Once you finish high school the 'real' living begins, if you've already carved your marital, and career commitments into the stone, the coping and staleness begin.

Kids Fail

Kids fail to realize that they are solely responsible for where they are when their 'life' begins - at the culmination of 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'.  

Once you're married and have entered the work force "for real" you fail to be able to: 

1) Seriously examine other career pathways because you have differentiated and don't have time while working to cultivate your educational preparation.

2) Enjoy or examine other people, for example once you've gifted yourself to your spouse, you get busy with the relationship and meeting others and enjoying them on a deeper-friendship level is not really a viable option.

Settling down RIGHT AWAY after High School closes a LOT of doors. And life is short.

Then it's over.

How did you set that up? What did you do towards it? How much of it do you own; versus, how much helplessness did you show or responsibility did you assign your parents?
They built the nest but you have to be thinking about, and ensuring yours. How's it looking? It's not that far off.