It’s easy to get into the mindset where you could do it (whatever it is) if you wanted to, but you don’t. People often interpret this as someone being afraid to fail, where it often means being afraid to succeed. To separate yourself from your friends and leave your comfort zone of good enough requires a willingness to do so. It’s not always conscious either and self sabotage is often the outcome. I did it in high school and in other situations as well. It didn’t keep me from being reasonably successful, but that’s all I was ever going to be. I finally broke the cycle when I returned to graduate school, but I was in my late 40s when that happened. The good news is that it’s never too late. Having more fun than ever now.