In the last year or so I started to see so many people of my age that have done truly incredible things and still doing more.
For the vast majority of my life my only goals were gettimg academic satisfaction and doing unproductive stuff in the free time to get temporary pleasure. No end goal whatsoever.
I kind of don’t know what I’ve been doing in the last 17 years while someone gets a patent on solar systems, other invents a new recyclable plastic, and another found a successful startup. I mean, they all find what they’re supposed to be doing with their lives and excel in them.
I feel overwhelmed for trying to pace up with these kind of people. Yet I don’t like the way the things are and I can’t do anything but envy those people.
Anyone with experience in this regard? How did you deal with this? Did you eventually “pace up” with these people or was it too late or an unattainable goal?
Edit: Whoops, I didn’t expect so many replies! Thanks, I’ll look into them all

    • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 years ago

      I’m really trying to not make this a way to mess up with my mental state, but instead a search on how to achieve the best of myself. I just want to know how these people are waking up in the morning and do the stuff they do.

      • sealhaslupus@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        one of my psychologist friends said a long time ago “if you don’t keep improving yourself, then what’s the point in living”.

        you’re clearly already taking steps on self-improvement and personal introspection, which is probably one of the hardest things a human can do.

        honestly you’re already kicking goals if you try and be a better person each day. No one can ask more of you.

      • CyanFen@lemmy.one
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        2 years ago

        Some people are just wired differently, those people are programmed in a way that just so happens to be congruent with our society. It’s not that something is wrong with you, it’s just that society is “more right” for them.

      • maniclucky@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        A bit of a scale issue. You’re seeing the top 0.001% of people. And they derive some kind of pleasure from their passions (probably) and are really specifically wired to chase this thing. It’s ok to be mortal. The only thing you should excel at is being you and finding satisfaction in your own life. For every person with a world changing invention, or what have you, there are millions of people just living, and that’s ok.

  • AProfessional@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    I’ve improved my life quite a lot but it’s hard to give advice to others.

    The comparison mindset is really bad though. It literally doesn’t matter what another monkey on this planet does. Your thoughts about how to improve your life are ones you have to discuss with yourself (maybe guided by a therapist). There is no wrong way to live but you have to make the choice on how you want to.

  • Glide@lemmy.ca
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    2 years ago

    In 100 years, very few of those people will be remembered. In 1000 years very, very few of them will have had a tangible, lasting impact on the world.

    We are meaningless specs of dust in the universe. Don’t hold yourself accountable to imaginary standards being set by the rare few that manage to create a footprint a microcosim larger than the spec of dust they are. Enjoy yourself and create as much joy as you can in your tiny corner of reality as possible, and you’ll have lived a damn good life.

  • Jesuslovesme@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Life has no purpose. You cannot waste it. You only live and die. Do what you want, or don’t. It doesn’t matter.

  • pinwurm@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    When you look at someone else’s life, you only see the Highlights Reel. You don’t hear about all the boring in between moments, their struggles with imposter syndrome and insecurities, their relational arguments or troubles with their family, all the BS.

    Life isn’t about keeping up.

    It’s a parlor trick, magically coming into existence for a fraction of a moment in this infiniteness of time and space. The best thing we can do is cherish the miracle and squeeze the most happiness for the time we have. It’s respecting life.

    For some, that means service to others. For others, it’s patenting science projects. And then there’s those that find it in an honest job, being good to people they love, and exploring hobbies from time to time.

    Happiness is definitely not a contest. Especially one that you put yourself through fully knowing you won’t win.

    But if you feel like you need more value in your life, it’s never too late to do something new.

  • bstix@feddit.dk
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    2 years ago

    Everything comes with a cost. To be successful in one area means missing out in others. Everyone likes to post their success on Facebook or LinkedIn, but they also don’t post about all the evenings spent arguing with their wife or missing out on their children growing up or whatever. Success is not easily defined.

    Most people like to keep things balanced, as in not having extreme losses in one area, but that also means that they’re not successful in something particular. That kind of balance is a success in itself, though it’s rather invisible.

    You’re not supposed to do anything in your life. When the grim reaper comes along you won’t be able to bring it along.

    You’re not dead. Be successful in whatever you want.

  • Boiglenoight@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    I’m just enjoying the ride. Not concerned about wasting time or achievement. Kudos to those who strive to make a difference. I’m just happy to be here!

  • KingStrafeIV@midwest.social
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    2 years ago

    The best time to make a change in your life was 10 years ago, the second best time is now.

    Don’t base your happiness on your achievements as compared to others. Life isn’t deterministic, every person is working with a different set of skills and circumstances. Set your own goals based on what you want to do, and work toward that.

    If you don’t know what you want to do, start trying new things.

    • dditty@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Hell, If I clean/do chores, exercise, or cook a meal after work I call it a win for that day.

      • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 years ago

        I do the reverse. If there was something else I could do that day, it’s lost. And goddamn so often I do mistakes and feel bad about it.

  • Botree@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    “But what do you really want to do with your life?” is a question that comes up a lot in our lives. I’ve spent a chunk of my life trying to find the answer before realizing that what I want to do or think I should be doing is inconsequential. The important question is how you want to feel. You could patent the whole universe and be the richest person on earth and still feel like a failure or an imposter. That’s why rich and famous celebrities kill themselves – despite achieving what everyone desires, the promised happiness remains elusive, if not even more distant.

    As time marches on, you’ll find yourself remembering lesser and lesser of what you did with so and so, but you’ll always remember how they make you feel.

    How you feel has to do with your attitude in life. You can feel happy and contented right here and right now, without changing anything externally. Live every moment as if it’s your last, then you’ll always know what’s important in life.

  • mykl@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    It’s not just you, it’s all of us. But what people really regret when they are facing the end is perhaps different from your fears as expressed here.

    Five wishes of the dying:

    1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
    2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
    3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
    4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
    5. “I wish I had let myself be happier”

    From The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware

  • lemminer@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Hmm, take it easy on yourself. You don’t have to be someone known. Just enjoy what you have and stay satisfied. I know its harder to do than to say but human desires can keep you wanting for whole life.

    Our realm is full of noisy things, making us chase/desire what we don’t have, and that is deliberate.

    Fill your life with positivity, Change your prescription. Greed and envy will only give you negativity.

  • zoopster@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Funny…as I age I tend to have a similar view. But we’re told hindsight is 20/20. The one motivating factor for me is the fact that a lot of what I have accomplished has made a difference to those who have shared in it. Which, to me, means we’re doing incredible things people envy just at a different scale. Besides…there may not be a tomorrow, but there is always a today to do something better.

  • dan1101@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Not really. After having been through some deaths and illnesses of people close to me, every normal day is a good day to me. No news is good news, I can live my life quietly and how I want.

    As for success in life, if I take care of myself, try not to make things around me worse, and try to help others I’m pretty happy with that. In my work we make a few products from scratch so I feel like I contribute to society.

  • UnicornKitty@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    This is what happens when you grow up with boomers in your ear, yelling at you to get a job and make a family. They insist that’s what life is about. But it’s not. Life is about being happy. When it boils down to it, that’s all we really want. Even terrible people do what they do because it makes them happy.

    I’m only just taking my baby steps out of this mindset. I learned I can do things no one else around me can. Some may not be marketable skills, but that’s not always necessary.

    I don’t work. Thanks to autistic burnout, I’m a shell of my former self. But in that time, I have saved 11 kitten lives and given 3 very short lives happiness they never would have seen otherwise. I’ve brought kittens from the brink of death by starvation to stocky, healthy kittens who now have loving homes. It takes time and effort to do that. One was so sick from starvation he barely moved, and I got him strong enough to get up and play.

    It’s not worth any money to have this talent. Not to me anyway. They are all attached to a shelter that makes the money. They make me happy.

    It’s not about “pacing up” as you say, or making a mark in history. We need those people, but you don’t need to be one of them. If everyone made breakthroughs, they wouldn’t be as important. The bar would just get set even higher. You make a difference to the people around you. I don’t value my life, but I learned to appreciate that other people do value my life, and that’s good enough.

    • witx@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Let me just say that besides you doing a great thing you’ve put it so eloquently. It made so much sense in my head. You’re having an impact on the lives of those cats. Thank you!

  • Necronomicommunist@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Time you’ve spent enjoying yourself is absolutely not time wasted.

    I know what you mean, but keep in mind that you’re comparing yourself to everyone that made it. There’s over 6 billion people on earth, and you compare yourself to, what, 5 people? 10? 15?

    • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 years ago

      I honestly didn’t really enjoy my past years. It’s not like I was partying in the time I’d be doing new projects.
      That number is definitely not anywhere near 10 or 15. And I’m not comparing myself to “average” because I was never average. Median income globally is 12k$ per year, and half of the people are earn lower than that. I only compare myself with people from similar background as me, and I see numerous examples they just did better choices with their time and opportunities.

      • RBWells@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        Wait, you are 17? And think you need to have accomplished something already? No. No way. You can just develop into an adult version of yourself, that’s plenty enough to do for now.

        Some people peak in high school, sure. But that’s sad, I think. Better to have a life that improves as you get older. You are the age of my youngest child, and my life now is better than it’s ever been. Hated being a kid & teenager, lacking control over my own life. Yes it feels like wasted time in a way, and yes I felt it hobbled me in terms of worldly ambition. But now? Don’t care. You can’t fix the past. Move forward.

        • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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          2 years ago

          I’m fearing I won’t develop into adult either. Not in the way that I could be satisfied
          I could do so many stuff, I had absolutely nothing to do but I chose to do the most boring, most ordinary stuff, which does not help me in the slightest

          • RBWells@lemmy.world
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            2 years ago

            But farther on you say you are trying to go to school out of country, that’s adventurous!

            And of my own kids and step kids there’s not a lot of correlation between how successful they were early on, and what sort of success they have as adults.

            In my own family the athletic but middling student was the only one with phenomenal worldly success, and I’m not at all sure he is happier for it. Second most financially successful is the one who just fucked off to some island for years and literally wasted time, then came back, went to school, started own business.

            It’s never too late to start - I disagree entirely with the commenter who said adults are all stuck in a rut. It’s demonstrably untrue. There are many who find success at an older age, and even as a regular person my life is always changing, there are always new things to see, to read, to listen to, it’s fun to get lost and solve problems still.

            But even if there was some rule about too late (and there’s not) you’d certainly not be near halfway there. Find things you actually like to do, and be nice to other people, that is how people get interesting. It may be hard to see from where you are, but you are in a great position. So much open road ahead. Build a life you can enjoy and try not to worry so much about meeting some bullshit goals or schedule.

            • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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              2 years ago

              I don’t know. Maybe the adults around me are lazy but literally all can’t move out of comfort zone, start something new.
              Since you mentioned, yes I’m trying to study abroad (and it seems very likely). And I should be, because it has been my dream since 14 or something. But I only started preparing last year. Why? I just didn’t know I could study abroad. How could you be so blind that you can’t study abroad is a valid question that I can’t answer. I was misguided by all adults around me - just claimed it’s not possible until masters unless you get into a few super-selective high schools. But I could probably just open internet and ask the same question instead of taking the words of people that can’t even speak English. And I got confidence loss over not getting into these super-selective high schools (and not being able to study abroad), this effect combined with an unfortunate personal event got me into serious mental problems for around two years. This really wasn’t “I didn’t achieve good stuff because I partied too much” case, I didn’t enjoy my time doing unproductive stuff.
              I was lucky enough I realized this is not the case later on by some means.
              Looking at the opportunities of those students studying at international high schools in my country (which I was able to attend, but didn’t because I was not aware of the whole study abroad thing) who started this process 3 years ago and not 1 year, I’d probably get into Harvard or something of that sort - if I had these opportunities (which I could definitely have).
              I just really feel far away from my true potential. I have huge regrets in non-academic areas of my life as well. I just didn’t make the best decisions for myself.

              And I’m scared of getting older because I see adults around me at 30s or 40s don’t move an inch from their comfort zone. “I want to do x” “This would be nice” but there are no steps towards whatever they’re thinking of. They just seem stuck. I’m not sure getting married or having kids is what actually causes this effect though.
              It seems so real I’ll study in the country I want to settle in, because I might think “nah I can’t spend more effort moving somewhere else, I don’t need more trouble”

              • GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world
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                2 years ago

                There is no telling your future but from this one post I think you may find yourself more successful than you think. The fact you have realized that you are unhappy where you are is a big motivator to change that. Look at what you are planning on doing, studying abroad is a big step. It may not feel like it to you but it is.

                I agree with all the other posts that comparing yourself to others is fruitless because you are not them. But if you really want to do something spectacular then go for it. What that is ? Who knows? And you don’t need to know right now. Just go out and learn about as many different things that you can. You never know where good ideas come from. Also meet as many different people as you can one big factor in doing great things is knowing great people. It will also make your experiences much more broad and interesting.

                Say ‘yes’ to doing crazy (though non-life threatening) stuff

                Take a class in some subject that you find really weird and/or uncomfortable

                Ask for help when you need it.

                Take a weird job

                quit the weird job

                Find a passion

                find others that have that passion

                get bored with that passion

                Ask out someone that you think is wayyyy outside your league

                I could keep going but its all great experiences and you will start to notice that you are caring less and less about the success of others because you are living your life.

                Sorry for the rambling, but honestly this random internet stranger is actually quite envious of you and the life you have in front of you.

                • Required@lemmy.worldOP
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                  2 years ago

                  I was going to study abroad or settle somewhere else sooner or later, I just don’t see anything relevant to this country anymore. I don’t really feel attached to anywhere to be honest: family, friends, country, anything that comes to mind. And I love travel, and I feel sick when I stay in some place for too long. Studying abroad is the best option for me.

                  I’m just too late, and despite my tremendous effort (including but not limited to completely messing up my sleep schedule for work) since last year, I see people are much better in their position because they just started things earlier. Did the right things. Had a network of people that guided them well. And as I’m typing this here perhaps someone else started something I’d love to do.

                  I’ll take your advice though, thanks for suggestions