I’mYou hit your 30s, and life isn’t what you thought it would be. No marriage. No dream house. No kids. Just you.

And most days, you’re fine with it. You wake up, grind, push forward. But then there are the quiet moments. The late-night scrolling, watching people you grew up with hit milestones you haven’t. Engagement announcements. Baby pictures. New houses.

And suddenly, that creeping thought comes in—was I supposed to have it all figured out by now?

Here’s the truth: No.

Life doesn’t follow a script. The timelines they sold you as a kid? Lies. Society tells you to graduate, get a job, get married, buy a house, and have kids by a certain age. But who made those rules? Who said success is measured by checking off boxes?

The people who look like they have it all? Many of them are miserable. The big house comes with a mortgage that keeps them up at night. The marriage is a performance for Instagram. The kids are a stress they weren’t ready for. The job they thought would bring happiness is just a cage with a paycheck.

But you? You are free. You have time. You have options. You are not locked into a life you secretly hate just because you thought you were “supposed” to have it by now.

This is your time to build. To grow. To forge a path that actually makes you happy, not one that makes you look successful on paper. The only timeline that matters is yours.

So stop comparing. Stop doubting. Stop letting society’s expectations get in your head. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.