In 2020, 63% of Americans will use Instagram with an average of 28 minutes spent per day. Over 100 million photos are shared daily and let’s be honest, most of these photos show something fabulous, a trip, a good time, a beautiful family. It’s easy to feel like your life, your real life, doesn’t quite measure up. It might be worth taking a break from social media, but you’ll most likely go back. It’s a small detox but not a sustainable solution. Instead, focus on what you want your highlight reel to be.
What are your life goals?
Do you want to travel? Is your dream like mine – to visit all of the Disney Parks in the world? Try using this goal worksheet to help you focus on what you want overall. You might be a bit jealous of what you’re seeing on social media because someone has the highlights you want. Understanding your goals are the first step to obtaining them.
What is important to you in your life now?
If your family is important to you, your highlight reel will include them. You might not be taking a photo holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but your real life is focused on what is important to you now. You don’t have to share them on social media to celebrate them. Just identifying these real life “highlights” will help you feel more fulfilled instead of feeling like you’re missing out when you login to social.
What do you want to be important to you later?
You may want a family or a small business of your own. Even if you don’t have those things yet, you can still celebrate the steps you are taking now to get to those goals. Make those steps your small wins and remember, whatever you are learning or working on is laying the groundwork for your future “highlight reel”.

Instead of comparing your real life to the reel life others have online, find what is important to you. Then, you’re only comparing your own reel to what you truly value in your life. Then you’ll see a reel of everything you wanted and it’s real.