Ep. 27 - When Progress Feels Slow: Choosing Patience & Prioritizing Well-Being

In this episode, I’m talking about something that often comes up in personal growth and the pursuit of well-being: that quiet, frustrating space where change feels slow and progress isn’t easy to measure. Maybe you’re showing up for yourself, making intentional choices, and still wondering, why don’t I feel further along by now?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and you’re not off track.

Today, I’m exploring what it means to trust the process, give ourselves credit for the small shifts, and care for ourselves deeply during the in-between seasons. I’m sharing a personal reflection, a practice I use with my coaching clients, and a few gentle questions to help you reconnect with your own path — even if it’s unfolding more slowly than you'd like.

This isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about moving with care.

If you’re craving permission to slow down and a reminder that meaningful change often happens beneath the surface, I hope this episode gives you what you need.

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Listen to the Guided Visualization episode mentioned today, or read the blog post that inspired today's episode.

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Transcript

Hello and welcome to Wellness in a Chaotic World. Today, I want to talk about something that’s quite often present for me when making health and lifestyle changes or working on goals — and something that might show up for you too: the feeling that things are moving too slowly or that you’re not making any progress at all.

If you read my recent blog post, When Progress Feels Slow: Choosing Patience & Prioritizing Your Well-Being, some of what I want to share today will sound familiar. But I wanted to take this conversation a little deeper — because I think it’s important that we talk more about giving ourselves grace, letting things be, and trusting the process of change.

The Frustration of the In-Between
The in-between space can be unnerving and frustrating because it’s a space of uncertainty. You know where you want to go and you’ve made a plan for how to get there, but you’re not there yet. 
Every once in a while, even though I’m showing up for myself — doing the things I said I’d do, honoring my intentions — I find myself feeling impatient with the pace of progress.
It’s not that things aren’t happening. It’s just that they’re happening quietly. Slowly. Without a lot of big milestones or clear signals that things are changing.
And that can feel discouraging. Because when we’re putting in effort — whether that’s in our personal growth, our health, our relationships — we want to know it’s working. Our system wants certainty.
But often, especially when it comes to well-being, real, sustainable change doesn’t show up as a dramatic shift. It’s more like something that settles in over time.

 
Small Shifts, Real Change
What I’m reminding myself — and what I want to offer you today — is that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful.
So much of what matters happens in the in-between. In the small shifts we make, day after day — shifts that aren’t always visible, but that slowly shape who we’re becoming.
Lately I’ve been trying to notice and even celebrate those shifts more intentionally. Things like making space for rest when I used to push through. Or choosing one simple meal that nourishes me instead of defaulting to whatever’s fast. Or pausing for a moment of breath before jumping into the next thing.
These aren’t big moves. They’re not flashy. But they’re meaningful. Because each one is a small vote for the version of myself I’m trying to grow into.
And when progress feels slow, those are the moments I try to come back to — not because they “prove” something, but because they remind me I’m already in motion. Even if it’s quiet. Even if it’s unfolding more slowly than I’d like.

Listening Inward, Moving with Care
One practice I return to when I’m feeling impatient or unclear about where I’m going is a visualization I use in my coaching — where I check in with my Wise Inner Guide.
In a recent check-in, the message that came through was simple:
“If you take care of yourself, everything else will fall into place.”
That wasn’t a surprising revelation. We’re told all the time to put your oxygen mask on first in an emergency. But allowing this thought to come up was grounding. It was the exact reminder I needed at the time.
When things feel slow, it’s easy to assume we need to do more, push harder, or control the outcome. But sometimes, what’s really needed is to come back to care. Not performative care. Not “check-it-off-the-list” care. Real, nourishing, honest care.

Questions to Consider
If you’re in a season that feels slower than you expected — or you’re not seeing the results you hoped for — here are a few questions you might sit with:
Where in your life are you feeling impatient right now? And what’s underneath that feeling?

• What small, consistent actions are you already taking — and maybe not giving yourself credit for?

• When was the last time you checked in with your inner guidance? What did it offer?

• What does taking care of yourself actually look like in this season — not ideally, but realistically?

• Can you think of a time when something took longer than you wanted — and still turned out to be worth it?

• You don’t have to rush to answer these. Just notice which one sticks with you — and stay with it a little longer.

A Season, Not a Stagnation
I’ll leave you with this: Slow doesn’t mean stuck. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It might just mean you’re in a season where the most important things are happening below the surface.
Like the roots of a plant — unseen, but essential.
Keep tending to your well-being. Keep trusting the shifts you can’t always measure. And when in doubt, come back to care. That’s what sustains us — even when progress feels slow.

Thanks for being here with me today. If this reflection spoke to something you’re experiencing, I’d love to hear from you. You can connect through the website, or share this episode with someone who might need a gentle reminder that they’re not alone.
And if you haven’t already, check out Episode 26 — it’s where I share the guided visualization I talked about today.
I hope you all have a happy, healthy week, and I’ll talk to you soon.