Feeling Lost

It’s not unusual for goal-oriented people to occasionally feel lost. It may be that you’ve grown and your original goal isn’t relevant to you anymore. Or the tradeoffs you’d have to make for success are not worth it to you. Or perhaps you’ve realized that you aren’t talented enough to achieve the level of success you deem important (Olympic gold medalist, genius, leader of the free world, etc.).

Instead of referencing the past, ask yourself what you like, what you want, what calls you, what you need, and what you deserve now. One of the best things about being an adult is that you get to decide what your life is defined by. Then take action.

Brianna Wiest, author of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, says “If you want to change your life, stop thinking about how you feel lost and start coming up with actions you can take that move you in a direction – any direction – that’s positive. It’s a lot harder to think your way into a new way of acting than it is to act your way into a new way of thinking.”

Remember, the feeling of being “lost” isn’t what happens when you go off-path, it’s when you forfeit control. It’s what happens when you don’t want to accept the course of events that have unfolded. Own what has happened to you and what you have made happen, and continue to write your story. And remember, nobody’s life is as good as it looks online.