Dear Friends -
We have tools for starting.
We have tools for executing.
What we rarely have are tools for the space in between.
The phase after you’ve noticed something is shifting, but before you know what it means. When old structures no longer fit, but new ones haven’t taken shape yet.
This is the space many people find themselves in after noticing the identity shifts I wrote about in January.
This is the missing middle.
Without language for this phase, people tend to default to extremes. Either they rush themselves into action prematurely, or they avoid the questions altogether. Neither feels quite right.
What’s usually missing isn’t motivation or discipline.
It’s language that matches the moment people are actually in.
In a world where work, relevance, and identity evolve faster than before, this middle phase has expanded. There’s more to integrate. More to recalibrate. More internal change happening beneath relatively stable external lives.
This phase doesn’t need fixing.
It needs space.
When people are given permission to stay here — without pressure to decide or perform clarity — something important happens. The noise quiets. The urgency softens. And future decisions begin to organize themselves naturally over time.
The missing middle isn’t a problem.
It’s a necessary part of living well in longer lives.
Warmly,
Cara
Future Identity Strategist
Founder, Good Morning Freedom
P.S. If you want to start planning your third act, set up a time on my calendar for a chat: Schedule a Chat with Cara