A Gentle Reminder: 5 Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think

It was a Tuesday, which already says enough. I was in sweatpants that hadn’t seen the laundry since Stranger Things season three. My coffee was cold. Again. And I had just spent 45 minutes scrolling through a stranger’s “morning routine” TikTok, where she made green juice, journaled about her dreams, did yoga with her cat, and still managed to look like she belonged in a Glossier ad.

Meanwhile, I was stuck in what I call my “existential blob era”—you know, that lovely phase where brushing your hair feels like a major win and you’re convinced everyone else is ten years ahead of you.

If that sounds like you too, come sit with me.

Because here’s the truth that smacked me like a rogue Target receipt: we’re way harder on ourselves than we need to be. Especially when life feels messy, unfiltered, or suspiciously mediocre. We equate progress with shiny milestones—promotions, partners, Pinterest-perfect routines. But what about emotional survival? Getting out of bed when you really didn’t want to? Saying no to someone for once? Laughing at a dumb meme when the day felt hollow?

That’s not failure. That’s quiet resilience. And guess what?

It counts.

So this post? It’s not a hype-fueled productivity sermon. It’s a warm hug in blog form. A reminder that even in your messiest, most uncertain season, there are signs—small but mighty—that you’re doing better than you think.

Because sometimes, “making it” looks a lot less like a vision board and more like choosing kindness toward yourself when your brain’s being a jerk.

Let’s talk about five of those signs—starting with one that involves crying over pasta (naturally).

1. You Cried Over Spilled Pasta… Then Cleaned It Up Anyway

Yes, I once cried because my spaghetti fell face-down onto the floor. Not even the dog wanted it. I sat there, wiping tears and tomato sauce off my socks, thinking, “This is my villain origin story.”

But then—I cleaned it up.

That’s the thing: emotional resilience doesn’t always look like calm grace under pressure. Sometimes it’s crying and still showing up. Still feeding yourself. Still folding the laundry, even if you weep into a hoodie.

If you’ve had a bad moment (or twenty) and still moved forward in some small way? You’re not failing. You’re adjusting. You’re showing grit in quiet, unglamorous ways—and that’s a bigger deal than social media ever gives credit for.

“Doing better than you think doesn’t always feel like progress. Sometimes it just feels like survival. That still counts.”

2. You’re Starting to Question Things You Used to Accept

Like… why am I always the one initiating plans? Why do I keep saying yes when I want to scream no? Why did I let that relationship drag on longer than Grey’s Anatomy?

Asking these questions means you’re outgrowing your old patterns. That’s personal growth after failure, even if it feels like confusion.

It doesn’t mean you’re lost. It means your inner compass is finally turning on.

When you start calling out your own BS with love, you’re not being negative—you’re evolving. You’re learning to disappoint people who once relied on your silence. And that? That’s you doing way better than you think.

3. You’ve Got Boundaries Now… Sort Of

You used to bend like overcooked spaghetti. Now you’re slightly al dente. Progress!

Okay, maybe you still struggle to say “no” without typing 47 apology emojis. Maybe you set a boundary and then send a follow-up “lol nvm” text. But the fact that you’re trying means you’re shifting.

You’re learning that peace isn’t about pleasing everyone—it’s about honoring your own energy. How to overcome tough times often starts with tiny internal rebellions: muting a toxic group chat, skipping that one reunion, letting someone else carry the emotional labor for once.

Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re doors with locks—and you finally have a key.

“You’re allowed to protect your peace. Even if you’re still figuring out what that looks like.”

4. You Don’t Measure Your Worth by Other People’s Highlight Reels (As Much)

Sure, you still spiral after a deep-dive into someone’s wedding content who got married with baby’s breath in their hair and a vintage Vespa. (Just me?)

But lately, you catch yourself. You pause. You remind yourself that Instagram is a curated museum of other people’s best angles, edited moods, and strategic lighting.

And instead of spiraling for hours, you shut the app, walk away, and maybe even do something real—like text a friend, journal, or binge The Office for the 17th time.

That awareness? That pause? That’s motivation to keep going, even when the comparison trap whispers lies.

You’re not behind. You’re just human. And maybe you don’t have a Vespa, but you do have self-awareness—and that’s kind of hotter.

5. You’ve Learned to Sit With the Mess (Without Trying to Fix It Right Away)

Before, a bad mood meant frantically Googling “how to be okay” and spiraling through productivity hacks. Now? You sit with it. You feel the sadness. You let yourself not be okay.

That’s next-level healing. Seriously.

Because how to stay motivated in hard times isn’t about fixing everything instantly—it’s about allowing space for your full human experience without shame.

You’ve stopped labeling yourself as broken just because you’re in a low season. You’ve learned that grief, boredom, anxiety—they’re not signs of failure. They’re signs you’re alive and awake.

And guess what?

“Feeling deeply doesn’t make you weak. It makes you brave.”

Why This Really Matters

When you realize you’re doing better than you think, something subtle but powerful shifts: the pressure loosens.

You stop measuring your worth by milestones or timelines, and instead start noticing the courage it takes to keep going when things are hard. You begin to recognize that strength through struggle doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it just sighs and says, “Okay, I’ll try again tomorrow.”

And that’s enough.

Because here’s the plot twist no one tells you: most people aren’t crushing it either. We’re all figuring it out in our own messy, hilarious, deeply human ways.

The fact that you’re even reading this means you’re self-aware enough to pause and reflect—that’s personal growth after failure, plain and simple.

You’re not stuck. You’re unfolding.

Conclusion: Let This Be Your Gentle Reminder

I know the world makes you feel like you’re behind. Like you need to hustle harder, glow up faster, achieve more, do better, fix yourself.

But you’re not broken.

You’re a whole, complicated, wildly feeling human being who keeps showing up—even when it’s hard. Even when it’s weird. Even when your breakfast was just coffee and three spoonfuls of peanut butter.

And that effort? That soft, slow, beautiful effort? It means you’re doing better than you think.

You’re not failing. You’re growing roots. Quietly. Fiercely. Unseen. But very, very real.

So breathe. Be kind to yourself. Wear the wrinkly shirt. Let this be your proof: you’re not as lost as you feel.

You’re on your way.

And that’s more than enough.