> What am I missing?

That some people prioritize debt repayment differently than you are. Maybe even to the point of deferring any retirement savings. Or are able to put themselves into a situation with a high income and very low expenses. That's usually tough to pull off because jobs that pay a lot are often located in high cost of living locations.

Once you get to 5 or 6 figures worth of debt, you have to look at it as a marathon, not a sprint. With $5k a month, that's at least 5.5 years of payments even without interest. You just have to remember that each monthly payment gets you that much closer to your goal, and keep your lifestyle to a level that supports continuing those payments. Balancing debt paydown vs. other goals (retirement, living for today, etc) is also something you have to keep aware of.