336 — The "Social Clock" That's Making You Feel Behind—and How to Stop

Do you ever feel like everyone else is a few steps ahead of you? Maybe you thought you’d have the job, the house, the relationship, or the retirement account figured out by now—and the fact that you don’t feels like proof you’ve fallen behind.
 
It’s easy to feel like everyone else is doing better and you can’t catch up. But there are some strategies that can help you feel better about wherever you are right now.
 
Some of the things I talk about are:
 

• Why the word “behind” is the thing that trips us up—and the question that changes everything.
• The “social clock” researchers have identified, and the surprising finding about what actually causes people distress.
• The moment that completely shattered the timeline for me—and left me feeling fifty years ahead of schedule.
• The first move to make when you feel behind
• The Holocaust survivor who published her first book at 89, her second at 92, and kept going until 96.
• Why there’s no single racetrack—and what to ask yourself the next time the feeling creeps back in.

Key Takeaways:

• The “social clock” is an unspoken timeline for when life milestones should be achieved and it can affect your mental health.
• Questioning whose timeline you follow and comparing your progress to your past, rather than others, is good for your well-being.
• There are steps you can take to overcome societal pressure and enhance personal growth.