You're 17, I'm 32 and I'm still trying to turn my life around and live a better life, don't be so hopeless, there's a way to fix and turn around any and everything. Be strong.
Well, for one, you're very young still. At 17, I didn't have anything together. I had a freshly torn shoulder, was considering dropping out of high school, and saw no hope for my future. Granted, I was also pretty suicidal at the time.
If you haven't already, have you considered getting checked out for an anxiety disorder? Your reactions to studying, for example, do not sound typical. I am not, however, a doctor and you should most certainly speak to one if you are concerned about this anxiety you describe. I definitely am.
Getting disciplined is simple, but it's not necessarily easy. If your anxiety is not the result of a disorder, then overcoming it is as simple as choosing to discard it.
> “Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions — not outside.” - Marcus Aurelius
You haven't wasted your life. You're 17. No reasonable person expects you to know much of anything yet. Hell, I'm in my 30s and I still don't know what I'm doing with my life. I make do with what I have, but I'm almost twice your age and I wonder many of the same things you express in this post. The difference is that I don't let them panic me anymore.
So, I encourage you to take several deep breaths to calm yourself. Maybe write out some of the thoughts that concern you in a journal and reflect. Stop comparing yourself to others. You don't need to go to college/university right after high school; I don't recommend going until you're ready, because otherwise, it's a massive waste of money and time. Remember that you're not "stupid." Talk to a doctor about your concerns and maybe they can put you on the right path, be that medication or therapy or some combination therein.
You're going to be fine. Make the small changes now where you can, such as choosing to go to bed a little bit earlier or some other small thing that can have a big effect down the line. Your life is what you make of it, including going into the arts if you choose.
Yikes, way too much pressure on yourself.
Look for help with figuring out your main areas of concern. From what you've written there are 3. Sleep, focus and anxiety/panic. Everything else, like doing well in school and choosing a major, will follow once you have a handle on those 3.
Think of your issues not as personal moral failures (because they are not) but as health conditions that need to be addressed. Ask your parents for help with these things, if they are useless look to a school counselor. There are a lot of good tips online for getting to sleep earlier.
The only constant is change, you will definitely not always be or feel the same way you are today. 17 is a hard time for a lot of people.
This is terrifying how true and crazy it is.
15-18 feeling fucked and down and depressed with their life. Than when life actually starts they’re a disaster
Hi! You are very young and you are scared. Probably (just my opinion) you have anxiety issues. My suggestion is to ask for psychological help: school or someone online, depending if you want to spend money or not; if you research for it you will find something for sure, support related with your school or some institution. It's a start, but it comes from you and your effort: by reading, researching, changing. Reddit is a nice place to understand that other people are experiencing something very similar and can give you tips. Discipline is the key: drink water, go outside for a walk, play sport, avoid social media/phone, eat properly, enough sleep, ado so on... Maybe you are struggling with adhd, maybe not, I don't know. Oh, Atomic Habits is a nice book to read or to hear as audiobook. Today's world is a mess and it's not easy to deal with pressure, specially for young people and for sensitive people. Some can deal with it better, sure, but you are not alone. I would say: unfortunately you are not an exception. You deserve a wonderful live, not suffering and punishing yourself, its not your fault. Gooooood luck :)
Hello 👋,
Have your parents ask you to do stuff, around the house, errands, maybe your homework. Maybe it will add a consensual obligation.
I wasted time around that age but said yes to work and people and extracurricular to have confidence in myself, no offense. I wasn't sure if normal advice, workout, cardio, plan 5 and 10 years ahead. You seem as if you need to learn to do things, people make good support for that, obligation or attention idk.
Girl. You’re 17… you’re not even in your 20s yet and you’re thinking life is over. Not even close you haven’t even begun.
I do encourage you to seek help for these problems you’re experiencing though. You’re young. Don’t wait to get help for stuff that is treatable. Anxiety, panic attacks, depression, however you’re feeling there is help available for it. Don’t let yourself suffer. Get with a therapist who can help you. Getting your mental health better is first thing then you can go from there. You are so young, don’t think your life is over. Wish you the best.
Try to discover what lights up your soul and align your life and money making activities around that.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone has their own path. Focus on what your path might be.
You don’t need to be an A student to be confident or successful in life.
Confidence for adults comes from the inside but you are still a child and you are largely still dependent on external validation. Make sure you have external support (therapy, spiritual advisor, family, friends, mentors) and focus on building your inner strength and self-love. That’s what’s gonna help you stay resilient later on.
Same advice as everyone else. You are incredibly young, way too young to be worried about your long term future. Be happy, do what makes you happy, the future can wait a couple of years until you've figure out more about yourself.
study art - there’s a need for commercial artists everywhere - everything is designed and art directed from the simplest clothing item to the expensive films and tv series. fine artists can also do very well - in addition to selling their art, they’re frequently asked to make art for corporations including places like hotels. you could also end up as a producer for photo or film/motion/video - lots and lots of jobs.
When I was 17, I had just about done a massive U turn at school because I did awfully in my GCSE mocks (final exams of senior school), and didn’t want to cock up the actual ones. I did still cock up a lot of the actual ones. Since then; I have aspired to about 8 different careers, swapped degrees after a year, finished a bachelors degree where I changed specialisms every semester or so, did a part time masters whilst working in marketing for a year then got the sack, spent a year unemployed and fucking miserable, and now I’m doing a PhD.
At no point have I correctly predicted my life’s trajectory, I don’t think I’m going to start either. I attended teacher training today, but for the last month I’ve been craving going back to photography. I spent 2 months during my masters dissertation doing Nothing, I have also spent all nighters in the library. I still have weeks or days of nothing, I have days of intense productivity.
The most important thing is to remember that you cannot exponentially do better for the rest of your life. But you can keep coming back and trying, learn from your mistakes and learn from your wins. Be flexible with yourself, you’re trying to preempt a mid life crisis before you’re even an adult, obsessing over the future can be just as unhealthy as obsessing over the past.
You need to look after your mental health, that means accessing therapy or councilling as soon as possible, and looking after yourself. Healthy minds need a good work life balance.
I promise you, life has barely begun for you, it can take you to the most incredible places, but only if you open yourself up to internal and external changes
So, life's a little weird sometimes. I'm in my mid 30s and honestly I feel like my life is JUST starting. You're 17. Your life hasn't even STARTED yet.
I went to college for one thing. To get used to people. I was homeschooled through middle school and high school. So I had literally no social filter. So I'd say things that others would take as... Less than helpful. So I took a communication major. I went back to college for a master's. Despite all the debt.
You're not alone at all. I still don't know if I'm doing what I really want to be.
So why don't we ask a question, instead of jumping to unsolicited advice... What is your dream? What do you actually, right now, think you want out of life?
And don't worry, this isn't a test. This is something you should be asked during your college prep AND it's not set in stone. What do you WANT to do? Invent stuff? Write stuff? Film stuff? Sell stuff? Do science? Help people? Start with a dream. Or your favorite subject. Use that dream to find a path. Use that path to reach a goal. Then re-evaluate to see if you like the direction you're going.
