Feeling behind in life is one of the most universal emotions. Starting in childhood, there are curated milestones that are perfectly laid out for you to reach by a certain age. Interestingly, after college, these milestones start looking a little blurry. The tasks of dating, marriage, buying a house, and having kids all get mixed up. There is no perfect order or rule book that will predict a successful life, so feeling behind is purely pressure from society.

The truth is, everyone is on their own unique journey and while your friends may have reached certain milestones in their love life first, there are likely other areas that they feel behind in. They may have spent their 20s invested in a committed relationship or saving money for a wedding while you were able to travel around the world, meet new people, and experience various countries. It's hard to have everything all at once. However, forging your own path in life allows you to pull from various personal experiences in order to find fulfillment.

According to Clarity on Fire, feeling behind in life usually stems from a deep sense of unhappiness. You may feel restricted by your life circumstances, trapped in a soul-sucking job, upset you can't afford your own apartment, or scared that your social circle is changing. Therefore, the goal becomes less about keeping up with the milestones of other people and more about taking steps to live the life that truly aligns with you.