AP 742: Feeling more like myself, turning in my book manuscript, highs and lows with my kids, a purchase that was on my DSL, what I'm looking forward to in 2026 || Messy Middle December 2025

About Progress

Cloud10

Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This monthly series features an episode sharing my recent highs and lows, how my habits are going, a Do Something List update, plus what I'm loving lately and my commitments for the upcoming month. I hope this glimpse into my life, my family, my work, and my own self development encourages you in your own journey. Around here the goal is never perfection, just to keep trying, even if in very simple ways. I think you'll see that with all of the big changes going on for me, taking the smallest of steps has helped to keep me afloat and feeling like myself. As always, I encourage you to get messy, too! Celebrate 9 years of About Progress by submitting to our annual Favorite Things Giveaway! Simply leave a rating/review on Apple Podcasts. Favorite things + details on who won HERE. Sign up as a Supporter to get access to our private, premium, ad-free podcast, More Personal. Episodes air each Friday! More for Moms Conference use code “LISTENER” for $20 off Leave a rating and review Check out my ⁠workshops⁠! Follow About Progress on YOUTUBE! Book Launch Committee Free DSL Training Full Show Notes This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, get up to 40% off at ⁠⁠Cozy Earth⁠⁠ with code "COZYPROGRESS" and by goPure Beauty, get 25% off @goPure with code PROGRESS at https://www.goPurebeauty.com/PROGRESS #goPurepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is Monica Packer from About Progress, and you're listening to The Messy Middle,
0:10.7	a monthly series where I share some of my own messy middle, so you can see what progress looks
0:15.8	like for a real woman in real time. We always start this episode with the what's happening segment where I share
0:25.0	what's been going on in the Packer household. November absolutely flew by. I think this was the fastest
0:31.9	month of the entire year. I've been getting on top of Christmas in ways that I'm really proud of myself because I'm
0:39.4	not typically really good at doing so. And I scramble a lot all through January, or all through
0:44.7	December rather. And this time I really feel like I am more on top of it in ways that feel
0:50.0	like I'm simplifying, but I'm also prioritizing, which feels good. I shared a lot more about that in an episode I did for more personal.
0:57.7	I will also say what's been happening emotionally at the end of the last messy middle I shared like, am I depressed or am I in a funk?
1:05.9	And that's something I was watching out for. I do feel like I am feeling more like myself, and I'm really grateful for that,
1:13.2	which also proves to me it was indeed a funk and not a depression. I have dealt with depression
1:18.3	several times over the years, and I am very well aware of the difference. I don't think it's
1:24.3	something you can necessarily control or choose to snap your fingers and get out of. So with the funk also, same thing. You can't just snap your fingers, but I do think there are
1:31.2	ways to recalibrate and to come back to yourself. And I feel really good. I feel more whole and rested,
1:41.0	even though I really just got off a big project, which I'm going to talk about. I also feel
1:46.8	more excited for the future. I think that's to me when a funk is really like when I'm feeling
1:51.0	way down by life and not feeling as hopeful for what's to come and just tired. And now I'm
1:57.1	feeling more energetic and I'm looking forward with more hope. So I'm so grateful for that.
2:02.4	What happened in November was mostly just a lot of play stuff. Two kids were in their plays this
2:08.2	month and they were just brilliant. I'm going to talk more about them, but I spent a lot of time
2:13.2	volunteering for my elementary school son's play and just driving them all around and then
2:20.1	attending that and then also my daughters the week after. And that all led up to us driving out
	...

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