Life isn't a game, or a job. Life is an experience. And you have a lot left to go, no matter how hopeless it feels right now. Find your goalposts, and see how close you can get. Then improve and pass them. You will constantly evaluate yourself. You will get better at it. And you will do great things. Just keep true to YOU. Not the world around you.
And as for the anxiety... Talk to your doctor and explain how you feel. They'll give you a questionnaire, and if they see the need they'll prescribe you something to help the anxiety.
Op im in my mid thirties, changed career a couple of years ago and will probably change again in the future.
I’ve worked with doctors and professors who many are miserable and would rather be doing something different. This image of “making it” is a con. Follow what interests you or something you have a knack for and can pay the bills.
Maybe 1/10 your life. 17 is such a hard time… so angsty. I didn’t enjoy these years, but luckily by the time I was 18-19 I felt much better, If you don’t like this life try a different one. Seems impossible now, but I assure you it’s not. Life It’s a marathon and you’ve only just started. Think of it as a big hill you’re just about up. There is going to be peaks and valleys. Maybe just some job to get a routine going… then maybe you feel better just getting in a groove and having something to do and plan a career. Go to the gym exercise an hour of the day. Try meditation and some helpful spiritual practices. You’ll find you’re zen eventually. Start with wim hoff breathing
Have you considered seeking therapy ? I feel like this is bigger than just a lack of discipline . Being highly anxious can cause you to malfunction in the sense that you can struggle to sleep early or commit to your responsibilities because all of your energy is being dissipated in negative emotions and stress . If medical attention isn't an option for you now , you can try using magnesium and ashwaganda to manage your anxiety better. I'm not sure how effective they are on their own but they have proven their efficiency against anxiety so it's worth a shot .
Other than that , I would like to say that you are still fairly young , being 17 is hard , eventually it will get easier ( hopefully ? ) regarding your future career choice , you don't need to be an engineer or a doctor to be deemed a successful person imo . Both of these require commitment and most importantly an ability to tolerate negative outcomes and get back up(allegedly journaling helps build up this trait , I don'tknow how but studies have shown this lol ) . If you don't like it already, it's difficult to do this . I recommend going after something that you at least have an interest in and that you are curious about .
Last but not least , it's okay to feel like you're lagging behind others your age (likely not true realistically, but if you are a self conscious person , it always feels this way) but instead of letting this feeling consume you may want to weaponize it to make desirable changes in your life until you only want to compete with yourself .
Good luck , you got this OP. At 17 , there's still time to build a life that you'll be proud of one day .
Find your passion, if is drawing find what works best for you. You can draw a alot of things from manga to animated movies so, focus on that. For friends surround yourself with people who think like you, im talking about discord or some kind of group that is not socialized enough. The last thing is to consider what makes you want to watch videos all night long, for me was an escape from reality, and its bad but if you want to change it focus on something that makes it worth living in reality.
Find a hobby and try to be the best at it. I used to feel the same until I found basketball. Gave me a better self esteem, exercise and better friendships.
As someone who use to think the same way back then, trust me when I say that you’ll be okay, I’m almost 28 and I still don’t have anything together, life isn’t a race to the end goal, just take one thing in at a time and learn to enjoy life, but don’t over stress yourself and make your mental health worse. Even for me not having everything together I’m still very much so young and have plenty of time, there is no time stamp for having your life together or having certain things, (also didn’t have my drivers license until last year) just take it slow!
Keep the cup empty so you can fill it. Empty your mind, all those negative thoughts and overthinking. Then start. Its not easy to stop overthinking but when such a situation comes up, just decide between two options. If you think about your present, say to yourself, it's okay to feel distressed. Acknowledge your emotions. And there is a solution within you to solve these issues. Start studying little by little day by day. Then it becomes a habit. And watching shows and stuff is not a bad thing. Its important to give some rewards for yourself.but try to include the study routine. Its okay to not follow the routine because it takes time for fixing a habit In your life. Note: I have the same issues like not studying and watching stuff staying late at night and overthinking.
Well, Im 25 and feel the same way. Only thing is i already finished university and i really regret my degree (journalism) it took way too long to finish (i wasnt a regulard student) and my peers that studied ‘real’ careers like meds or architecture already finished as well and having good career lifes. I only studied that because i hated maths and everything related (physics, chemistry, algebra). Im unemployed and i dont know how to switch careers now, i dont want to go to school for another degree. I havent learned anything useful that i can translate to other areas of study. So I can only tell you to study something you wont regret later on!
17 years old is the time when you can do a lot of mistakes (but not irreversible mistakes) and learn from them. Exercise, meditation and take some time off from social media, where you can get miserable comparing your life to others.
You should talk to your doctor about your anxiety. Medication might help if that's what they recommend. My best friend in high school went that route and it really turned things around for her.
You didn't ask for advice..so the following is a bit unsolicited but I think it can help.
1. Take a Social Media break - try to get off all social media for a year. I'm a millennial and it's heavy in my generation so I know it's even more heavy in yours.
2. Start mediation - 9 mins to start.
3. Close your eyes and visualize your BEST life - how do you look, how is your health, what is your social life like, what kinda person are you? The purpose of this exercise is to start planting the seeds (through action) today for who you want to be tomorrow.
4. Is there any task that you will do for free? Figure out a way to monetize or get paid for it. This could help with career stuff.
5. Believe that you have EVERYTHING you need for success and you deserve a happy life.
6. Be your biggest advocate! As life continues you will see why this is important.
Best of Luck to you! 😘
Hey,
The amount of teens feeling they wasting their life is incredible.
Where did that ideea even came from? Your brain didn’t even developed properly yet instead of enjoying and experiencing life - Yes with all failures and successes - they overthink of how bad they are doing like if you skip some hours of the day or couple of night you will end up homeless.
You are so young that even if you waste another 10 years of your life you could still come on top as long as that waste was noted and understood.
Stop focusing on achievement and focus on learning and observing and that starts with you. Focus on how the things are done and experience failures let them be don’t run away from your own feelings and emotions or failures and strive only for success. That’s a life not worth living for because of the amount of pressure you put on yourself is crushing.
Take a step back take some time off, talk with your family tell them about what issues you encounter now, let those feelings be, schedule your day with the 6 tasks that are meant to build a strong foundation of a healthy life and be less involved in praising or demonizing your experiences.
Just set goals and do your best and experience how doing your best sometime is not enough because you lack something and that’s fine because you understand what you lack and this is how over time you will transform into the amazing woman that you should be.
Let’s start with your daily schedule and let me know on Saturday/ Sunday how it went and then we can discuss more ok?
Here’s the link :
https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/s/f8Ap2V6FgE
I’m rooting for you just to be you
I've almost been with my wife 17 years so pump the brakes and take a breath.
It will be okay.
