3 Signs You're Growing (Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It)
We often imagine growth as a glowing transformation—something that feels expansive, energising, and empowering.
But real growth?
It’s often a lot messier than that.
Sometimes it feels like crying in your car after setting a boundary. Like questioning everything even though you thought you were clear. Like doing all the “right” things… and still feeling unsure.
Growth stretches you.
It brings discomfort, resistance and emotional friction.
And you might start to wonder:
“I’ve done so much work on myself… why does it feel like I’m going backward?”
Here’s the truth:
The discomfort you’re feeling might not mean you're stuck or back in old patterns.
It might actually mean you're in the midsts of growing. Perhaps even on the edge of a breakthrough.
So in-case you’re feeling a little helpless or lost right now, here are three subtle signs of progress you might not be seeing:
1. You’re Feeling More—Not Less
Growth isn’t always a light, floaty feeling.
Sometimes, it comes with intensity—because you’re stepping into unfamiliar territory.
You’re expanding your capacity.
Your nervous system is meeting new edges.
You’re feeling the full weight of your emotions instead of bypassing them.
This can feel overwhelming—but it’s not a setback.
It’s a sign that you’re showing up. That your body and mind are adjusting to new ways of being.
You’re no longer numbing, ignoring, or pushing through.
You’re with yourself now. And that’s growth.
Feeling more isn’t failure—it’s a sign you’re alive in your process.
2. You’re Noticing Your Patterns Sooner
You still spiral sometimes. You still shut down. You still procrastinate, overthink, or try to control things.
But now, you see it.
You notice the pattern as it’s unfolding—or shortly after.
You pause. You name it. You redirect. Maybe not perfectly, but intentionally.
That internal awareness—that moment of watching yourself with more kindness than critique—is growth.
Growth doesn’t mean never repeating the old pattern. It means meeting it differently.
3. You’re Redefining What Progress Looks Like
Old you might have measured success by how much you ticked off, how productive you were, or how well you stuck to the plan.
But now?
You’re asking different questions.
Not “Did I do it perfectly?” but “Did I honour my energy?”
Not “Did I stick to the routine?” but “Did I return to what I needed?”
You’re learning that growth isn’t rigid.
It’s responsive. It flexes. It flows. It allows space for the human in you.
You’re not aiming for perfection anymore. You’re aiming for sustainable growth.
A Soft Reminder
Growth won’t always feel like expansion.
Sometimes it feels like friction, like shedding, like slowing down when the world is speeding up.
But that doesn’t mean you’re not moving forward.
You’re just doing it differently now.
With more softness.
More honesty.
More alignment.
If you’re in the messy middle, where nothing feels fully clear but everything feels important—you’re not alone.
You’re not behind.
You’re becoming.
If this landed for you…
This is exactly the kind of gentle progress we explore in our free Mindful Moments Challenge—small prompts and practices to support you in showing up for yourself softly and consistently. Especially if you feel like you’ve fallen off track.
If your nervous system’s been calling for space and slowness, try the Soft Reset— a workshop full of gentle practices to help you ground and return to yourself, so you can get back to what’s next.
And if you’re looking for something deeper?
A more supported way forward is coming… The Soft Rebuild: a steadier next step for women who are ready to grow - even if they’re still healing
