What do you do when growth feels stagnant? When it seems like you’ve been climbing uphill for so long, only to stop, look around, and wonder if you’ve made any progress at all?
For the past three years, I’ve been in a constant push. Every day, I’ve fought to move forward—whether in my physical pursuits, career, or personal growth. I’ve given everything I have. I’ve shown up on the hardest days, even when it felt like nothing was changing. Yet, here I am.
I know my life is different. I can see it when I look back. But when I look at today? It feels like nothing has changed. Some days, it feels like all this effort has been in vain. All that work, all that pushing, all that sacrifice—was it worth it? Am I stuck, or am I just spinning my wheels, pouring energy into a void?
Breaking Barriers
Here’s the truth: I don’t stop. I don’t quit. I break barriers. I’ve built myself on the strength of obstacles I’ve faced—not in spite of them. In pain, I find the will to move forward, to push beyond what I thought was possible. I turn struggles into progress. So even when it doesn’t feel like I’m moving, I know I am. I’ve always turned pain into fuel, never backing down from a challenge, no matter how impossible it seems.
The Hard Truth: Growth Isn’t Always Visible
I know what achievement feels like. I’ve experienced it when things finally click after months of hard work. You see the summit. You feel the light at the top. All the blood, sweat, and tears have meaning. In those moments, the effort becomes worth it. You feel it in your chest. You’ve earned it.
But day-to-day? It’s a different story. Some days, it doesn’t feel like any progress has been made. I feel trapped in a loop—constantly striving, constantly giving everything I’ve got, and yet, the goal slips further away. Why can’t I feel like I’m moving? It’s so frustrating. It’s like the momentum I’ve built is suddenly gone, evaporated. And I’m left standing here, questioning if I’ve been doing enough.
The Pressure of Expectations
I should be running more. I should be coding more. I should be preparing for the future with the same relentless urgency I had before. But where does this pressure end? When nothing feels like enough, it’s easy to fall into a trap of self-doubt.
Momentum has fueled me. It’s been my driving force. But what happens when that momentum runs out? What do you do when you’ve been pushing and pushing, only to find the wall growing higher? What do you do when the growth feels stagnant?
Questioning My Identity
What’s worse is the lack of external achievement. No big wins. No visible accomplishments others can see. It makes me question if I really am the person I’ve always believed I am. The person who breaks barriers. The one who turns pain into power. The one who never stops moving forward. If I’m not seeing results, can I still be that person? It’s hard to hold on to that identity when everything feels stagnant, stuck, and unproductive.
Growth in the Waiting
It’s hard to admit, but I’m starting to realize something important: growth doesn’t always feel like growth. Sometimes, it feels like waiting. Sometimes, the waiting is the hardest part—the discomfort of being in limbo. And I hate it. But maybe, just maybe, that discomfort is where I’m meant to grow the most. Not in the big wins, but in the space between. In the waiting, I’m learning to be patient with myself, to sit with frustration and keep showing up anyway.
A Wake-Up Call
A speech I heard from Jarryd Wallace at the University of Georgia commencement struck me deeply. He said, “Goals give us direction; they do not define who we are. What you do is not as important as who you are.” Those words made me question everything. The milestones, the goals, the things I’ve been pushing for—they’re just directions. They don’t define who I am. My worth isn’t tied to how fast I run or how much I achieve.
Embracing the Process
Even though I don’t feel the growth right now, I know it’s still there. Hidden under layers of frustration, impatience, and waiting, it’s there. The discomfort, the feeling of being stuck —that’s where the change is happening. I don’t feel it yet, but I know it’s in the process. I’m becoming who I’m meant to be, even if I can’t see it from where I’m standing.
Moving Forward
If you’re feeling stuck, like you’re treading water with no sense of progress, know that you’re not alone. Growth isn’t always visible. It doesn’t come in a straight line. But every day you keep showing up, you’re moving closer to where you need to be. When you feel frustrated, when you feel stuck, when you feel like you’re not doing enough—embrace it. That’s where the real work happens. That’s where you find your endurance, strength, and true growth. Even if you can’t see it yet. The growth feels stagnant but I promise it is not.
The Bottom Line
Here’s the truth: growth doesn’t always feel like growth. And that’s the hardest part. But don’t stop. Don’t quit. Even when you feel like nothing’s changing, every step—every uncomfortable, frustrating step—is leading you somewhere important. It may not look the way you expect, but it’s happening. Keep going.
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