Realized I was drowning my succulents for a decade after seeing one thrive on a dry Tucson windowsill.
I kept my jade plant damp for years thinking it needed it, but seeing a bone-dry, plump one in Arizona made me finally check the actual soil needs for each pot on my shelf.
What finally made you realize you were drowning, and not just treading water? I spent years telling myself I was just in a rough patch... but it was way deeper than that. It's hard to see the surface when you're that far down.
Oh man, that hits hard. I read something once that said if you're constantly EXHAUSTED just from trying to stay in the same place, you're not treading water, you're actually sinking. It's like what @wendyking said, you can do it for years without even noticing the deep end. For me, the wake-up call was when I stopped being able to picture a time when things would feel easy again.