just like working out, we hate the thought of it, but we are always grateful when we manage to slip in a workout that day. While starting is pretty hard, we often underestimate what the middle of the journey is like. There are plenty of quotes about starting and finishing a journey, and not so many on what happens during the journey.

50 % of Businesses Fail within The First Five Years.

If the middle of the journey were not too difficult, this number would not have been so high. When they make this decision to quit, these founders are not thinking about how exciting it was when they finally overcame, leaped, and started the journey. It’s almost as if the challenges overshadow every good thing or fulfillment you once attached to the goal. Let’s go back to our mantra this year with personal growth strategies. We don’t want to put in the work for our yearly goals at the beginning and at the end of the year, when we have the pressure of year-end approaching. We want to utilize the months in the middle. As the first quarter of 2026 comes to an end, for many, the momentum towards their goals this year is starting to fade. They started because of the New Year’s excitement, unfortunately, as challenges crept in, which they do, many lost their ambition because the middle of the journey is not always easy.

If you are one of those who is slowly caving in because things are not going as you planned, I see you, and I get it. The journey is not always linear. This may be the year you wanted to do right in your finances, but the economy in your country suddenly feels like harsh waves on your goals. You may have finally started on that dream you always knew God placed on your heart, but the obstacles surrounding it make you feel otherwise. Your efforts of becoming resourceful feel like you are shooting blanks. My friend, that’s the middle of the journey. It requires you to carry and implement every lesson you have acquired on your personal growth journey to date. And guess what, you even learn completely new lessons as well. The middle of the journey requires grit. If you are not careful, its easy to slip away into hiding.

As we step into the second quarter and middle months, these are some of the ways to help stay on course when it comes to becoming.

Surround Yourself With People Who Uplift And Remind You of The Dream

When you are taking a long walk, being surrounded by others makes it feel shorter than when walking alone. Not only does it feel shorter, but it feels lighter. When you feel tired you have others cheering you on. The same applies when achieving your dreams, you need encouragers, people who believe in you the moments you are downcast. The ones that keep you accountable when it comes to showing up.

When Noone else does, encourage yourself

In the scriptures it says that David encouraged himself in the Lord 1 Samuel 30:6. The book of Psalms has the most encouraging scriptures in the bible. One of the most famous one being Psalms 91.

Think of the challenges as temporary because they are.

One of the biggest challenges we face when we face obstacles is that we think it’s permanent. When you are broke, you never think beyond the broke state and that’s the issue. Everything is subject to change, even the good things. Nothing remains the same. When obstacles show up, remember it’s just a phase. Show up, do what you are supposed to do, encourage yourself, be resourceful knowing that the situation is not permanent.

Terri Savalle Foy repeatedly says “The one thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful people is that successful people don’t quit!” As we jump into the middle months of 2026, decide whether you want to be part of the statistics of the people that give up or those that become successful. Remember this middle of the journey demands perseverance.

tanyafungai