Why are we so patient with a kitten figuring things out and yet so impatient with ourselves?

I clearly don’t expect a kitten to get everything right on the first try. I can patiently watch a kitty trying to climb onto a couch and feel nothing but affection. Take your time, sweetheart. You’ve only recently acquired legs. And when the kitten finally makes it, I’m delighted. What an achievement. Look at you, sitting on furniture! It doesn’t cross my mind that another kitten might have done it faster. I’m happy for this achievement, too busy admiring this tiny creature. Why can’t we have the same patience for ourselves? And celebrate our little achievements in the same way, instead of comparing ourselves with other people or feeling like we should have done better by now.  

That’s a conversation I usually have with my best friend. He has been at the same job for years and wants a change, so he’s looking for something else, but he keeps thinking he should have found it already because “he should have started looking earlier, not now.” He gets so caught up in what he wishes he’d done differently that it becomes difficult to think about what he could do next. And when he tells me he hasn’t made any progress, I remind him of the things he has accomplished. He actually managed to buy a car! That deserves a celebration. Even if he is still figuring out his next career move.