The Messy Middle: Where Change Really Happens

If Jenny thought deciding to change was the hard part, she was wrong.

Because here’s the thing nobody tells you about building a better version of yourself: the middle part? It’s messy.

Like, really messy.

There were mornings she woke up ready to take on the world, motivational podcast blaring, tea in hand instead of wine, and then there were the mornings she stared at the ceiling, wondering if it was even worth the effort.

Change doesn’t feel like a straight line. It feels like a game of Chutes and Ladders. One day you’re climbing toward the person you want to be; the next, you’ve slid all the way back down because life handed you a bad mood, a late bill, or a toddler with the flu.

Jenny? She experienced all of it.

The Little Things Made the Difference

Instead of aiming for perfection, Jenny started celebrating tiny wins.

• A night spent reading instead of scrolling on her phone? Win.
• Making it through a stressful day without a single drink? Win.
• Saying no to something that drained her energy just because she could? Big win.

She even started keeping a little notebook by her bed where she’d write down one thing she did well each day. Some nights it was, “I actually folded the laundry.” Other nights it was, “I didn’t cry when everything felt like too much.”

Those little things stacked up.

When She Almost Gave Up

Of course, there was that one night. The kind of night where the world feels too heavy and the old habits start whispering, “Come back… it’s easier here.”

Jenny almost listened. Almost.

But she didn’t.

Because she remembered her daughter’s smile when she said, “Mom, you’re laughing more lately.”

And that was enough to keep going.

What’s Coming Next

What Jenny didn’t know yet was that all this messy, hard, imperfect middle stuff?

It was shaping her into someone stronger than she imagined. Someone ready for the part of the story where she’d stop just getting through life and start building something amazing.

But that part… well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow for that.