Trusting the Process When Progress Slows

One of the hardest parts of growth is trusting the process before it pays off.

There’s a phase where you’re doing the work, showing up consistently, and taking things seriously, but nothing is validating the effort yet. No obvious results. No reassurance that it’s working. Just repetition inside uncertainty. That’s usually when people start looking for proof or wondering if they should change something.

This phase isn’t a failure. It’s part of how real progress happens.

Why This Phase Feels So Uncomfortable

These phases feel heavy because they don’t give you much feedback. You’re investing time, energy, and focus without a clear return. When there’s no visible progress, the mind goes looking for something to confirm that the effort is worth it.

That’s when frustration and doubt start creeping in. Even top athletes and executives experience this during slower seasons. It shows up differently for everyone. Sometimes it looks like trying to do more, push harder, or force results. Other times it turns into resentment toward the work itself, or a quiet urge to walk away. For some, it spills over into increased anxiety that extends well beyond competition or work.

Everyone runs into this at some point, and everyone responds to it differently. If you stay stuck in what I call "Suckville," it starts to feel like you’re always falling short. You stop being present, and the gap between where you are and where you think you should be takes over.

Where People Get Stuck

In my book, Break Free From Suckville, I talk about the space between what you believe you’re capable of and what your performance looks like right now. That gap creates discomfort, panic, and eventually starts to undermine progress.

During difficult seasons, the work doesn’t always produce what you expect. That’s hard to accept. So people start chasing relief. Tweaking things that don’t need tweaking. Resetting before anything has time to take shape. Looking for something that will make the discomfort go away instead of staying with the work that was already in motion.

It’s a common response. It just isn’t a productive one.

What to Manage in These Seasons

More often than not, these phases aren’t asking for more intensity or motivation. They’re asking for patience and a little more grace.

The outcome still matters. It always does. But how you get there matters too. If you’re constantly changing your plan, it becomes impossible to know what’s actually working. Consistency is what creates clarity.

Elite athletes and elite leaders understand that not every day is an A-game day. They trust their systems even when the results lag. They keep doing the work to the best of their ability, without needing immediate validation. That’s what builds consistency over time.

Stay With the Work

Every competitor passes through this space. Not because they’ve failed, but because development demands it. This is the stretch where expectations get louder, results get quieter, and it becomes tempting to abandon the very work that brought you here.

If you’re in it right now, don’t confuse discomfort with dysfunction. Difficult phases aren’t a signal to escape. They’re an invitation to respond differently. Staying present, committed, and patient in this stretch is what keeps progress intact instead of tearing it down.