What have you achieved that is unusual for your peer group?

[DeNiroDeFaro]

Not a journo, just practising for some grad scheme tests and I've not done anything! Have you?

That’s a great achievement! Why can’t you tell anyone in real life?

I am way fitter and stronger than anyone in my peer group. I do a lot more exercise and sports than most of the women I know of my age and have no intention of stopping. I also work full time and don’t know anyone else in my peer group who does. It’s slightly embarrassing but needs must.

Well my peer group is care leavers and i think I have done really well compared to the average care leaver. I have a job and a home.

Nothing worth noting.

My parents are intellifent but chaotic and dad autistic and mum bipolar/ schizophrenia/ suspected ASD (NC)

Intelligent peer group from grammar but chaotic poor stressful childhood

I'm 39 and own 4 properties in London with £1m of quality with DH. No family help.

I'm also an exec director at an investment bank and have 3 children (not unusual in my peer group to have 1-2 kids but for my childhood you wouldn't guess this is where I'd end up)

DH & I earn £320k pa between us age 39

Nothing really. I've got a pretty varied and high-achieving peer group though so though I've achieved a reasonable amount, none of it is unusual within the group.

@Changingplace

Most of my friends are either still renting or are struggling at the moment. It feels insensitive to tell them so I haven't.

Another low achiever here, let's form an underachievers club 😅

Recently got a vocational qualification having previously gone down the academic/professional route. None of my peers have a trade.

Resolved mental ill health that began as an adolescent.

Developed a multi-million pound skill.

Lifted 200kg.

This is a good idea for a chat thread but I fear it would get depressing very quickly!

I thought I had made peace with it but my cousin recently hit another big achievement to add to her long list. Then I found out another person I have worked with got a CBE. I think this is person 7 now.

OK, I'm going to have to ask about this...very cool.

Mine is that I have two Masters degrees while most of my peer group stopped at the regular degree.

We paid my mortgage off on my 35th birthday 4 years ago!

When I look at LinkedIn, my complete mediocrity amongst my peers is quite an achievement 😂

1. I’ve been a mum for more than half my life (I’m not yet 40, DD is 20)
2. I’ve taken every illegal drug and have been to rehab -(not proud of this, but it is unusual in my peer group)

these two events have not run concurrently.

Breastfed two children to 2.5 years. Youngest still going so probably will go beyond 3.

It is interesting what people consider to be achievements or not. I do have a post grad but it doesn't make feel any better about not having earned more.

@unconventionalopinion how did you do that, re: mental health? Genuinely asking for a friend

I’m the only one of my friend group who bought a property without parental help. I was surprised recently to find out how much they’d all had. The idea of a parent forking out tens of thousands was totally alien to me. Their houses are much nicer than mine though!

Well done @Babybab - that puts you among only 40 per cent of people now and it is a real achievement

I was going to say I haven't done anything that's unusual compared to my friends but after reading a post above I just realised - we bought our house ourselves without parental help or inheritance.

Same. My parents are poor - not starving poverty but I don’t think their combined income has ever exceeded 30k and was usually less as my dad was in and out of work. I saved and saved and that combined with a well paying job meant I bought my first flat - in London too - with no parental help at all. It’s tiny but I’m proud. I don’t know anyone else who did it without substantial help.

Same here.
Quite content because even by achieving feck all I have exceeded mine and my family’s expectations!!

About 15 years of introspection, learning about mental health, psychology, neuroscience and functional medicine for a similar length of time (although not all at the same time), and developing understandings about our reality that very few people could comprehend without it driving them to a self-committed early grave. And lifting weights on the physical side.

Had a baby at 19
Retired at 52
Bought my DC a flat.