Article last updated on September 16, 2022
Do you feel lost in life? In order to find an answer to this question, we must first understand where these thoughts come from…
We are all born with a certain amount of innate knowledge and the urge to become more than what we were born as.
This is the source of our drive to grow and evolve. But many things can stop this urge, and the problem comes when years of conditioning and emotional trauma bury this innate wisdom.
We are emotional beings, and emotions rule us. Emotions manifest the perception of how we think and act.
If we understand our emotions, then it will help us to make better decisions and not feel lost in life.
Our feelings are not facts; they are signals that something inside us needs attention or change. Our feelings are trying to tell us something.
If you want to get rid of your feeling of being lost in life, then read this entire article so you can know what to do next.
What Does It Mean When You Feel Lost
When you feel lost in life, it means that there is an inner conflict going on within you. There is a part of you that wants to go one way, but another part of you wants to go another way.
You may have been conditioned to believe that you should follow a particular path in life. This belief has been passed down through generations.
It’s like a law that says “you should always do this” or “you shouldn’t do that.” But if you look at it closely, you will see that it doesn’t really apply to everyone.
It applies only to those who have accepted it as their own personal truth.
Feeling lost in life means that you don’t know which direction to take. You have no idea what to do because you have never felt this way before.
It’s like having a compass that points in two different directions. The needle is pointing in two different directions, so you stay stuck.
But you’ll see that this situation is temporary and a blessing in disguise.
Why You May Feel Lost in Life
The reason why you feel lost in life is that you are searching for answers. You are seeking guidance from outside yourself.
Your mind is telling you that you need to listen to someone else. Someone who knows what is best for you. But if you keep consuming podcasts, YouTube videos, reading books, etc., you won’t ever find out what is truly right for you.
That’s how you will start valuing other people’s opinions over your own intuition. That’s how you will lose sight of your true self and that’s why you may feel lost in life.
Now, I don’t want to sound woo-woo, but it’s truly like that.
If you give more importance to others’ opinions than your own, you will end up losing touch with your inner voice. Your inner voice is the most important thing you have because, as you’ll see if you look closely, even other people don’t know what’s best for them.
Why Feeling Lost is Inevitable at Some Point in Life
There comes a point in every person’s life when they feel lost. Why does this happen? Because you are growing and evolving.
As you continue to grow and evolve, you become aware of new things. And these new things bring about changes in your thinking.
However, some people don’t realize that they are changing, so they start asking questions. Here are some of the questions they ask.
How do I get back in touch with myself?
Give yourself time and space to breathe, think and imagine without judgement. Being yourself means being more than what society’s definition of success is. Reignite what makes you happy. Being yourself comes with a lot of struggles, but it truly is the most amazing feeling when you embrace who you are without apology.
Embracing your flaws and self-acceptance will help you find your true inner peace and prune away anything toxic in your life that no longer serves you. Take time to slow down and appreciate the little things in life that give you joy, shelter, and peace of mind.
What to do when you’re feeling lost in your 20s?
There is nothing wrong with feeling lost in your 20s. It’s a perfectly normal part of transitioning into adulthood. Do not fear the unknown. Explore the world, learn new things, and let new experiences show you who you are. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to feeling lost in your 20s, but the most important thing is to trust yourself.
Sometimes, it’s necessary to put aside our fears and insecurities to find ourselves again. Sometimes, we need to take risks and go outside our comfort zones so that we can discover what we’re made of. Sometimes, we need to be open to learning new things and letting go of old habits in order to find peace within ourselves.
What to do when you’re feeling lost in your 30s?
In your 30s, you’ll be more independent and free in your decision-making. Reflect and find out what interests you. Create your bucket list and start doing things. Be more open and kind to yourself. Life is to be lived, and remember that wisdom comes when we’re relaxed.
I am also in my 30s, and in the last few years, I have reflected a lot on what my passions are and what I really want to do with my life. I think it’s very easy as we get older to feel like we’re lost and don’t know what to do.
But I know many people in their 40s who are still confused about their career paths, despite having 10+ years of work experience. It’s never too late to figure out what you want to do in life. Here’s what I did, and it has been very helpful:
1. Reflect on your interests: What are the things that spark your interests? What do you spend more time doing than anything else? What have you always been into? Think back on your childhood as well.
2. Commit to and take action on one thing: Focus on the one thing you want to do most in life. Put all your energy into this one thing for a few months and see how things go. There’s no better way to find out if something is for you than to try it out.
Is feeling lost a good thing?
