Hey there, Reader!
Lately, I’ve been thinking about time—specifically, the feeling that we’re somehow not where we’re supposed to be.
It snuck up on me the other day. I saw someone on a beautiful trip in a place I’ve always wanted to go, and suddenly the thought crept in:
“I should’ve seen more of the world by now.”
Now, I’ve traveled plenty. I’ve studied abroad. Hiked national parks. Visited several countries. But that one glimpse into someone else’s highlight reel had me questioning whether I’d done enough.
And I know I’m not alone in this.
That quiet hum of I should be further along by now can show up in a million ways. Maybe for you, it’s the job title you don’t have. The kids you thought you’d have. The relationship, the home, the clarity.
Wherever it hits, the underlying message is the same: You’re behind.
But what if you’re not?
The Takeaway: You’re not behind. You’re on your path.
Somewhere along the way, we absorbed this idea that life unfolds on a fixed timeline. But there is no universal map. No clock you’re supposed to be racing.
What if, instead of measuring how far you have left to go, you paused to honor how far you’ve come?
Every detour. Every loss. Every restart. Every time you thought you’d failed but stood back up anyway.
That’s not failure. That’s evidence of your strength. You’re still here, and you’re still showing up for yourself.
Your journey hasn’t taken you off course. It’s prepared you for where you’re going next.
The Tip: Zoom out. Then root back in.
If the “I should be further by now” feeling is weighing on you, try this:
Take a few minutes to reflect on where you were five years ago. What were you hoping for then? What have you lived through, healed from, created, or become since?
Now ask yourself: What actually matters to me today?
Not what I thought would matter. Not what I “should” want. What truly matters now?
This gentle re-centering can help you trade pressure for presence.
If this resonated, I explore this more in this week’s podcast episode. It’s one I think many of us need to hear. Give it a listen and let me know what lands with you.
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With love,
Adrienne
Curious about how 1:1 coaching can serve you?
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📖 For the tender moments of grief, my book, Scattered Thoughts on Loss: Grief Haikus, is available on Amazon.​
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