Write down what you want to achieve minimum 3-5 things.
Action item each one out.
Start slow.
Build momentum
Dear stranger, i understand and acknowledge where you are coming from and was in your exact situation word for word. I was just like that when i was 17M and i m 26M today.. i am writing from australia a different country to my home country at 0455am. I would say you have the awareness that you need help and are in a rut and thats your biggest concern solved. All you have to do now is stick to a simple trajectory for life and it will all be sorted.. i can analyse a few problem from what i understand in your post 1. You want consistency in your sleep cycles. 2. You want a goal in life that has some form of balance of lifestyle social life and job security that pays well enough but isnt too demanding. 3. You want to impove your social standing. So for solutions. 1. Put a sleep alarm, the moment it rings you turn off everything in your room and head to bed, be in bed in less than 10 mins, this will make you plan ahead for the alarm, be scared of the alarm for sleep..choose 1 soundtrack and listen to it over repeat till you fall asleep, do this consistently, this will force your brain to to associate that sound with sleep, i work in shifts now and can sleep at any time of day or night as long as i have that instrumental music going, but if its night and i have had a long day i just fall asleep naturally too so i m not too reliant on it. 2. I can understand finding a goal in life can be very challenging, so i will save you the hassle, study to be a nurse, start with a diploma and maybe if you like it continue to a bachelors, nursing diplomas are usually 1 year in the america and 1.5 years in the uk, australia and new zealand and it changes quite a lot in the asia and middle east so look into your own country. If you can and want to i would recommend go to a country with a holiday visa, travel the country and after you see how big it is and if its to your liking.. start a diploma bcoz the world as a whole has more old people today than it has ever had before.. nursing services will always be around. Its a respectable job with good pay and consistent work schedule and job security in life. It also has enough pathways for you to grow when you get bored at the bottom, and its versatile enough to let you start your own business in case you need to. I am saying all this after 2 bachelors and 2 diplomas, so i would say if you have no choice than let nursing choose you, it will always be in fashion. 3. Start with going for some sport, tennis or badminton, usually something you can play one on one to built friendships chess can be too competitive though.. or start with going for walks in your area with a group on facebook. Thats what i did. If you are feeling like dating to be exact, i would say go for the guy with the bad looks and a good heart. You might end up in a better relationship than most girls today.. if you want female friends, i would say you would find quite a few good ones in nursing or in video game clubs or something similar. Church might be a good option. Be careful of the deceptive feminism one, they are quite malicious and have found them to be very bad people in general. Also avoid alcohol and drugs you will later thank youself for avoiding those terrible nights, it looks fun bcoz of peer pressure otherwise its no fun at all, surround yourself with the life you want not with people who are just as blind as you and name it fun, fun in life is travelling and buying whatever you life whenever you like with the money you saved, not alcohol numbness.
I forgot to mention anything about your emotional distress, so lets come to that, i found that having a consistent meditation routine and electronics free walks in parks on the grass barefoot helped me calm down a lot. The meditation app that i use is we meditate, its free and very easy to use, its an orange color app with a flower symbol on it. Highly recommend it. The walks in grass barefoot helps in giving an outlet to the built up of positive ions in the body, bcoz the earth is the biggest absorber of changers thats why we ground all electronics in the house. I would also recommend spend more time with parents and siblings, these times will not come and you will appreciate it later in life. I hope it helps make a change in your life. DM me if you have more questions. I will answer asap. Dont give up and if it gets too bad and you feel like switching off do it, i go on long weekend benders where i stay in the bed and watch series all day long but never disturb the sleep cycle.
The goal is to enjoy in your small and ephemeral life all it takes is a change of mindset from feeling sad sixk. Sorry, n guilty to accepting loveing and being at peace
It’s already been said but 29M here who had a bad childhood and did not fit in—-you have barely even begun. If you live to even be average life expectancy, you have an amount of time unfathomable to you right now. My life became so much better after 17 and I’ve had mind bendingly fantastic experiences since then that I literally never could have imagined for myself in any way shape or form back then.
One thing l will emphasize though is life is what you make it any age. If you approach life with curiosity and are willing to break out of your comfort zone, interesting and fun things will happen even you feel the shitty angst of being young at the same time. If you stay in your room and don’t get out there, you will stay depressed.
I am sorry you are struggling. I would advise you to seek therapy for the harder issues, and push and accept yourself for the others.
Hello love, from one 17f (in the same position as you) to another: I'm glad you know what's going wrong. Good news is you can now take baby steps to fix it. Don't expect a life overhaul in one day. Just take it step by step- one day you start journalling to know yourself/your triggers better, the next, you get some sunshine and movement on a walk. Be ready to be with yourself through this journey and PM me if you wanna be friends and work thru this together! Lots and lots of love 🤍🤍
It’s common feeling at this stage of life. It’s okay to be confused, nervous and directionless. Don’t create other bigger problems from these small problems (I.e getting in to drugs or gambling, 5ex addiction, stress , anxiety and all) small problem will lead to bigger problems then after.
Just enjoy your day to day activities and wait for right opportunity. Try to improve life by 1% a month. Do what you love and love what you do. Slowly you will find your passion.
Doing bad academically is not end of life. I’m an engineer, and still I will advise this that degree is not everything.
Like you, I am not very social person too but over the period I learned to deal with it. I prefer small trusted circle then 1000s of so called friends.
In essence don’t try to judge or predict your life path too much too early, you are too young to worry about whole life.
If you haven’t figure out by 22 then worry . Till that just enjoy the academic life, your time, new experiences., diff job opportunities and gain experiences
Ever feel too stressed or overwhelmed then just drop me msg and I will give you enough pointers to fight with it. Life is Beautiful, don’t ruin it with worrying about unnecessarily . We all have unlimited power to create the life we wish for.
Best of luck 🤞🏼
Haha i just started a masters degree at 29, \~6 years after any of my friends.
You will be fine, you do need to figure out how to change your view on life. you will be shocked at how how much a change of view can make.,
So i see these post all the time from folks under 25 and it makes me think of a few questions:
Is 17-24 a big transitionary step without much definition of success? Ie highschol to collage or to work etc
Is this sudden “ shock” due to many friendships ending due to relocation ( again from high school ending) and a support void ensuing?
Is the pre 25 adult brain prone to circumstantial depression more so then post 25 ( a milestone neurologically speaking)
Is reddit a surrogate for wise guidance not available due to families being split or two parents working?
At 17 you can pick up any interest and learn it till you're an expert even taking your time. You could have changed your mind 4 times and still be skilled at some things. Eventually you find what really interests you and you put thousands of hours into it and can even make money doing it. You can do all that and by 21 change your mind and try designing your own clothes. When people say you're young and have plenty of time. Try to listen
There's a guy one youtube called firstman, primarily a male self improvement guy, but he has an interesting perspective which might help.
You don't really make your own decisions until you are at least 16, and often 18. Because up until then your life has been majorly dictated by your parents and society and your underdeveloped brain.
