Why You Feel Behind Everyone Else (And What To Do About It)

Why You Feel Behind Everyone Else (And What To Do About It)

Nineteen years old and already feeling behind. Here’s what I’ve learnt about it.

The feeling of being behind the rest around you is something I have been dealing with recently. As I am trying to figure out what I want to do with my life – I know, crazy for a nineteen year old to think that – but looking at how fast the entire world is moving, at least that’s what I see on the internet, it feels scary to not be doing something.

This feeling that everybody is doing so great, achieving the visible mainstream accepted milestones, whereas you are nowhere near the start line messes up your mind. That has been my case these past few days.

I have been looking for skills I can learn. First I was looking at them from a money perspective, what pays more. Then I realised money is an easy thing to come but a skill isn’t. So I started looking for skills that align with who I am as a person, started day one of the change my life journey – guess what, hit low the very next day. And there came the feeling of being behind, back again.

So what do you do with it? The most important thing I believe is that you rewire your mindset. What we see online is just a percentage of people actually out there. On top of that, what is shown online is not real – it is just the bright sides of people’s lives. Do not let it fool you. Reprogramming your brain to not let other people’s online lives affect your inner self is the first major step.

Secondly, make yourself understand that the competition is not with someone else. The comparison should only be between your past and your current self, because what you compare yourself with is just their life’s good parts.

Third – hate yourself less. When you know you are doing something, you should already be grateful that you are better than the ones who just talk and take no action. Give yourself more credit. Appreciate yourself a little. Celebrate your smallest wins, because only you know how long it has taken you to come this far.

And lastly, love the process of you becoming someone. Because you actually doing something at your worst is better than just thinking about doing something at your best. Document the whole journey, start sharing it online, be mindful of your past and judge yourself based on that.

Yes, getting past this feeling is easier said than done. But I’m no genius – I’m just someone in the middle of it, sharing what I’ve learnt on the way. These are some ways that might help, and honestly, the process of getting past it is in itself what changes you.