Not lost, not arrived, just not there yet.
What is the Messy Middle of Adulthood?
At some point in life, many of us experience a shift.
Life might look fine on the outside - a career, relationships, responsibilities - but underneath something feels unsettled.
You start asking questions: Am I on the right path? Is this really what I want? What comes next?
This phase is often called the messy middle of adulthood - the space where identities evolve, priorities shift, and life doesn’t feel as clear as it once did.
And despite what it might seem, it’s incredibly common. Nothing has gone wrong. You’re simply in the middle of things.
Not lost. Not arrived. Just not there yet.
What is The Not There Yet Project?
The Not There Yet Project is a podcast, newsletter and storytelling platform exploring the in-between chapters of adulthood.
Those moments where life looks fine from the outside, but something underneath feels unsettled.
Career pivots.
Identity shifts.
Creative reinvention.
Questions about purpose, belonging and what comes next.
Through conversations with founders, creatives, community builders and thoughtful thinkers, NTYP explores what it really looks like to build a meaningful life - while still figuring things out.
Because the truth is:
Most people are not lost.
They just haven’t arrived yet.
Notes from The Not There Yet
Why this exists.
Hi, I’m Bethany - the founder of The Not There Yet Project.
Like many people here, I spent years doing what I thought I should.
Following the milestones.
Chasing the next step.
Being on the train.
Building a life that looked good on paper.
But underneath it all there were questions I couldn’t ignore anymore. I wasn’t settled. I wasn’t aligned to my values. There was something more fundamental, deeper missing.
The Not There Yet Project started as a personal note to myself - a place to notice, question and reflect on the strange middle of adulthood I was experiencing.
Over time, it became something I shared. Then I started sharing other people’s stories too. Now, it’s a space for anyone asking the same kinds of questions I once did. It’s not a blueprint or a self-help system - just a place where we can be honest about the fact that most of us are still figuring things out.
And maybe that’s exactly how life is supposed to work.
Stories from the Middle.
View all-
The courage to choose differently: Jordan Stach...
Bethany WrightJordan Stachini never planned to run a marketing agency. But when life forced a series of difficult decisions - about work, relationships and identity - she chose honesty over expectation....
The courage to choose differently: Jordan Stach...
Bethany WrightJordan Stachini never planned to run a marketing agency. But when life forced a series of difficult decisions - about work, relationships and identity - she chose honesty over expectation....
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Can Community Save Us? Leadership, Loneliness &...
Bethany WrightLoneliness is rising. AI is accelerating. Institutions are wobbling. So the question is no longer whether community matters. It’s whether community might actually save us. In this episode, Jonny Quirk explores leadership, belonging,...
Can Community Save Us? Leadership, Loneliness &...
Bethany WrightLoneliness is rising. AI is accelerating. Institutions are wobbling. So the question is no longer whether community matters. It’s whether community might actually save us. In this episode, Jonny Quirk explores leadership, belonging,...
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Navigating Two Careers. Choosing One Life: Roxy...
Bethany WrightRoxy Heapy has built two careers, a running club, and a life rooted in resilience. From corporate sportswear to bridal makeup, from childhood grief to running her first half marathon...
Navigating Two Careers. Choosing One Life: Roxy...
Bethany WrightRoxy Heapy has built two careers, a running club, and a life rooted in resilience. From corporate sportswear to bridal makeup, from childhood grief to running her first half marathon...
Stories from the middle.
The Not There Yet Project shares real stories from people navigating life transitions.
The steady builders.
The pivots.
The brave changes of direction.
Because behind almost every life that looks certain from the outside is a much more complicated journey underneath.
Everyone is still growing.
Everyone is still learning.
Everyone is still working something out.
If there’s a story that deserves space here, we’d love to hear it.