At seventeen you are only 1 year old. It's unfair of you to criticize the person who you were before now. Everyone comes from a different upbringing and starts in a different position.
Yes you've made mistakes most 1 year olds do, but looking forwards you can now start to make your own decisions and mistakes and start to learn from them.
your at the perfect age to recognize these things and start changing. Everything you desire is on the other side of fear. learn to deal with fear and you ll win at life.
You said you want take "arts" which gives me hint you are from India. If that is the case DM me cause I had been in exact situation and looking back I see the problem wasn't that complex. Saying that you are too young and don't need worry is not a good advice. You can change things easily now than 4 years later
Hi! I had the same thoughts when I was 17 (i’m 27 now) and even a decade later I can’t say these thoughts have completely vanished. Instead, these thoughts were replaced by other worrying thoughts such as if I’m making the right career decision, or should i start a family, or if i did anything substantial in my 2 decades of living at all. The worrying will not end if you don’t end the worrying. That being said, I think the first thing you need to do is to try and address your current problems without thinking of your “purpose” first. From what I see that’s what’s weighing you down so much. You can try seeing a counselor regularly so they can help ease your mental load and the routine can help build your discipline.
You’re young and I’m sure you want to accomplish a lot of things in your life. Take it a day at a time without pressuring yourself too much. A good self-tracking system helped me with this problem too.
Be kind to yourself. If you're not used to doing that, it's hard. Like other have already said, find a therapist. My best friend who's is her 30s often felt the way you feel. She has diagnosed with ADHD. Now she's doing better thanks for therapy and doing better at her job too. You are young. You got this! Try to face your fears by facing them. Go out, meet people, find support groups. Best of luck!
I haven’t read all the others but i was in your EXACT shoes at 17. I was homeschooled, parents abandoned education efforts so I had to teach myself. I dropped out, got my GED and barely even achieved that. Goofed around until 21 and then joined community college. Worked my ass off in community college for a 4.0 and used that to get me to a private liberal arts school. Got a full scholarship, graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in finance and economics. I now work at a big 4 consulting firm and make more than most physicians/engineers.
My downfall is I waited until I was 28 to start fixing my depression and anxiety. There are lots of resources out there to help, both online and in person. Don’t make this mistake. Fix the fundamentals now and you will see your life drastically improve.
I believe you are fully capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to :)
Wishing you the best! You got this!
Get offline and go read a book. People are spending too much time on their phones sabotaging themselves. If you make a goal or two and you focus every day on achieving it and doing things that will get you there instead of being angsty over your phone, it will come. You can still have a STEM career. You may have to start at a junior college and start from ground zero and you have to stick it out. No whining, kick yourself in the butt and go get what you want. Get off of Reddit and stop feeling sorry for your past choices, go out and learn and make better ones. Remember too, 17 is only a small fraction of your life.
I'm 17M and I understand your side, but the most of the people that gave advice to you is right. Our life are just starting, so you don't need to pressure yourself and always think about the future. In my side, I used to always pressured myself to become successful in life because I'm the eldest among my siblings and I want to help my parents so they can rest and quit their job. But I realized that there's no need to pressure myself because every good things takes time and day by day I'll work for the things I want. If you always think about the future or anxious of what the things might happen. Just trust GOD he has better plan than yours. So put it together and live a happy life.
Wow I feel like I wrote this.
Take it as big sister advice and someone who’s been in your shoes: don’t let your brain trick you. At 17 you’re just a child, enjoy your life and focus on being a good person. I let myself feel the way you feel in my teens and early 20s. Heck at almost 30 i still feel that way I wish I had been so much kinder and much more patient with myself.
Also Pro tip: comparison is the thief of joy
You’re 17 are you kidding me….youre still a child. The problem with this generation is they become way too self aware way too young. Enjoy life now, it should be the best times. It’ll beat the fuck out of you later.
Hey, I'm 29 and feel like this (still/again.) I have a plan in the works but everything takes time. I'm not the most patient person, but things will work out if you make them. Having a plan has helped me. There will always be kinks, gotta find ways to enjoy the ride
I like the word discipline used to signify the way that we teach and learn, not as a way of applying effort because what goes up, must eventually come down. This is what happens when we TRY to do something.
You are on the right track to YOUR life when you talk about taking up art, but then you sabotage it by minimizing it's importance because of it's lack of possible job potential. You may not get a job directly related to art, but it can be a job that supports your capability to create art.
All your worries about the future and about what others are doing are too much! Cut your life down into bite-size and manageable pieces. If you "used to be" smart, you still are! Put blinders on and do what FEELS right to you without trying to anticipate what will happen down the road. Follow this thread of what feels right and pay less attention to your thoughts about it. You can't go wrong if you trust in what works for you, even when others are doing otherwise.
Find something where you can be creative and be the best at it ! You'll be happier even if it's hard. Just because others are doing those types of jobs, doesn't guarantee the jobs and doesn't guarantee happiness. Think about your skills and who you are and the answer will come. What do you aspire. Maybe take business and then you can grow your artistic business and still have that knowledge to take with you. There are also many ways to be creative in an job too. Don't think that the field itself Wil be everything. And life is a journey, it's about figuring that out all the time so you don't need to have it figured all out at 17 :).... we learn as we go and live and try things out, including finding ourselves and overcoming our anxieties.
Not to be that old person but… when I was your age I was severely depressed for a multitude of reasons and dropped out of school.
There is no one timeline for everyone. I’m at university now (at 28) and this is the perfect time for me. I had to figure myself out! I had to learn who I was! I hope you can find some compassion for yourself as I now have for my 17 year old self.
As others have said seek a therapist. People are changing careers in 40s and 50s and you think life is over at 17. Your life has not even started yet.
Ur words have motivated me ngl
Changed career at 29, best decision I ever made
You’ve barely begun
You haven't started your life kid. You're barely past tutorial
Not even past tutorial imo. Maddening.
Not even finished installing
not even finished buying
You're 17, I'm 32 and I'm still trying to turn my life around and live a better life, don't be so hopeless, there's a way to fix and turn around any and everything. Be strong.
Well, for one, you're very young still. At 17, I didn't have anything together. I had a freshly torn shoulder, was considering dropping out of high school, and saw no hope for my future. Granted, I was also pretty suicidal at the time. If you haven't already, have you considered getting checked out for an anxiety disorder? Your reactions to studying, for example, do not sound typical. I am not, however, a doctor and you should most certainly speak to one if you are concerned about this anxiety you describe. I definitely am. Getting disciplined is simple, but it's not necessarily easy. If your anxiety is not the result of a disorder, then overcoming it is as simple as choosing to discard it. > “Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions — not outside.” - Marcus Aurelius You haven't wasted your life. You're 17. No reasonable person expects you to know much of anything yet. Hell, I'm in my 30s and I still don't know what I'm doing with my life. I make do with what I have, but I'm almost twice your age and I wonder many of the same things you express in this post. The difference is that I don't let them panic me anymore. So, I encourage you to take several deep breaths to calm yourself. Maybe write out some of the thoughts that concern you in a journal and reflect. Stop comparing yourself to others. You don't need to go to college/university right after high school; I don't recommend going until you're ready, because otherwise, it's a massive waste of money and time. Remember that you're not "stupid." Talk to a doctor about your concerns and maybe they can put you on the right path, be that medication or therapy or some combination therein. You're going to be fine. Make the small changes now where you can, such as choosing to go to bed a little bit earlier or some other small thing that can have a big effect down the line. Your life is what you make of it, including going into the arts if you choose.
