Chose government exam preparation... now I feel like I've put my life on pause.

I'm 24, preparing for government exams, and sometimes I genuinely wonder if I made my life 10 times harder.

All my friends are working in corporate jobs. They're earning, traveling, buying things they like, and moving forward in life. Meanwhile, I'm sitting at my desk every day studying, hoping that one day it'll all be worth it.

The hardest part isn't even the studying anymore, it's watching everyone else move ahead while feeling like I'm standing still.

Next year I'll be 25, and honestly, I feel like I haven't achieved anything. The dreams that once motivated me now just feel... distant. Some days I wonder if I aimed higher than what I'm actually capable of.

I keep asking myself:

* Am I really good enough for this? * Did I sacrifice my 20s for a dream that may never happen?

I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want to know if anyone else preparing for government exams has felt this way. How did you deal with the self-doubt and the constant comparison with friends who seem to have their lives figured out?

Right now, it feels like I'm just surviving instead of living.