18/11/2025
I had the privilege of attending the Limerick Job Expo recently, where I had the chance to speak to dozens of young professionals.
A common theme that kept coming up was the feeling of being behind. Behind in their career because they’re not in their dream role yet. Behind in life compared to their peers because they decided to do a masters while others jumped straight into work. Behind compared to the previous generation, where everyone seemed to have life figured out by now.
I left feeling slightly anxious myself. I found myself listing the things I don’t have yet, the things others seem to have. I wasn’t thinking about any of this beforehand, but I caught myself going down the rabbit hole of comparison.
If we don’t challenge these thoughts, if we don’t notice how we internalise other people’s fears, we start to feel like we are losing in a race we are not even competing in. Every day, we unconsciously compare ourselves to others. But we all have different dreams, passions, values, and aspirations. If you stepped into someone else’s life, their career, their achievements, you would not feel fulfilled.
With so many of the people I spoke to, they were actually the youngest in their own race, in the thing they were striving for. Of course someone else has the dream job you want. That doesn’t mean you are behind, it just means your path is different.
When you step out of the comparison trap, it changes everything. So the next time you feel behind, ask yourself: if you are one of the youngest people in your room, how can you possibly be behind?