My latest podcast episode for the days when it feels like everyone else is ahead and you’re the only one trying to catch up.

🎧 Tune into episode 71 of Inspired by Design

The Quiet Panic of “I Should Be Further By Now”

There’s a thought that can spiral quickly if you let it “I should be further by now“

Further in your business, further in your career or further in your life. It can show up after a birthday, after scrolling social media, after seeing someone announce a milestone you’ve been working toward for years. And suddenly, everything you’ve built feels smaller than it did five minutes ago.

That feeling is heavy. And it’s more common than we admit.

How Comparison Distorts Reality

We live in a world where timelines are constantly on display.

Engagements. Launches. Revenue months. Promotions. Moves. Milestones. But what we rarely see are the years of doubt, pivots, failed attempts, and quiet growth that happen off camera. Social media compresses time. It makes overnight success look normal. It makes steady progress look slow.

When you’re consuming highlight reels all day, it’s easy to believe you’re behind even when you’re right on track for your life.

The Truth About Feeling “Late”

Here’s what I’ve learned after talking to women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond:

Almost everyone feels behind.

The 25-year-old who thinks she started too late.
The 38-year-old who wishes she had started sooner.
The 52-year-old who is pivoting careers and wondering if she missed her window.

The feeling doesn’t disappear with age or achievement. It shifts, which means the problem isn’t your timeline it’s the belief that there’s only one right one.

Grounding Yourself When the Spiral Hits

This episode is a raw, real pep talk for when the comparison spiral starts tightening its grip. We talk about why feeling behind is often a sign you care deeply. How to reality-check the stories you’re telling yourself. And simple mindset shifts that bring you back to the present moment where your actual life is unfolding.

You are not late or behind. You are not missing your chance.

🎧 Tune into episode 71 of Inspired by Design

Let this episode remind you that you’re not late to your own life. You’re building it in real time and that’s exactly where you’re meant to be.