By Dr. Dr. Ageorgia
If you are comparing your finances to the wrong peers and colleagues, you can work hard, make progress, achieve everything on your bucket list, and still walk away believing you are behind.
That is simply because being in the same age group as someone does not mean you are peers.
Two people can be 35 and have completely different starting points, family responsibilities, career trajectories, networks, opportunities, risk exposure, financial habits, and access to capital.
So, when you look at someone your age and say, “How are they already there while I am still here?” you may be comparing outcomes without understanding the variables that produced them.
That comparison can quietly distort how you see yourself. I have seen it several times. You start rushing decisions because someone else appears ahead. You take financial risks you cannot afford. You start living a lifestyle above your income level. You feel like you are failing when, in reality, you may simply be running a different race.
The better question is not: “How am I doing compared to people my age?”
It should be: “Am I making better financial decisions than I was making two years ago?” And more importantly: “Am I comparing myself with people whose circumstances, goals, upbringing and stage of life are actually comparable to mine?”
Choose your reference points carefully, because the wrong comparison can make a healthy financial journey feel like failure.