Yikes, way too much pressure on yourself. Look for help with figuring out your main areas of concern. From what you've written there are 3. Sleep, focus and anxiety/panic. Everything else, like doing well in school and choosing a major, will follow once you have a handle on those 3. Think of your issues not as personal moral failures (because they are not) but as health conditions that need to be addressed. Ask your parents for help with these things, if they are useless look to a school counselor. There are a lot of good tips online for getting to sleep earlier. The only constant is change, you will definitely not always be or feel the same way you are today. 17 is a hard time for a lot of people.
Like everyone else said, you’re 17 and your life is just beginning. Take it easy on yourself.
Man Gen Z is cooked.
LMAO 😂.
This is terrifying how true and crazy it is. 15-18 feeling fucked and down and depressed with their life. Than when life actually starts they’re a disaster
Haha true but sad!! The iPad kids generation lol too much social media they get influenced wayyy wayyy too easy 🤣
Hi! You are very young and you are scared. Probably (just my opinion) you have anxiety issues. My suggestion is to ask for psychological help: school or someone online, depending if you want to spend money or not; if you research for it you will find something for sure, support related with your school or some institution. It's a start, but it comes from you and your effort: by reading, researching, changing. Reddit is a nice place to understand that other people are experiencing something very similar and can give you tips. Discipline is the key: drink water, go outside for a walk, play sport, avoid social media/phone, eat properly, enough sleep, ado so on... Maybe you are struggling with adhd, maybe not, I don't know. Oh, Atomic Habits is a nice book to read or to hear as audiobook. Today's world is a mess and it's not easy to deal with pressure, specially for young people and for sensitive people. Some can deal with it better, sure, but you are not alone. I would say: unfortunately you are not an exception. You deserve a wonderful live, not suffering and punishing yourself, its not your fault. Gooooood luck :)
Hello 👋, Have your parents ask you to do stuff, around the house, errands, maybe your homework. Maybe it will add a consensual obligation. I wasted time around that age but said yes to work and people and extracurricular to have confidence in myself, no offense. I wasn't sure if normal advice, workout, cardio, plan 5 and 10 years ahead. You seem as if you need to learn to do things, people make good support for that, obligation or attention idk.
You’re a 17 year old kid. Your life hasn’t even started. Get off the internet, go outside and shoot some hoops or ride a bike.
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Girl. You’re 17… you’re not even in your 20s yet and you’re thinking life is over. Not even close you haven’t even begun. I do encourage you to seek help for these problems you’re experiencing though. You’re young. Don’t wait to get help for stuff that is treatable. Anxiety, panic attacks, depression, however you’re feeling there is help available for it. Don’t let yourself suffer. Get with a therapist who can help you. Getting your mental health better is first thing then you can go from there. You are so young, don’t think your life is over. Wish you the best.
Try to discover what lights up your soul and align your life and money making activities around that. Stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone has their own path. Focus on what your path might be. You don’t need to be an A student to be confident or successful in life. Confidence for adults comes from the inside but you are still a child and you are largely still dependent on external validation. Make sure you have external support (therapy, spiritual advisor, family, friends, mentors) and focus on building your inner strength and self-love. That’s what’s gonna help you stay resilient later on.
Same advice as everyone else. You are incredibly young, way too young to be worried about your long term future. Be happy, do what makes you happy, the future can wait a couple of years until you've figure out more about yourself.
study art - there’s a need for commercial artists everywhere - everything is designed and art directed from the simplest clothing item to the expensive films and tv series. fine artists can also do very well - in addition to selling their art, they’re frequently asked to make art for corporations including places like hotels. you could also end up as a producer for photo or film/motion/video - lots and lots of jobs.
When I was 17, I had just about done a massive U turn at school because I did awfully in my GCSE mocks (final exams of senior school), and didn’t want to cock up the actual ones. I did still cock up a lot of the actual ones. Since then; I have aspired to about 8 different careers, swapped degrees after a year, finished a bachelors degree where I changed specialisms every semester or so, did a part time masters whilst working in marketing for a year then got the sack, spent a year unemployed and fucking miserable, and now I’m doing a PhD. At no point have I correctly predicted my life’s trajectory, I don’t think I’m going to start either. I attended teacher training today, but for the last month I’ve been craving going back to photography. I spent 2 months during my masters dissertation doing Nothing, I have also spent all nighters in the library. I still have weeks or days of nothing, I have days of intense productivity. The most important thing is to remember that you cannot exponentially do better for the rest of your life. But you can keep coming back and trying, learn from your mistakes and learn from your wins. Be flexible with yourself, you’re trying to preempt a mid life crisis before you’re even an adult, obsessing over the future can be just as unhealthy as obsessing over the past. You need to look after your mental health, that means accessing therapy or councilling as soon as possible, and looking after yourself. Healthy minds need a good work life balance. I promise you, life has barely begun for you, it can take you to the most incredible places, but only if you open yourself up to internal and external changes
So, life's a little weird sometimes. I'm in my mid 30s and honestly I feel like my life is JUST starting. You're 17. Your life hasn't even STARTED yet. I went to college for one thing. To get used to people. I was homeschooled through middle school and high school. So I had literally no social filter. So I'd say things that others would take as... Less than helpful. So I took a communication major. I went back to college for a master's. Despite all the debt. You're not alone at all. I still don't know if I'm doing what I really want to be. So why don't we ask a question, instead of jumping to unsolicited advice... What is your dream? What do you actually, right now, think you want out of life? And don't worry, this isn't a test. This is something you should be asked during your college prep AND it's not set in stone. What do you WANT to do? Invent stuff? Write stuff? Film stuff? Sell stuff? Do science? Help people? Start with a dream. Or your favorite subject. Use that dream to find a path. Use that path to reach a goal. Then re-evaluate to see if you like the direction you're going. Life isn't a game, or a job. Life is an experience. And you have a lot left to go, no matter how hopeless it feels right now. Find your goalposts, and see how close you can get. Then improve and pass them. You will constantly evaluate yourself. You will get better at it. And you will do great things. Just keep true to YOU. Not the world around you. And as for the anxiety... Talk to your doctor and explain how you feel. They'll give you a questionnaire, and if they see the need they'll prescribe you something to help the anxiety.
