Recognizing Your Progress in the Middle of the Fight

When you’re deep in the middle of a battle, it can feel like you’re standing still while the world moves on. The fight is exhausting, the progress is invisible, and self-doubt whispers that maybe all your effort is pointless.

I’ve been there—the days when it feels like every step forward is met with two steps back. You wonder if anyone notices, if you even notice, or if you’re just spinning your wheels in a loop of frustration.

But here’s the truth: growth isn’t always obvious, and progress isn’t always linear. Sometimes, the victory is in what you don’t see, the strength you build quietly while enduring the fight.

The middle of any battle is messy. The initial excitement of starting fades, and the finish line feels impossibly far away. You compare yourself to where you thought you’d be and question why the change isn’t instant.

It’s easy to dismiss your own efforts, to forget that every choice, every small step, matters. Without acknowledgment, exhaustion sets in, and motivation starts slipping. You risk giving up just when the breakthrough is within reach.

Here’s the perspective that changed everything for me: progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Even small, consistent actions reshape you from the inside out.

Each day you fight, each boundary you uphold, each choice to prioritize yourself—even when invisible to others—is evidence of your growth. Your persistence is training your strength and fortifying your resilience, even if the results aren’t immediately apparent.

Recognizing progress is an act of courage. It reminds you that your effort counts, that your journey matters, and that you are becoming unstoppable—even when it feels like the fight is endless.

1. Keep a mini journal of wins. Every day, write one thing you did to protect your boundaries, honor yourself, or act with courage.

2. Compare now to before. Reflect on where you were before this fight began. What have you learned? How have your choices improved your life?

3. Celebrate invisible victories. Maybe no one sees you set limits, but the fact that you do is progress worth acknowledging.

4. Share milestones with a trusted supporter. Speaking your wins aloud strengthens your recognition and reinforces your confidence.

5. Reframe setbacks. Even challenges are progress—they reveal lessons, resilience, and growth.

During a particularly hard stretch with my mom, I felt like I was losing ground. Old patterns threatened to pull me back into people-pleasing, and my confidence wavered.

But when I paused and reflected, I realized how far I’d come. I had maintained boundaries, honored my principles, and continued showing up for myself in ways I never could have a year ago. The victories weren’t flashy, but they were transformative. That reflection gave me the courage to keep moving forward, knowing progress doesn’t have to look like perfection—it just has to happen.

Recognizing your progress in the middle of the fight is powerful. It reminds you that you’re not spinning your wheels—you’re building strength, courage, and resilience.

Celebrate every small win, honor the effort, and give yourself credit for surviving and thriving even when the fight feels impossible. Every step forward, no matter how tiny, is proof: you are moving. You are growing. And you areunstoppable.

Next Steps:

• Download the Courage Builder Journal to track your wins and see your growth.

• Read next: The Strength You Didn't Know You Had