I feel like I failed at life.

Enrique Bay -

A while ago, I ran into a post on Reddit with the title, "I feel like I failed at life."

It was a post from a 31-year-old man who had faced various setbacks in his career, including being tricked into working for free, struggling with health issues, and losing money on cryptocurrency investments. He was in debt and looking for advice on how to get out of his situation.

Reading this post reminded me of how I've felt that way before, and I'm sure many of us have. I believe it's a human condition to feel we've "wasted" time and opportunities. It can be disheartening to feel like you are stuck in a rut, especially when it comes to your career and finances.

In my response to the post, I used the LEVELL Framework to provide practical advice for the man to overcome his challenges.

  1. Focus on the long term: I painted another 31 years of opportunities to take advantage of. His debt could be solved in the next two years.
  2. Visualize the life you want: Identify what you want to achieve in both your professional and personal life at different points. How do you see your 60 or 50-year-old self? What would you like him to have achieved?
  3. Create a Bucket List: Perhaps running a marathon, learning to speak Chinese, or doing standup comedy. This can help you stay motivated and give you a sense of direction.
  4. Don't be too hard on yourself: Feeling like you've failed in life can be discouraging, but it's important to recognize that setbacks are a part of life's equation.
  5. Focus on small achievements: Streaks are powerful, and making small daily progress can compound. Rather than tackling all of your problems at once, focus on small steps you can take to build momentum and gain confidence in your abilities.
  6. Get rid of what is weighing you down: Getting out of debt is essential; living life underwater is tiring and risky. Do something simple to earn cash, even if it's not a sexy job.

Human beings overestimate what we can achieve in 1 year but underestimate what we can achieve in 10 years. That's why I like planning for the long term and then going back. Whatever you do today must lead towards a picture, even a vague one, of what you want your future self to be.