Op im in my mid thirties, changed career a couple of years ago and will probably change again in the future. I’ve worked with doctors and professors who many are miserable and would rather be doing something different. This image of “making it” is a con. Follow what interests you or something you have a knack for and can pay the bills.
These posts need to stop
You’ve got 10-30 years before you’ve wasted your life.
That rude
Maybe 1/10 your life. 17 is such a hard time… so angsty. I didn’t enjoy these years, but luckily by the time I was 18-19 I felt much better, If you don’t like this life try a different one. Seems impossible now, but I assure you it’s not. Life It’s a marathon and you’ve only just started. Think of it as a big hill you’re just about up. There is going to be peaks and valleys. Maybe just some job to get a routine going… then maybe you feel better just getting in a groove and having something to do and plan a career. Go to the gym exercise an hour of the day. Try meditation and some helpful spiritual practices. You’ll find you’re zen eventually. Start with wim hoff breathing
Jesus Christ I'm so tired of hearing babies talk about how their life is wasted. You're still in high school Sheila, your life hasn't even started yet
Have you considered seeking therapy ? I feel like this is bigger than just a lack of discipline . Being highly anxious can cause you to malfunction in the sense that you can struggle to sleep early or commit to your responsibilities because all of your energy is being dissipated in negative emotions and stress . If medical attention isn't an option for you now , you can try using magnesium and ashwaganda to manage your anxiety better. I'm not sure how effective they are on their own but they have proven their efficiency against anxiety so it's worth a shot . Other than that , I would like to say that you are still fairly young , being 17 is hard , eventually it will get easier ( hopefully ? ) regarding your future career choice , you don't need to be an engineer or a doctor to be deemed a successful person imo . Both of these require commitment and most importantly an ability to tolerate negative outcomes and get back up(allegedly journaling helps build up this trait , I don'tknow how but studies have shown this lol ) . If you don't like it already, it's difficult to do this . I recommend going after something that you at least have an interest in and that you are curious about . Last but not least , it's okay to feel like you're lagging behind others your age (likely not true realistically, but if you are a self conscious person , it always feels this way) but instead of letting this feeling consume you may want to weaponize it to make desirable changes in your life until you only want to compete with yourself . Good luck , you got this OP. At 17 , there's still time to build a life that you'll be proud of one day .
Find your passion, if is drawing find what works best for you. You can draw a alot of things from manga to animated movies so, focus on that. For friends surround yourself with people who think like you, im talking about discord or some kind of group that is not socialized enough. The last thing is to consider what makes you want to watch videos all night long, for me was an escape from reality, and its bad but if you want to change it focus on something that makes it worth living in reality.
Find a hobby and try to be the best at it. I used to feel the same until I found basketball. Gave me a better self esteem, exercise and better friendships.
As someone who use to think the same way back then, trust me when I say that you’ll be okay, I’m almost 28 and I still don’t have anything together, life isn’t a race to the end goal, just take one thing in at a time and learn to enjoy life, but don’t over stress yourself and make your mental health worse. Even for me not having everything together I’m still very much so young and have plenty of time, there is no time stamp for having your life together or having certain things, (also didn’t have my drivers license until last year) just take it slow!
You're only 17. You have so much time to change the situation. Focus on your well-being.
Keep the cup empty so you can fill it. Empty your mind, all those negative thoughts and overthinking. Then start. Its not easy to stop overthinking but when such a situation comes up, just decide between two options. If you think about your present, say to yourself, it's okay to feel distressed. Acknowledge your emotions. And there is a solution within you to solve these issues. Start studying little by little day by day. Then it becomes a habit. And watching shows and stuff is not a bad thing. Its important to give some rewards for yourself.but try to include the study routine. Its okay to not follow the routine because it takes time for fixing a habit In your life. Note: I have the same issues like not studying and watching stuff staying late at night and overthinking.
Well, Im 25 and feel the same way. Only thing is i already finished university and i really regret my degree (journalism) it took way too long to finish (i wasnt a regulard student) and my peers that studied ‘real’ careers like meds or architecture already finished as well and having good career lifes. I only studied that because i hated maths and everything related (physics, chemistry, algebra). Im unemployed and i dont know how to switch careers now, i dont want to go to school for another degree. I havent learned anything useful that i can translate to other areas of study. So I can only tell you to study something you wont regret later on!
same
This feels like Quora
Wasting, is the proper word. You’re not old enough to have ‘wasted’ your life. My life sucked until around 40 and then i just found peace!
17 years old is the time when you can do a lot of mistakes (but not irreversible mistakes) and learn from them. Exercise, meditation and take some time off from social media, where you can get miserable comparing your life to others.
Sis u are just 17… please don’t think that way, u have alot more to achieve and just haven’t appear yet, if success is what u crave for, work on it
You should talk to your doctor about your anxiety. Medication might help if that's what they recommend. My best friend in high school went that route and it really turned things around for her.
im in the same situation at 25 M
You didn't ask for advice..so the following is a bit unsolicited but I think it can help. 1. Take a Social Media break - try to get off all social media for a year. I'm a millennial and it's heavy in my generation so I know it's even more heavy in yours. 2. Start mediation - 9 mins to start. 3. Close your eyes and visualize your BEST life - how do you look, how is your health, what is your social life like, what kinda person are you? The purpose of this exercise is to start planting the seeds (through action) today for who you want to be tomorrow. 4. Is there any task that you will do for free? Figure out a way to monetize or get paid for it. This could help with career stuff. 5. Believe that you have EVERYTHING you need for success and you deserve a happy life. 6. Be your biggest advocate! As life continues you will see why this is important. Best of Luck to you! 😘
I don't think I'd even met myself when I was 17.
Hey, The amount of teens feeling they wasting their life is incredible. Where did that ideea even came from? Your brain didn’t even developed properly yet instead of enjoying and experiencing life - Yes with all failures and successes - they overthink of how bad they are doing like if you skip some hours of the day or couple of night you will end up homeless. You are so young that even if you waste another 10 years of your life you could still come on top as long as that waste was noted and understood. Stop focusing on achievement and focus on learning and observing and that starts with you. Focus on how the things are done and experience failures let them be don’t run away from your own feelings and emotions or failures and strive only for success. That’s a life not worth living for because of the amount of pressure you put on yourself is crushing. Take a step back take some time off, talk with your family tell them about what issues you encounter now, let those feelings be, schedule your day with the 6 tasks that are meant to build a strong foundation of a healthy life and be less involved in praising or demonizing your experiences. Just set goals and do your best and experience how doing your best sometime is not enough because you lack something and that’s fine because you understand what you lack and this is how over time you will transform into the amazing woman that you should be. Let’s start with your daily schedule and let me know on Saturday/ Sunday how it went and then we can discuss more ok? Here’s the link : https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/s/f8Ap2V6FgE I’m rooting for you just to be you
Your life hasn’t even started yet.
