Written by Thajinsiya
There was a time when I felt everyone around me was moving forward, except me. People my age were getting good grades, starting jobs, passing exams, or knowing exactly what they wanted to do with their lives.
Meanwhile I felt stuck - like I was the only one who hadn't figured things out. It's a horrible feeling and can make you doubt yourself, even when you know that you are trying your best.
For me, it was seeing everyone with their perfect life put together- being so organised, having all their work done, doing revision, getting work experience, volunteering and somehow managing everything so perfectly. It was overwhelming, I wanted to keep up but the more I compared myself the more it felt like I was falling behind.
A lot of young people feel this pressure. School, family expectations and especially social media can make it seem like everyone else is achieving faster. Online, it looks like people your age have perfect routines, perfect friendships and perfect plans for the future. But what we see online is never the reality, it's the highlights.
When I felt behind, it affected my confidence. I started comparing every part of my life to other people’s and tried following their routines, hoping I’d end up with the same results. I thought I wasn't doing enough or that there was something wrong with me. But the truth is, everyone moves at different paces.
What helped me was slowing down and focusing on my own path, understanding that I’m not like everyone else and that I'm my own person. Just because something works for one person doesn't mean it will work for another.
I stopped comparing my timeline to someone else's and started paying attention to what I needed. I reminded myself that progress doesn't have to look big or dramatic - sometimes it's the small steps that lead to the biggest achievements.
Here are a few things that I did that helped me when I felt like I was falling behind:
Limiting comparison – especially online. People tend to only show their best moments and not what really happens behind the scenes.
Setting your own goals - everyone has different ambitions, so your goals shouldn't be based on what others are doing.
Celebrating small wins – even if they may seem tiny, they’re steps towards something bigger.
Feeling behind doesn't mean your failing. It means your human. Everyone has moments where they feel lost in life – even the ones who look like they have everything together
You're not alone, it's okay to move at the pace that feels right to you.
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