Don’t Quit in Act 2

Generally speaking, in theatre, most stories follow a three-act structure or format.

There’s usually a beginning, a middle, and an end. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back – or maybe girl moves to New York without him. The finale is what gets the fanfare and applause. But there’s a lot of work that happens before that final act.

Act 1 sets the stage.
You meet the characters, learn the setting, and get a sense of what’s at stake. It’s all about laying groundwork.

Act 2 is where things start to change.
Choices are made. Mistakes happen. Tensions build. Plans and trajectories might start to… fall apart. And here’s the thing – it’s messy on purpose. By design. How will the characters react when things don’t go according to plan?

Act 3 is the resolution.
The questions get answered. The characters pick up the pieces. The story lands somewhere new. And that’s often the part everyone remembers.

It’s easy to think Act 2 is just the frustrating, messy middle, but really? It’s where the depth of story lies. Will the characters rise to the challenge or give up? What decisions will they make? How will they act or react?

Now let’s think of this same structure in terms of business, websites, creative projects – or just life in general.

Act 1 feels organized and, for some, even exciting: building the thing, launching the idea, putting yourself out there.

But eventually, Act 2 kicks in.
Things don’t go like you thought they would. People don’t respond how you hoped. Momentum slows. And you start wondering if it’s even worth it.

It may not be failure. It might just be Act 2.

When You’re in Act 2: Zoom Out Before You Quit

Take the time to pull back and look. Are things really not working, or is it just more work than you had anticipated? Is it time for a pivot, or time to push through?

That’s where a third-party perspective can help — someone you trust to look at your situation with you. A friend, a family member, a coach. Someone who can see the whole arc and remind you that the middle isn’t the end.

As Tom Hanks says in Cast Away:

“So now I know what I have to do. I have to keep breathing. And tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what the tide will bring in.”

Act 3 might be just around the corner.
Hang in there.