97. Navigating the Void: When Growth Feels Like Loss

The Create Your Day Podcast

Have you ever found yourself feeling unexpectedly sad after achieving something you worked so hard for? That disorienting fog where you no longer recognize yourself, yet haven't fully stepped into who you're becoming? Welcome to what I call the "identity hangover" – that strange, uncomfortable space between identities that nobody warned you about.
Growth requires shedding old versions of ourselves, like a snake discarding its skin. But that moment of standing exposed, without the comfortable familiarity of who you used to be, can feel profoundly destabilizing. What makes this experience so jarring isn't that we miss our old lives – even when they were painful or limiting – but rather we miss the certainty they provided. We knew exactly how to navigate that world, even if it was through survival mechanisms that no longer serve us.
The signs are unmistakable: achieving goals only to feel underwhelmed, second-guessing decisions you were previously confident about, feeling awkward in spaces that once felt comfortable, or even subtly sabotaging your forward momentum because it feels disloyal to your former self. This isn't weakness or regression; it's a natural part of transformation. Your brain and body are simply catching up to the new reality you've created for yourself. The silence isn't the absence of you – it's creating space where your authentic self can finally emerge.
If you're feeling foggy right now – like you should be celebrating but instead feel lost – know that you're standing at the threshold of your next evolution. Don't rush it. You're exactly where you need to be. Ready to navigate this space with support? My new Balance and Breakthroughs membership is launching soon, designed specifically for women who are constantly evolving and need guidance through these identity shifts. Visit JenCody.com to learn more and join us in doing the real work together.

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Chapters

1. Welcome to Episode 97 (00:00:00)

2. Understanding the Identity Hangover (00:00:45)

3. Grieving Certainty, Not Identity (00:02:42)

4. Signs You're in the Void (00:05:23)

5. Guilt and Self-Preservation in Growth (00:08:40)

6. Embracing Uncertainty Over Clarity (00:14:08)

7. Growth as Disintegration and Reassembly (00:17:25)