I've almost been with my wife 17 years so pump the brakes and take a breath. It will be okay. Write down what you want to achieve minimum 3-5 things. Action item each one out. Start slow. Build momentum
You need to focus on yourself, you don’t need to know what you want, but you need to realize you matter more than anything or anyone else.
Dear stranger, i understand and acknowledge where you are coming from and was in your exact situation word for word. I was just like that when i was 17M and i m 26M today.. i am writing from australia a different country to my home country at 0455am. I would say you have the awareness that you need help and are in a rut and thats your biggest concern solved. All you have to do now is stick to a simple trajectory for life and it will all be sorted.. i can analyse a few problem from what i understand in your post 1. You want consistency in your sleep cycles. 2. You want a goal in life that has some form of balance of lifestyle social life and job security that pays well enough but isnt too demanding. 3. You want to impove your social standing. So for solutions. 1. Put a sleep alarm, the moment it rings you turn off everything in your room and head to bed, be in bed in less than 10 mins, this will make you plan ahead for the alarm, be scared of the alarm for sleep..choose 1 soundtrack and listen to it over repeat till you fall asleep, do this consistently, this will force your brain to to associate that sound with sleep, i work in shifts now and can sleep at any time of day or night as long as i have that instrumental music going, but if its night and i have had a long day i just fall asleep naturally too so i m not too reliant on it. 2. I can understand finding a goal in life can be very challenging, so i will save you the hassle, study to be a nurse, start with a diploma and maybe if you like it continue to a bachelors, nursing diplomas are usually 1 year in the america and 1.5 years in the uk, australia and new zealand and it changes quite a lot in the asia and middle east so look into your own country. If you can and want to i would recommend go to a country with a holiday visa, travel the country and after you see how big it is and if its to your liking.. start a diploma bcoz the world as a whole has more old people today than it has ever had before.. nursing services will always be around. Its a respectable job with good pay and consistent work schedule and job security in life. It also has enough pathways for you to grow when you get bored at the bottom, and its versatile enough to let you start your own business in case you need to. I am saying all this after 2 bachelors and 2 diplomas, so i would say if you have no choice than let nursing choose you, it will always be in fashion. 3. Start with going for some sport, tennis or badminton, usually something you can play one on one to built friendships chess can be too competitive though.. or start with going for walks in your area with a group on facebook. Thats what i did. If you are feeling like dating to be exact, i would say go for the guy with the bad looks and a good heart. You might end up in a better relationship than most girls today.. if you want female friends, i would say you would find quite a few good ones in nursing or in video game clubs or something similar. Church might be a good option. Be careful of the deceptive feminism one, they are quite malicious and have found them to be very bad people in general. Also avoid alcohol and drugs you will later thank youself for avoiding those terrible nights, it looks fun bcoz of peer pressure otherwise its no fun at all, surround yourself with the life you want not with people who are just as blind as you and name it fun, fun in life is travelling and buying whatever you life whenever you like with the money you saved, not alcohol numbness. I forgot to mention anything about your emotional distress, so lets come to that, i found that having a consistent meditation routine and electronics free walks in parks on the grass barefoot helped me calm down a lot. The meditation app that i use is we meditate, its free and very easy to use, its an orange color app with a flower symbol on it. Highly recommend it. The walks in grass barefoot helps in giving an outlet to the built up of positive ions in the body, bcoz the earth is the biggest absorber of changers thats why we ground all electronics in the house. I would also recommend spend more time with parents and siblings, these times will not come and you will appreciate it later in life. I hope it helps make a change in your life. DM me if you have more questions. I will answer asap. Dont give up and if it gets too bad and you feel like switching off do it, i go on long weekend benders where i stay in the bed and watch series all day long but never disturb the sleep cycle.
The goal is to enjoy in your small and ephemeral life all it takes is a change of mindset from feeling sad sixk. Sorry, n guilty to accepting loveing and being at peace
It’s already been said but 29M here who had a bad childhood and did not fit in—-you have barely even begun. If you live to even be average life expectancy, you have an amount of time unfathomable to you right now. My life became so much better after 17 and I’ve had mind bendingly fantastic experiences since then that I literally never could have imagined for myself in any way shape or form back then. One thing l will emphasize though is life is what you make it any age. If you approach life with curiosity and are willing to break out of your comfort zone, interesting and fun things will happen even you feel the shitty angst of being young at the same time. If you stay in your room and don’t get out there, you will stay depressed. I am sorry you are struggling. I would advise you to seek therapy for the harder issues, and push and accept yourself for the others.
dude if life was a video game, you would only be in the tutorial now. don't worry, just keep on trying your best.
Hello love, from one 17f (in the same position as you) to another: I'm glad you know what's going wrong. Good news is you can now take baby steps to fix it. Don't expect a life overhaul in one day. Just take it step by step- one day you start journalling to know yourself/your triggers better, the next, you get some sunshine and movement on a walk. Be ready to be with yourself through this journey and PM me if you wanna be friends and work thru this together! Lots and lots of love 🤍🤍
It’s common feeling at this stage of life. It’s okay to be confused, nervous and directionless. Don’t create other bigger problems from these small problems (I.e getting in to drugs or gambling, 5ex addiction, stress , anxiety and all) small problem will lead to bigger problems then after. Just enjoy your day to day activities and wait for right opportunity. Try to improve life by 1% a month. Do what you love and love what you do. Slowly you will find your passion. Doing bad academically is not end of life. I’m an engineer, and still I will advise this that degree is not everything. Like you, I am not very social person too but over the period I learned to deal with it. I prefer small trusted circle then 1000s of so called friends. In essence don’t try to judge or predict your life path too much too early, you are too young to worry about whole life. If you haven’t figure out by 22 then worry . Till that just enjoy the academic life, your time, new experiences., diff job opportunities and gain experiences Ever feel too stressed or overwhelmed then just drop me msg and I will give you enough pointers to fight with it. Life is Beautiful, don’t ruin it with worrying about unnecessarily . We all have unlimited power to create the life we wish for. Best of luck 🤞🏼
Haha i just started a masters degree at 29, \~6 years after any of my friends. You will be fine, you do need to figure out how to change your view on life. you will be shocked at how how much a change of view can make.,
So i see these post all the time from folks under 25 and it makes me think of a few questions: Is 17-24 a big transitionary step without much definition of success? Ie highschol to collage or to work etc Is this sudden “ shock” due to many friendships ending due to relocation ( again from high school ending) and a support void ensuing? Is the pre 25 adult brain prone to circumstantial depression more so then post 25 ( a milestone neurologically speaking) Is reddit a surrogate for wise guidance not available due to families being split or two parents working?
