We all set goals. It’s a healthy habit that ensures we are striving to become better people every single day. But sometimes we dial in on what other people have or what they look like. These people become objects that we envy and idolize leaving us feeling hopeless and depressed.

Imagine you’re scrolling through Instagram and you see a picture of a couple or a group of friends. Under the witty caption is an abundance of fire emojis, heart eyed emojis, and comments that are all variations of “#goals” over and over again. It there is a picture of a couple, they are labeled “#relationshipgoals,” if there is a picture of a group of friends, they are labeled “#squadgoals,” and of course if there is a picture of some girls at the beach, they are labeled “#bodygoals.” With every post, we all strive to be that couple under the spotlight to obtain approval and, more importantly, praise.

Here is where the problem lies. What do we really know about these people (aside from their “perfect” relationship, friends, or bodies)? What if these people aren’t as perfect as we think they are? What if that couple had an argument last night and their smiles are just covering up their emotional wounds? What if those friends are known as the mean girls around town? And what if that girl with the “perfect” body actually lost weight due to a serious illness?

Whatever the case may be, that person on Instagram that we obsess over might not be as happy as they seem. So why are we setting our personal goals aside and basing our lives around strangers on the internet?

We should not be striving to create a life that somebody else already has. These people can serve as motivation and inspiration, but we need to make sure our inspiration does not cross that fine line and become obsession. We are all unique. Our personalities, looks, preferences: it’s what makes us individuals. Instead of labeling something as “#goals,” we need to create our own goals: real goals that we can achieve by working hard.