Do you feel like it’s taking too long for you to:

• Find a career direction?

• Become financially stable?

• Get control of your time?

• Meet the right romantic partner?

• Reach your biggest goals?

I have to be honest. Over the course of my life, I often measured myself against other people. I watched friends get married in their twenties and start their family. Many of them had a clear career direction and stayed on that path. It seemed like they were living a normal life and I was behind. My career took a while to crystalize and I did not get married until later in life. I’m a chronic, frustrated late bloomer.

I suspect I’m not alone. Perhaps your impatient self-critic beats you up because you are not accomplishing things fast enough. This tendency becomes heightened when you leave school. No matter what level of education you accomplish, school gives you structure. You move through the grade levels and people move along with you.

Once you leave school, you face big challenges and decisions. You try to find a job; you determine where and how you will live and you run into obstacles. You can begin to feel like you are failing. You look around at your friends, former class maters or influencers on social media and you are a tortoise in a field of rabbits. 

Consider the following strategies to overcome your exasperation:

• When you are thinking about your goals, use the word “want” instead of “should”. Stop poisoning yourself with guilt. 

• Try to stop comparing yourself to others. I know, it’s nearly impossible but you never know what other people are dealing with. Shake hands with your own life and stay focused on you.

• Be your own champion, not your harshest critic.

• Stop blaming and making excuses. If you have had tough circumstances, it may be tempting to allow past disappointments to block your future. Take an accountable prepositive and take charge of your life. 

The number one best way to stop feeling behind is to keep your focus on your own goals. If you want to hear more about this topic, check out my YouTube Channel and watch the Feeling Guilty About Not Knowing video.