The Goo: The Messy Middle Is Where Growth Begins

The Goo of Change. Why the messy middle is where growth begins. Change rarely feels exciting — it often feels sticky, stretchy, and awkward. Dana uses her own story (when her daughter started driving) to describe the “goo” stage of transition and how to find breadcrumbs back to yourself.

A lesson for her daughter, and for anyone younger: the messy middle is proof you’re already becoming something new.

Transcript

Change doesn't feel clean. It feels like goo. That sticky, Stretchy, Messy, In the middle, In between of what was and what's coming next. Hi, I'm Dana Mitchell and I want to thank you for being here. I share small shifts and real-life stories to help you feel a little more clear and calm as you move forward into your next phase. There's a stage of change that I call goo. You're not who you were, But you're not yet who you're becoming. It's the in-between. It feels sticky, Like gum on the bottom of your shoe, Slowing you down. It can feel stretchy, Like you're being pulled in two different directions. It could show up like, I could do this or I could do that, Being in two different minds. It feels uncomfortable, Like you're wearing a sweater that doesn't fit anymore. Right now, I'm in the goo and that's why I thought I would chat about it. My daughter has started driving. Overnight, I'm not needed anymore and I have extra time and it's a weird, Strange ache happening all at the same time. The words that come to mind are bittersweet. She's growing up, Making decisions on her own, Which is what my job was, To help her get to this phase in this chapter of her life and I will miss her telling me all about her day in those first few moments during carpool pickup. So that's the goo. It can show up when you least expect it and usually it's during transitions, Like when the kids are leaving home, You're becoming an empty nester, When the job shifts and changes, When you're looking at retirement, When a relationship ends, Usually when you should be excited, But often it also feels like the goo. Here's the gift though. Goo isn't just sticky, It's space. Space to breathe, Space to remember what you used to enjoy, Space to try new things, Or even pick up projects that you have forgotten. So for me, It was picking up an old crafty hobby, Not to spend a whole ton of time trying to make it perfect, Just reconnecting with a forgotten part of myself. So I bought an inexpensive bow maker and I'm very excited about it and I'm going to redo some of my wreaths. Exciting, I know. Really, That's only exciting for people who are crafters. So here's a question for you. If you're in the goo, What is one thing you used to enjoy doing that you can dip back into? The goo doesn't last forever. It's not failure. It's just the middle. It's the stage of becoming something new. So if you're in the goo right now, It means that you're already in motion. You're in between. Messy, Yes. Gooey, Yes. But also full of endless possibilities. Thanks for spending time with me today and check back on my profile as I am bringing more of these little episodes to you of little simple steps that you can take to gain momentum. Hope you have a great day.