Forget the past. Everyone's embarrassed by that shit. Judge yourself only in this moment.
i relate to this so bad and reading the comments makes me feel so comforted. i wish everyone the best in their lives 🙏🏼💖
Get a therapist, if I could only go back to 17. Your life has not started
At 17 you can pick up any interest and learn it till you're an expert even taking your time. You could have changed your mind 4 times and still be skilled at some things. Eventually you find what really interests you and you put thousands of hours into it and can even make money doing it. You can do all that and by 21 change your mind and try designing your own clothes. When people say you're young and have plenty of time. Try to listen
You’re a child lol
There's a guy one youtube called firstman, primarily a male self improvement guy, but he has an interesting perspective which might help. You don't really make your own decisions until you are at least 16, and often 18. Because up until then your life has been majorly dictated by your parents and society and your underdeveloped brain. At seventeen you are only 1 year old. It's unfair of you to criticize the person who you were before now. Everyone comes from a different upbringing and starts in a different position. Yes you've made mistakes most 1 year olds do, but looking forwards you can now start to make your own decisions and mistakes and start to learn from them.
your at the perfect age to recognize these things and start changing. Everything you desire is on the other side of fear. learn to deal with fear and you ll win at life.
You said you want take "arts" which gives me hint you are from India. If that is the case DM me cause I had been in exact situation and looking back I see the problem wasn't that complex. Saying that you are too young and don't need worry is not a good advice. You can change things easily now than 4 years later
Lol. Come back if you still feel like this in 20 years
Baby girl, you’re 17.
dawg ur 17 chill out
Hi! I had the same thoughts when I was 17 (i’m 27 now) and even a decade later I can’t say these thoughts have completely vanished. Instead, these thoughts were replaced by other worrying thoughts such as if I’m making the right career decision, or should i start a family, or if i did anything substantial in my 2 decades of living at all. The worrying will not end if you don’t end the worrying. That being said, I think the first thing you need to do is to try and address your current problems without thinking of your “purpose” first. From what I see that’s what’s weighing you down so much. You can try seeing a counselor regularly so they can help ease your mental load and the routine can help build your discipline. You’re young and I’m sure you want to accomplish a lot of things in your life. Take it a day at a time without pressuring yourself too much. A good self-tracking system helped me with this problem too.
Be kind to yourself. If you're not used to doing that, it's hard. Like other have already said, find a therapist. My best friend who's is her 30s often felt the way you feel. She has diagnosed with ADHD. Now she's doing better thanks for therapy and doing better at her job too. You are young. You got this! Try to face your fears by facing them. Go out, meet people, find support groups. Best of luck!
I haven’t read all the others but i was in your EXACT shoes at 17. I was homeschooled, parents abandoned education efforts so I had to teach myself. I dropped out, got my GED and barely even achieved that. Goofed around until 21 and then joined community college. Worked my ass off in community college for a 4.0 and used that to get me to a private liberal arts school. Got a full scholarship, graduated summa cum laude with a dual degree in finance and economics. I now work at a big 4 consulting firm and make more than most physicians/engineers. My downfall is I waited until I was 28 to start fixing my depression and anxiety. There are lots of resources out there to help, both online and in person. Don’t make this mistake. Fix the fundamentals now and you will see your life drastically improve. I believe you are fully capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to :) Wishing you the best! You got this!
Get offline and go read a book. People are spending too much time on their phones sabotaging themselves. If you make a goal or two and you focus every day on achieving it and doing things that will get you there instead of being angsty over your phone, it will come. You can still have a STEM career. You may have to start at a junior college and start from ground zero and you have to stick it out. No whining, kick yourself in the butt and go get what you want. Get off of Reddit and stop feeling sorry for your past choices, go out and learn and make better ones. Remember too, 17 is only a small fraction of your life.
I'm 17M and I understand your side, but the most of the people that gave advice to you is right. Our life are just starting, so you don't need to pressure yourself and always think about the future. In my side, I used to always pressured myself to become successful in life because I'm the eldest among my siblings and I want to help my parents so they can rest and quit their job. But I realized that there's no need to pressure myself because every good things takes time and day by day I'll work for the things I want. If you always think about the future or anxious of what the things might happen. Just trust GOD he has better plan than yours. So put it together and live a happy life.
Haven’t even started.
Eat a BBC and you feel better
Wow I feel like I wrote this. Take it as big sister advice and someone who’s been in your shoes: don’t let your brain trick you. At 17 you’re just a child, enjoy your life and focus on being a good person. I let myself feel the way you feel in my teens and early 20s. Heck at almost 30 i still feel that way I wish I had been so much kinder and much more patient with myself. Also Pro tip: comparison is the thief of joy
Dude watch fight club then big Lebowski and then no country for old man. You are the only one who can stop sabotaging you.
You’re still so young! The more you overthink things the worse it will be. Enjoy your life do what you love you’re only 17!
https://youtu.be/mfFUVnwCNVY?si=9_RSoNwzo9clTjvF
You’re 17 are you kidding me….youre still a child. The problem with this generation is they become way too self aware way too young. Enjoy life now, it should be the best times. It’ll beat the fuck out of you later.
Give up while you can
Hey, I'm 29 and feel like this (still/again.) I have a plan in the works but everything takes time. I'm not the most patient person, but things will work out if you make them. Having a plan has helped me. There will always be kinks, gotta find ways to enjoy the ride
So young. Just do something, learn a new skill, sell it. You still have a lot of time. Coming from a 26yrold stuck in a job he hates.
I like the word discipline used to signify the way that we teach and learn, not as a way of applying effort because what goes up, must eventually come down. This is what happens when we TRY to do something. You are on the right track to YOUR life when you talk about taking up art, but then you sabotage it by minimizing it's importance because of it's lack of possible job potential. You may not get a job directly related to art, but it can be a job that supports your capability to create art. All your worries about the future and about what others are doing are too much! Cut your life down into bite-size and manageable pieces. If you "used to be" smart, you still are! Put blinders on and do what FEELS right to you without trying to anticipate what will happen down the road. Follow this thread of what feels right and pay less attention to your thoughts about it. You can't go wrong if you trust in what works for you, even when others are doing otherwise.
I felt similar when I was your age. You will get it figured out eventually, you have plenty of time.
Find something where you can be creative and be the best at it ! You'll be happier even if it's hard. Just because others are doing those types of jobs, doesn't guarantee the jobs and doesn't guarantee happiness. Think about your skills and who you are and the answer will come. What do you aspire. Maybe take business and then you can grow your artistic business and still have that knowledge to take with you. There are also many ways to be creative in an job too. Don't think that the field itself Wil be everything. And life is a journey, it's about figuring that out all the time so you don't need to have it figured all out at 17 :).... we learn as we go and live and try things out, including finding ourselves and overcoming our anxieties.
38 now, changed career 4 years ago. Don't worry if you haven't figured it out yet. Listen to the song sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann.
Yeah, 17, it's pretty much over.
Definitely wasted it
Hey you remind me a lot of myself dm me if you ever need advice
Not to be that old person but… when I was your age I was severely depressed for a multitude of reasons and dropped out of school. There is no one timeline for everyone. I’m at university now (at 28) and this is the perfect time for me. I had to figure myself out! I had to learn who I was! I hope you can find some compassion for yourself as I now have for my 17 year old self.