Feeling lost is not a bad thing. It can make us aware of things we aren’t paying attention to that are important to us. It can make us explore and find things we didn’t think we would find. It can help us find what we truly want in life and make decisions that lead to our true happiness. Feeling lost isn’t something to be afraid of; it is something to embrace because it leads us to a better place in our lives.
How to Get Rid of Feeling Lost in Life
Now let’s get practical with how to deal with feeling lost in life. All of the following tips are personal insights.
They may or may not apply to you, depending on your situation. But hopefully, they will help you get rid of feeling lost in life.
Understand that no one has it all figured out
In today’s world, many people struggle to find meaning in their lives. They feel confused. The truth is, none of us have it all figured out.
But if you’ve ever felt stuck in life, you know that finding purpose and direction isn’t easy. And yet, it doesn’t mean you should just accept whatever happens next. Instead, you need to learn how to live with intention.
To make sense of your life, you must first understand that no one has it figured out. This means that you shouldn’t expect to wake up tomorrow morning and suddenly figure everything out. Rather, you need to commit to learning new skills, taking action, and being open to change.
Stop carrying around a heavy load of expectations from others. You might feel guilty because you haven’t achieved enough, or you might feel disappointed because you haven’t found a job you love.
No one knows exactly where they’re going in life. So why should you? Stop comparing yourself to other people.
After all, you can only see the external shell of someone else’s life. That’s not the same as knowing what’s inside them.
Everyone has some aspects of feeling lost, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ll eventually find your own path.
You can’t think your way into a new life
Chances are you’re thinking too much. Thinking too much leads to anxiety and stress. If you’re constantly worrying about what you’re supposed to be doing, you won’t have any time left to actually do it.
You can’t think your way into a new life, but you can act your way into one.
The problem arises when we think of outcome-based goals like “I want to become a successful entrepreneur” or “I want to start my own business.” These types of goals require a lot of planning and preparation.
If you’re looking for an outcome-based goal, then you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time thinking about it instead of acting.
Instead, focus on process-based goals like “I will write 2 articles and find a new client every day.”
If you take action, your everyday life will begin to fall into place. This is because you’ll be able to follow through on your actions without having to worry about whether or not you’re succeeding.
It is impossible to think your way into a new future. However, acting your way into a new present is possible.
Realize that feeling lost helps you face the truth
There’s a reason why you feel lost. This is an amazing opportunity to look at yourself honestly.
It’s also important to realize that feeling lost is part of the human experience and is the best time to objectively see things. When you feel lost, you’re forced to confront reality. You may feel frustrated, angry, sad, or scared. But this is a good thing.
Take a look at yourself from a balcony. Don’t involve emotions. Just observe the current situation as objectively as you can.
When you are completely honest with yourself, the meaning of life becomes clearer.
This is why it’s so important to stop trying to control your feelings. When you try to force yourself to feel happy, you’ll never get anywhere.
Rather than trying to avoid feeling bad, embrace it. Feelings are temporary. They come and go.
They don’t define who you are, but they can help us understand what we are fed up with. And when you know what you’re fed up with, you can make changes.
Focus solely on the process, not the outcome
What if you could just let go of the outcome? Wouldn’t that be liberating?
Now, I can sense an instant repulse to this idea. We’ve been conditioned to believe that outcomes matter. After all, we spend our lives working towards them.
But here’s the thing: outcomes aren’t real.
Results are merely a reflection of how well you did during the process.
Letting go of outcomes means letting go of fear. Fear is the biggest obstacle to a sense of freedom.
Fear prevents us from taking action. We always assume that something terrible will happen if we fail. But the truth is that no matter how hard you try, you will inevitably fail. The only question is: How many times will you fail before you succeed?
So, rather than focusing on the outcome, focus on the process. The process is the thing that matters. In most cases, you can not control outcomes, but you can control processes.
If you think of a positive outcome for feeling lost, it would be something like “I know exactly my direction in life!” But do you really think you will have this outcome if you haven’t focused on the process first?
The process of doing things helps you see a clearer image of your life path.
Take a break from technology
Technology is great, but sometimes it gets in the way of our living life. We use it to distract us from real life. When we feel lost, taking in information, numbing ourselves with entertainment, and getting caught up in drama will only make it worse.
I know this for a fact. I’m guilty of using technology to escape myself. I’d go to YouTube to listen to what other people say and get their opinions about life.
This would just provoke me more into thinking that there must be something wrong with me because I’m giving importance to other people’s opinions.
It’s easy to fall into this trap. You’d think that you are getting smarter by learning new things, but in reality, you’re just getting out of touch with yourself.
Step away from technology and do things that bring you closer to yourself.
