The Adulting Lie: I’m Not Behind — The System Wasn’t Built for Me

Hey friends, Taylor Daniele here,

Today’s episode is simple but profound: your age doesn’t dictate who you are, and every moment you spend dwelling on societal timelines is a moment you could be living for yourself.

The Lie We’re Sold About Adulthood

Picture this: I’m standing in my office, surrounded by steampunk and Victorian fantasy vibes, wondering why I ever hesitated to express myself. It’s wild how long I thought being an adult meant performing a specific image of success.

Society gave us this formula:

→ Go to college

→ Get a job

→ Get married

→ Have kids

→ Work until retirement

→ Maybe enjoy life at the end

But what if that formula was never meant for all of us?

Why the Traditional Timeline Doesn’t Work

I’ve seen too many people stick to this path like it’s the only way forward — and end up exhausted, disillusioned, or deeply unfulfilled. That’s when it hit me:

Maybe the game is rigged. Maybe we were never meant to follow it.

So I asked myself: “Why am I doing what everyone else is doing?”

And that question changed everything.

Making Room for All Versions of You

Unlearning those expectations was its own kind of healing. A lot of the advice I received came from people doing their best — but it wasn’t built for me. And I’ll be real: sometimes you just have to fuck around and find out. Trial and error has been one of my best teachers.

Healing doesn’t always look like progress. Sometimes, it’s choosing rest, creating a space that finally feels like you, or giving yourself permission to stop performing and start living.

What Unconventional Adulthood Can Look Like

Here’s what I know for sure: you can define adulthood for yourself.

That might mean wearing the outfit you love, even if it’s “not work appropriate.”

It might mean choosing not to have kids or having them later.

It might mean shifting your career path again (and again).

Your Turn: What Timeline Are You Letting Go Of?

What “shoulds” have you been carrying that don’t even belong to you?

What part of adulting are you redefining in your own way?

Tag me @healinginhindsight and use #ResetMyWay — I’d love to cheer you on.

Until next time:

✨ Keep growing

✨ Keep choosing authenticity

✨ And most importantly — build a life that’s truly yours.

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Grab the free Real Life Reset Menu — a low-pressure, kindness-first guide to help you reset without starting over. It’s for all versions of you — including the one who’s running on fumes.

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You’re Not Alone — There’s a Whole Community Doing This Too

If any of this resonated, you don’t have to figure it out solo.

🎧 Join The Room, our private Discord community for AD Members, where we talk honestly about health, hustle, identity, and building lives that actually work.

→ Become a Founding Member & Join The Room

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