Progress isn’t about where others are, it’s about your next step

“Everyone else’s life is going well except mine,” is a common statement I hear from my clients. A perspective I often share that helps shift this is:

Think of life like a ladder. When you look up, it feels like others are ahead. But you don’t see the struggles, delays, and doubts they went through to get there. And when you look down the ladder, you will find people admiring you, wishing they were where you are, hoping to get there someday, not knowing how much hardship you went through to reach here.

Same ladder. Different perspective.

So instead of asking, “Why am I not there yet?” ask yourself, “Am I moving forward from where I am?” Your progress is real, even if it feels slow. The struggle ends when you stop comparing your journey to someone who is ahead now, and remember that they too once stood exactly where you stand today. Respect how far you have already come. Focus on your next step. Keep climbing!