Reflect on your values
Your values are your guardrails in life. They tell you what you value and what you don’t.
When you reflect on your values, you’ll realize where you stand in life. This will give you clarity.
Having a sense of feeling lost might mean that you are breaking your own rules. When you feel lost, ask yourself why you are acting against your values.
Is it because you want to please others or because you want to get approval? If so, then you need to take time to reevaluate your values.
A fulfilling life is lived when you live in accordance with your values. So if you find yourself struggling to fulfill your life, it may be due to the fact that you are trying to follow someone else’s values instead of your own.
If you don’t clearly know what your values are, simply ask yourself what you will not tolerate in life. For example, if you won’t tolerate lying, then honesty is your value. If you won’t tolerate cheating, then integrity is your value.
Work on internal and external self-awareness
Self-awareness is knowing who you are. External self-awareness means the ability to understand and respond to external factors that influence you from outside yourself. Internal self-awareness means understanding your thoughts and feelings.
You can work on both aspects simultaneously.
For instance, if you notice that you are having negative thoughts or negative emotions, then you should try to identify these thoughts and emotions. Also, recognize that these thoughts or emotions are influenced by external factors such as the environment, family, friends, etc.
Then, using external and internal self-awareness, you understand these situations and they will not have an impact on you anymore.
In addition, you also need to develop skills to manage your emotions. Emotions are natural, but they can become destructive if you let them control you.
There are numerous self-help books written by brilliant people, but most of them overlook the importance of emotional understanding.
As you improve internal and external self-awareness, your frustrating feelings and questions such as “What should I do with my life?” will disappear because you will actually live life instead of constantly questioning things about life.
The answer lies in what you do, today
When you feel like you are losing track of your life, it could be because you are living for tomorrow. The person you are seeking to become is inside you right now.
You don’t become something by waiting until later. You become something by doing things that a person would do.
So if you are feeling lost in life, ask yourself what the person who is on a mission would do. Would they go out and meet new people? Would they build a business? Or would they stay at home and read another blog post on how to find a passion in life?
Sorry if I’m a bit blunt, but this is the truth.
Your daily experience and daily actions are the only things that matter. Where your focus goes determines where you end up.
If you focus on finding your passion, you will not find it. If you focus on doing things that make you passionate, then you will find your passion.
This is why I say that the answer lies in what you are doing today.
Be aware that you have more control than you think
When you wake up, it’s your choice whether you want to get out of bed or not. When you choose to get out of bed, it’s your choice to decide what you want to wear.
It’s your choice to eat breakfast or skip it. It’s your choice to go to work on your business or not.
These decisions are all yours. But when you start thinking that there is no way to change anything, you lose control over your life.
It’s comforting to say that you don’t have control over everything, but the reality is that you do have control over your decisions.
Simply step back from your current situation and consider all of the decisions you made throughout the day.
Did you make any good ones? Did you make some bad ones?
Now, imagine if you had the power to change those decisions. How much better would your life be?
I know that sounds crazy, but you really do have control over your life. Just keep reminding yourself of this fact every single time you feel like you are lost in life.
Set time limits to do something
When we know that we have power over our decisions, one thing will always pop up, and that’s procrastination. The best way to beat procrastination is to set time limits for yourself.
For example, if I am going to write a blog post, I set a time limit to finish writing it. This forces me to stop procrastinating and just do it.
Another example is when I am working on my business, I set a time frame to complete a task. This gives me the motivation to do it.
In both cases, I am setting myself a deadline so that I can force myself to do something.
At the beginning, it seems like you are forcing yourself to do something, but after a while, you realize it is just a habit forming process.
The key is to stick with it. Once you have done it once, you will automatically do it again without even realizing it.
When you are in a challenging situation and you feel lost in life, remind yourself that you have the power to make decisions and you have the power to set deadlines.
Ask for help if the problem persists
Sometimes, when you feel lost in life, you just need to talk to someone. It might be helpful to seek advice from someone else.
You could talk to friends, family members, or mentors about your problems. They may give you valuable insight into the situation.
Or maybe you need to speak to a professional. Difficult situations can create difficult experiences, which could lead to depression.
If you are feeling depressed, it is important to seek help. You should never suffer alone. There are many people who can help you through these tough times.
Conclusion
If you are ruminating and thinking “I feel like I’m losing myself” or “I’m feeling lost in my life”, remember that you are not alone and this can be a good thing.
Everyone goes through this. This is a sign that you are ready to grow and learn more about yourself.
Remember that you have power over your life. When you feel lost in life and you think that you cannot change things, remind yourself that you can.
