When everyone else seems to be moving faster – checking boxes, hitting milestones, and living picture-perfect lives – it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind.

But that feeling isn’t always the truth.

This short reflection is a reminder that there is no universal timeline. There’s no race. And the invisible checklists the world hands us? You don’t have to follow them.

You’re allowed to move at your own pace – even if it looks slower, even if it looks different.

You’re not behind.

You’re becoming.

00:05

Hey, this is It's Okay If, bite-sized permission slips. I'm Matt Gilhooly, and today's permission, it's okay if you feel like you're falling behind. You know the feeling, like everyone else is running ahead of you, checking boxes, hitting milestones, getting the promotions, finding the partner, living the life that looks so much more together than yours. Yep, I know that feeling well. I changed careers in my 40s.

00:35

Started a new degree at 40, shifted industries at 43. And let me tell you, there were days I felt like I was running a race where everyone else got a head start and I was that awkward guy trying to catch up in the wrong shoes. But here's what I'm learning. There is no race. There's no timeline. There's no behind. It just feels that way because the world loves to hand us invisible checklists. But you don't have to live by those checklists.

01:05

You get to set your own pace. You get to rewrite the timeline. And maybe falling behind, that's not even the truth. Maybe you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Becoming, unfolding in your own way, on your own time.

01:21

So if you're up for it, tell yourself, I give myself permission to move at my pace, even if it looks slower, even if it looks different. That's your permission slip, friend. Tuck it in your pocket and I'll see you next time.