Advice from a stranger

I came across this interesting thread on Bogleheads today, involving a young man who studied English in college, spent the last year and change paying off debt, and wonders how he can stop feeling so depressed about his finances.

Having read the entire thread, I thought I would share a response by the user named "BlueJello," 

(S)he writes:  

The best thing I can tell you is that things can and do change incredibly fast. Where you are right now is almost certainly not where you will be in 5 years or even 1 year. You are doing everything right — you are saving, you are paying off debt, you are looking for opportunities to grow your career. You sound smart and hardworking, and even though you're a complete stranger on the internet I would bet on you.

You asked "what/who should I be comparing myself to, if not others"? The answer is simple. Compare yourself to the past version of you. Focus on the fact that you are getting better — smarter, stronger, richer — every single day, month, year.

Think back to how you felt a year ago when you had $32k of debt. Didn't that feel crushing and overwhelming then, like you were never going to pay it off? Well, you've almost paid it off now!

Think back to how you felt before you landed your $45k job. Remember the anxiety, the pain of the job-hunting process, how nervous you were before interviews. Wouldn't that past version of you be super grateful to have the job you have now?
Think back to the person you were before you learned so much about personal finance and investing, how clueless and helpless you felt. Think about how totally impressed that person would be with the financially savvy present you.

Now think about the future. In a few months, you will have $0 debt. You will move out of your parents home. Think about how good that will feel. After that, you will get a raise or find a better paying job or pick up some freelancing work on the side. Your savings account will grow. First it will be in the hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands. You'll get another raise, or an even better job. Maybe technical writing will turn into your own business. Your income will grow even further, and along with it your confidence. All of this will happen to you, and it will happen a lot faster than you think.

In other words, try changing the narrative that you have about yourself in your head. As an English major, you should appreciate the importance of the narrative. Facts are facts but how you choose to look at the facts makes up your story, and the power of a good story is immense.

Right now your narrative goes something like this: "I am such an idiot for getting this useless degree in English, it's not worth the paper it's printed on. I am so far behind all my peers. They have awesome lives and my life sucks. I live with my parents, I have no money, I am a loser. Woe is me." 

But what if you were to reframe your narrative? Try this: "I have paid off $32k of student loan debt in one year!! Holy cow, I am so awesome. I should be featured on the cover of Responsible Young Adults magazine. AND as if that wasn't enough, I've also found a career path that I enjoy and that I'm effing good at! What an incredibly productive year 2014 has been. I can't wait to see what good things will lie ahead for me in 2015."