Anyone else feel like ~99% of their life was kind of wasted?
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
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Bruh you are 17. Life is just starting for you. My advice would to be find something you’re passionate about. If you’re not sure what you wanna go to college for, that’s okay, focus on what you love, and eventually you’ll make a career out of it. If you can live with your parents until you get your feet off the ground, you’ll be in a great position. I wish you luck. But please know you never wasted your life until you’re actually dead.
I really feel like the older I get, the less control I have around me. The older people around me seem like they don't want to move an inch from their comfort zone.
I'm actually applying to colleges as an international student (a really out-of-box thing to do, I'm proud of that sure) which is how I kind of found these people exist (you know, "extracurriculars" stuff) and this kind of stuff are doable. I'm thinking of who I was 365 days ago and I improved myself so much. But I also missed so many opportunities in these 365 days.
There is a lot in front of me and I'm anxious I'll waste my opportunities again, like I did. Perhaps I'm still not really doing as much as I should be and closer to what I've been in the past but I just can't see it yet, only future me could know.
Not everyone has to be grinding 24/7 to get the best available opportunities, if you're more the type to focus on school/life balance then that's fine as long as you end up stable. Chasing higher status is only going to draw you away from the things that matter to you personally.
It's really the reverse. I really only focused on stuff that mattered the least to me while others focused on exactly what I strived for.
I was unguided. Or ignorant. I feel like the line between these two are pretty blurry anyway. Perhaps a combination of these.
Then just re-focus your goals and start to make your transition. Aim for improvement, not perfection, and don't be too hard on yourself.
Sure you might have “missed out” at certain times, but you still gotta enjoy life. If you had fun that day, and overall enjoyed it, it’s okay to be off the path.
Older people always get stuck in their ways, but if you have a goal, then you should go for it.