When Progress Doesn't Feel Like Progress

Welcome back to the 48th issue of Disrupting Conversations!

There's a phase of growth between where you are and where you want to go that nobody warns you about—and it's designed to make you want to quit. 

That’s exactly when you need to double down.

This week, I was talking with a seven-figure-earning client who has all the markers of success—grit, tenacity, and discipline. These traits got him to where he is today. But now he wants to reach another whole level, and he knows that what got him here won't get him there.

So he's making adjustments. He's investing in his future. And that's created an uncomfortable reality: he's putting in effort without seeing immediate, trackable results. 

The anxiety is real. The agitation is palpable. And the annoyance he’s feeling? It's the voice in his head asking, "When is this going to click?" and “Is this worth it?”

This is the uncomfortable phase of excellence—that uncertain space between where you are and where you want to be—and it’s where most high achievers stumble. But here's what they miss: they’ve never been more prepared for this kind of challenge. 

👉 The question isn't whether you can handle the uncertainty that comes with growth. The question is whether you'll give yourself permission to.

– Dan

Breaking Sales is my podcast to connect with those who are ready to break free from the chains of old sales methodologies that don’t work.

Title of Episode: Release Performance Anxiety with Emily Smith

🎙️ In the second part of our conversation with commercial real estate advisor Emily Smith, we dive deep into anxiety—one of the most damaging barriers successful professionals face. We explore how detachment offers a practical, proven approach to reducing the thoughts that keep you stuck, especially when you're trying to move beyond where you are today. Emily’s story shows why managing your relationship with uncertainty is crucial for anyone ready to reach their next level of success.

You know the feeling: You’ve committed to reaching the next level. You're putting time and effort into new approaches, different strategies, actions that align with where you want to go rather than where you've been. But here's the problem: the results aren't immediate. 

So you find yourself in that uncomfortable space—investing effort while not knowing how, when, or if you'll make meaningful progress. 

This is where successful people get stuck. Nobody likes that kind of uncertainty. 

👉 But here's what’s easy to miss: you're actually better equipped to handle this uncertainty now than you've ever been. All those years of learning, failing, recovering, and succeeding have created an arsenal of wisdom that makes you uniquely equipped to navigate new challenges. Your recovery time from setbacks is exponentially faster because you've seen variations of these problems before.

This brings me to something most successful people don't consider: there's no better time in your life to make mistakes than right now.

Think about it. When you were first starting out, you knew you had to make mistakes to learn and grow. You accepted that stumbling was part of the process. But somewhere along the way, once you achieved success, you convinced yourself that you'd somehow graduated from the school of mistakes. You started thinking you needed to maintain an image—no more looking foolish or uncertain. 

Social media amplifies this problem. We see everyone's polished outcomes, never their messy beginnings. You don't see the grinding in the 500-square-foot apartment. You see the fancy car and private jet later. 

The reality looks very different. 

When you invest effort in where you want to go instead of where you've been, you're going to feel uncertain. You're going to question whether you're making progress. You're going to experience what some call "the dip" or "the suck." 

When this happens, most high achievers start worrying that their best days are behind them. But that's backwards thinking, because now you have something you didn't have before: experience. And your experience isn't something that runs out—it's something that compounds. Every challenge you've navigated, every obstacle you've overcome, every mistake you've bounced back from has prepared you for this moment. 

That uncomfortable space between effort and results? That's not where progress stalls—that's where breakthroughs happen.

So the next time you feel that familiar uncertainty creeping in, remember: it isn't evidence that you're off track. It's evidence that you're exactly where you need to be. Your best days aren't behind you. They're ahead of you—if you're willing to use your experience as fuel instead of fear.

QUOTE

"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."
– Joseph Campbell

Thanks for reading!

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