Most people will not be able to judge status based on more than one metric at a time and the first metric will often be money.
The world is a maze and you always have more options than you realize.
Doing what you think would be best (i.e. learning Russian) is most often not as good as doing something similar that fits your routine better (i.e. there's a Polish guy in your building that's willing to teach you Polish). Another formulation: Don't force your dreams but rather take (with gratitude) what is given/in front of you.
If what you think is best is worth it then change your life so that it can fit comfortably into your routine.
Time doesn't exist but causality does. Whatever you are doing don't beat yourself up when your focus drifts to something else. You will find yourself drifting back to it when you reach a catalyst, so the things you really want to do will eventually see the light of day.
Relaxing is more powerful than tensing, you can get further and faster (This one I keep learning over and over in new contexts).
Everyone is obsessed with fashion and how you look says more about you than you yourself are able to comprehend. This is because there are people that can see everything they need to know about you from how you look, you are familiar with this phenomena but from the other side. Resist it.
You are fundamentally alone.