.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
The In-Between
- katrincharlton
- Dec 29, 2025
- 5 min read
As the year draws to a close, many people sense a shift.
Something ending.
Something wanting to begin.
And a quiet discomfort in the space in between.
I’ve written before about transition moments — the small, often invisible shifts we move through every day — and how the energy we carry from one moment into the next shapes our presence and performance. This piece stays with the in-between itself a little longer.
Because year end has a way of bringing it into focus.
Change and Transition Are Not the Same
It’s worth pausing here to distinguish change from transition.
Change is external.
It’s the new role, the restructure, the move, the decision that gets announced.
Transition is internal.
It’s how we psychologically and emotionally adapt to that change over time.
Change can happen quickly.
Transition rarely does.
The difference between change and transition has been well documented in change psychology — notably in the work of William Bridges — yet it remains widely underestimated in leadership practice, particularly in how little space we allow for the in-between.
Every meaningful change involves some form of letting go, a period of not quite knowing, and eventually a reorientation towards what’s next.
The difficulty is not that this middle phase exists — but that we so rarely allow ourselves to stay there long enough for anything to truly settle.
What often creates discomfort isn’t the change itself — but spending time in this in-between without space to make sense of it. And it’s usually the phase we try hardest to rush.
A Personal Realisation About “Completion”
Something my own coach helped me realise some time ago has stayed with me.
That feeling of not being complete isn’t usually about a lack of clarity, answers, or effort.
More often, it’s about not pausing.
Not creating space.
Not acknowledging what’s been lived and learned.
Not celebrating what worked.
Not letting go of what no longer fits.
Not allowing integration.
That sense of unease many people feel at year end isn’t a signal to push harder or plan faster.
It’s often an invitation to slow down long enough for things to land.
Transitions Happen All the Time
We tend to think of transitions as big life moments — a promotion, a restructure, a move, a personal turning point.
But in reality, we transition constantly.
Between meetings.
From work to home.
From focus to fatigue.
From one version of ourselves to another.
Most of these transitions happen so quickly that we barely notice them. And yet, they still cost energy.
When transitions don’t fully complete, familiar patterns travel with us. Behaviours repeat. A sense of being stuck can appear — even when things look “successful” from the outside.
This is something I see often in my coaching work: people trying to move forward while still carrying the emotional and cognitive load of what came before.
Why the In-Between Feels Uncomfortable
From both a leadership and neuroscience perspective, this makes sense.
The brain is designed for efficiency and prediction. It relies heavily on past experience to anticipate what comes next. Transitions disrupt those patterns.
Without space to pause and recalibrate, the nervous system can remain in a low-grade state of alert — busy, on edge, always preparing for what’s next.
Reflection isn’t indulgent in these moments.
It’s regulatory.
It’s what allows clarity, better decisions, and more sustainable energy to emerge.
The ability to stay with the in-between — without rushing to resolution — is not a soft skill. It is a leadership capability.
The In-Between and Executive Presence
Much of what we describe as executive presence is shaped in these in-between moments.
Not in polished presentations or decisive announcements — but in how leaders hold themselves when things are still unclear.
When a strategy is forming, not finished.
When a decision is pending, not announced.
When certainty hasn’t arrived — but leadership is still required.
Executive presence is not just about how you show up when you have the answer —but how you show up when you don’t.
This is where presence is tested most.
The ability to remain grounded without rushing.
To tolerate ambiguity without becoming reactive.
To stay connected to purpose without forcing direction too soon.
These capacities don’t come from technique alone.
They are shaped through how we navigate transitions — especially the in-between.
That steadiness is rarely built in moments of clarity. It is built in moments of transition.
Year End as a Natural Pause
(But Not the Only One)
Year end is one of the most powerful collective transition points we experience. It naturally invites questions like:
What worked?
What drained me?
What do I want to carry forward — and what needs to stay behind?
Many high achievers struggle with this at first.
They’re used to momentum.
Pausing can feel uncomfortable, even unproductive.
Learning to stay with that discomfort — while remaining calm, coherent, and intentional — is a quiet marker of executive presence.
And if year end isn’t your moment, that’s completely fine. Some people reflect in summer. Others during moments of renewal such as Easter, Ramadan and Eid, or Rosh Hashanah.
The timing matters less than the intention.
Making Sense of Change (Without Forcing It)
Making sense of change sounds simple. In practice, it rarely is.
Most people are very good at thinking about change.
They analyse, plan, problem-solve, and push forward.
What’s often missing is space.
Space to step back far enough to see what’s really going on.
Space to distinguish what needs action from what needs acceptance.
Space to notice what’s unfinished — and what’s ready to be released.
In my work, I don’t rush people into answers or next steps. I help them slow down just enough to locate themselves within the transition.
That’s where clarity starts to emerge.
Not as a checklist.
But as a felt sense of direction.
A Gentle Question to Close
As this year comes to an end — or whatever renewal point feels right for you — I’ll leave you with two questions:
What are you being invited to let go of, so something new can come in?
And where might you need to allow yourself to stay in the in-between a little longer?
That’s often where meaning, clarity, and completion emerge.
Working With the In-Between
If this resonates and you’d like support, you’re very welcome to get in touch.
Stepping back, pausing, and making sense of transitions can be surprisingly hard — especially if you’re used to carrying responsibility, moving quickly, and holding things together.
That’s why I offer one-off 90-minute Clarity & Vision sessions.
They’re not about fixing or forcing change.
They’re about creating the right conditions for insight, integration, and grounded decisions.
Clients often come to these sessions not because they lack competence —but because they want to strengthen their executive presence during moments of uncertainty, transition, or increased responsibility.
With gratitude,
Katrin
Comments