It's so exciting at The Beginning, isn't it?
You're learning, you're launching, you're out there on the far edge of your experience and it's a real thrill.
Then.
Then comes The Middle.
The Middle is where it gets kinda boring. It's when the to-do list becomes an exercise in tedium. The End might have certain charms, but there's very little that's sexy about The Middle.
It's like how Christmas shopping is for some people: way-super-fun picking out the lovely gifts for the people you adore, wrapping and shipping is an unbelievable drag but then witnessing the unwrapping of the gift is a blast.
So -- how do you stay motivated through The Middle?
1) Remember your values. You began this process with the idea that your work will bring something important (more peace, greater enlightenment, better banana bread, thinner thighs...) to the world. Picture that effect rippling out in the world. Feel the joy. When you can't get the train set suitably wrapped, it can be very invigorating to focus on the future: the delighted look on your little engineer's face upon opening.
2) Delegate. Get help. Farm it out. Beg, borrow or trade. The work that is a giant drag for you might actually be sort of fun for someone else. Plus, that other person is not burdened by your story about your journey. (They aren't thinking, "Oh, I should be done with this by now" or "This is probably a really dumb idea" or "Who cares about enlightenment anyway?" They are just doing the work.)
3) Pursue clarity. Put the to-do list down, turn off your phone and sit quietly for five minutes. No distractions. No music. Lock yourself in the bathroom to get away from the family if you have to, but find the place that is quiet inside of your head and hang out there. Deep breaths. Tell the monkey mind to zip it and call upon your more evolved, more loving, more spiritually evolved self. Put your hand on your belly and tune in to your Inner Wisdom, your Intuition, your Higher Self.
Listen closely to what that still, small voice has to say.
The Middle feels a little better now, huh?