We talk a lot about starting.

Taking imperfect action. Doing the reps. Not waiting until we feel ready.

But what happens when you're doing all of that... and nothing seems to be changing?

You're showing up.

You're doing the workouts.

You're working on the relationship.

You're building the business.

You're recording the podcast.

And there's no big breakthrough. No finish line. No evidence yet that any of it is actually working.

Welcome to the messy middle.

In this solo episode of the Move With Ease Podcast, I'm talking about the space between deciding to change and finally having evidence that the change is working—and why I think this might be one of the hardest parts of growth.

I share what marathon training has taught me about this season: the beginning is exciting and the finish line gets celebrated, but somewhere in between are weeks and weeks of ordinary runs when nobody is watching.

And that's actually where the marathoner is made.

I'm also sharing honestly about a messy middle I'm living through right now with this podcast—continuing to record, learn, grow and put in the reps even when I don't know exactly where it's leading yet.

Because the messy middle asks something difficult of us:

Keep practicing before you have proof.

But this isn't about blindly pushing through.

Sometimes discomfort is information.

Sometimes our body asks us to change the training. Sometimes a business needs to pivot. Sometimes a relationship needs a different conversation. Sometimes life asks us to pause or choose differently for now.

We can adapt without abandoning the destination.

The question becomes:

Is this discomfort asking me to quit... or is it asking me to adjust?

And perhaps most importantly, don't confuse:

"I can't see the result yet" with "nothing is happening."

The marathon finish line doesn't create the marathoner. The ordinary runs did.

A strong body isn't created the day you finally notice you're strong. It was built through all those ordinary reps beforehand.

The outcome may be where you finally see the change.

The messy middle is where you became the person capable of it.

Before you finish this episode, I leave you with three questions to explore:

What messy middle am I in right now?

What evidence am I expecting that hasn't arrived yet?

And if I trusted that the reps were changing me even before I could see or feel the results... what would I do next?

Maybe the answer is simply:

The next rep.

The messy middle isn't the space between where you are and where the magic happens.

The messy middle is where the magic happens.

You just might not be able to see it yet.

Until next time, I'm rooting for you to move with ease.