The mountain does not become smaller because you became stronger.

Growing stronger does not shrink the difficulty, which is why growth so often goes unnoticed. The problem in front of you is exactly as large as it was, and what has changed is on your side of the equation, which is harder to see. People frequently conclude they have not developed at all because the challenges never got easier. The scale was moving with them.

Rather than measuring progress by how hard things feel, compare what you are attempting now with what you were attempting two years ago. Look at the size of the problem rather than the effort it takes. Strength shows up in the difficulty of what you have chosen, not in comfort.