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The Anxious Middle is The Worst
Go all in or all out.
Life’s too short for half-efforts. Go hard or go slow. There’s no in-between. When I’m on, I want to be on. No distractions. No multitasking. Just me and the work. It could be a writing sprint. Or building something I care about. That focused effort feels good. It moves life forward. Then, when I’m off, I want to be off. Long walk. Quality time in a good book. Or dinner with people I enjoy. That kind of rest that resets you.
The problem is that weird in-between.
You open your laptop to work, but you’re just switching between tabs. You try to relax, but your mind’s racing with to-dos. Fake productivity or rest is the wort. You’re never really doing either. Consultant Charles Miller calls it the anxious middle. “Spend a handful of hours a day going fast. Crush a gym session. Do deep work on a project you care about. Spend the rest of the day going slow. Take walks. Read books. Get a long dinner with friends. Either way, avoid the anxious middle where you never truly relax or truly move forward,” he said.
The “in-between” is a trap.
You think you’re just “staying busy.” But you’re stuck. You get clarity by designing a rhythm for life. Fast, then slow. Work, then rest. Sprint, then recover.
