1. You don’t have to stick to a specific timeline. When you were a teenager, you probably had a good idea of where you wanted to be when you were twenty-five or thirty, but the younger version of yourself had no idea what life was going to put you through. You’ve faced more hardships than you could’ve imagined and you’ve conquered more demons than you ever thought possible. You shouldn’t feel like you’ve disappointed yourself — or anyone around you. Remember, you don’t have to meet your goals by a specific age. You have more time. You shouldn’t feel like a failure, simply because success is taking longer than you originally thought.
2. You’re the only one beating yourself up about this. It’s good you’re taking responsibility for your actions. It’s good you’re putting in the effort to reach your goals. But remember, everyone makes mistakes. No one is more upset by your ‘failures’ than you are. You’re your own biggest critic. You’re the hardest person to impress. Go easy on yourself because you know damn well you’ve been trying your best. You know how many hours you’ve been putting into your goals. You know you have nothing to be ashamed about right now.
3. Your mental health matters as much as your goals. You can’t allow yourself to get so distracted by what you should’ve gotten done by now that you forget to take a breather. You can’t move at a fast pace forever. You’re going to have to slow down eventually. You’re going to have to give yourself a well-needed rest. Otherwise, you’re going to burn out. Remember, you need to be careful about how much you put on your plate at once. You don’t want to harm yourself while you’re trying to better yourself.
4. You’ve overcome every other obstacle you were up against. The next time you’re unsure about whether you have the strength to keep going, remind yourself that you’ve pushed through every other hardship you’ve faced in the past. You’re a survivor. You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit for that. So, no, maybe you haven’t reached all of your goals yet. But you accomplished something just as special. You’ve made it until today. You haven’t given up on yourself, even during your lowest point. You’re still here. You’re still fighting.
5. The most beautiful things in life take time. You’re not going to reach your dreams overnight. You have to stay patient. You have to keep putting in the effort, even when it feels like you aren’t making any progress. Remember, just because you feel like you are stuck in the same place doesn’t mean that’s the truth. Even baby steps matter.
6. You’ve come so much further than you realize. You might feel like you haven’t accomplished much in the last few days or weeks or years. But if you really stop to think about it, you’ve completely changed. You aren’t the same person you were yesterday. Maybe your paycheck didn’t grow as much as you’d hoped — but maybe your social circle has grown. Or your confidence. Or the amount of self-love you provide. Maybe you’re successful in ways that are much harder to measure. 
