Everywhere you turn, it feels like someone else is doing life better. Someone’s announcing a new job, another person is getting married, and another friend just bought a car or a house. And then there’s you — staring at your phone, wondering if you’re falling behind.
We live in a culture that glorifies perfection. Social media has become a stage where everyone showcases their brightest moments, and we forget that behind those smiles are people who cry at night, people who doubt themselves, people who are still figuring things out just like us. The truth is, nobody truly has it all together. Not me. Not you. Not even the ones who make it look effortless.
The Myth of Perfection
We’ve been taught, directly or indirectly, that by a certain age, you should have ticked off all the boxes: graduate, secure a good job, find love, marry, have kids, build wealth, travel, glow up — all neatly arranged like steps on a ladder. But life doesn’t always move in straight lines. Sometimes you’re forced to pause, sometimes you’re pushed back, and sometimes you find yourself in places you never planned.
And that’s okay. Because growth is rarely neat.
The pressure to “have it all together” is a lie that keeps us running in circles. It makes us feel inadequate, as if we’re failures simply because our journey doesn’t look like someone else’s. But here’s the reality: you are not behind, you are not lacking — you are living your story, and it unfolds at its own pace.
Why It’s Okay Not to Have It All Together
Your career might still be in progress. That doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’re learning.
Your finances might not be perfect. But every little step forward counts.
Your love life might not look like the fairy tales. That doesn’t mean love will never find you.
Your mental health might wobble sometimes. That doesn’t make you weak — it makes you human.
We need to normalize being a work in progress. Because that’s exactly what life is — progress, not perfection.
Release the Pressure
I remember when I used to put so much pressure on myself by comparing Glamcityz to BellaNaija. For every small event, it seemed like brands were running to BellaNaija, while Glamcityz was just fighting to be seen, even if it was just by one person. And for a while, I thought: “Maybe I’m not doing well enough.”
But then I looked deeper. BellaNaija started in 2006, while Glamcityz was born in 2018. That’s a 12-year gap. Twelve years of experience, growth, connections, and consistency. How could I compare my Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 12?
That realization set me free. Instead of letting comparison crush me, I started letting it inspire me. I understood that Glamcityz has its own journey, its own timeline, its own unique voice. And every small win we’ve had along the way — every comment, every share, every single person who believes in us — has been proof that progress is happening, even if it looks different from someone else’s.
And the same applies to your life. Don’t let someone else’s timeline make you doubt your own. You’re not late; you’re not behind. You’re just on your path, and your story is unfolding exactly the way it’s supposed to.
So today, release yourself from that weight. Stop comparing your Chapter 3 to someone else’s Chapter 20. Celebrate the little wins that nobody else sees — the mornings you get out of bed despite the heaviness, the times you show kindness when you could have chosen bitterness, the quiet battles you’ve fought and won in silence.
You Are Enough
You don’t need to “have it all together” to be deserving of love, joy, or success. You just need to keep showing up for yourself, one step at a time.
And one day, you’ll look back and realize that the messy, uncertain, imperfect seasons of your life were actually the moments that shaped you the most.
So take a breath. Let go of the pressure. You are enough, even in your “not yet.”
Wishing you well.
