It’s not the destination but the journey that counts.
I am lost at the moment. Well and truly lost. I don’t know if I’m in the right country, the right career path, or the right apartment. I’m questioning every decision that I’ve made up until now and I have no idea what to do next. It’s currently April and I have to make a major decision about my career in July: do I continue into teaching or do I change careers, considering that despite loving teaching, the system has proven too much for me. Honestly, I have no idea what to do. As everyone says, time will tell and I guess that I’ll just have to wait. But since I’m in this position, let me tell you why feeling lost is a good thing.
You get to start from zero
Whilst it can be scary to start everything from the beginning again, it also means that you can do it all over. Scrapping plans gives you the freedom to make new choices and to do things differently. It opens up paths that you might not have considered before. It also means that you can make radical decisions, like moving house, finding a job abroad, or starting a business, a bit more easily. Unless you have a family and children that you need to support, sometimes feeling lost and going back to the beginning can lead to a whole lifestyle shift. It often is what people need to refocus on their priorities and reevaluate whether or not their current lifestyle is benefitting them.
Going back to feeling as though you have nothing is really daunting and takes a lot of courage. But it is also an exciting time, as you are now presented with a blank slate. You can start to think about how you really want to live you life and what is important to you. It is often at this point that new opportunities seem to flood in completely unexpectedly. As they say, when one door closes another one opens.
Feeling lost means finding new things
Feeling lost means you get the lucky opportunity of being able to experiment. You can try new things, meet new people, and experience new things before having to make any choices. When you are no longer sure which path to take, it means that it’s time to look for other paths. It can be daunting to think ahead to the long term, so whilst you are feeling lost, try things out with the idea that it will only last a short time. And that’s okay! You could start that hobby you’ve always wanted to try or take that course that you’ve seen advertised everywhere. By removing the pressure of finding something that is ‘life-long’, you are able to go out and really enjoy new things.
Whatever you do can only enrich your skillset and your life experience so it’s worth experimenting even if nothing comes of it. Sometimes, by doing things and finding out you don’t enjoy them, can lead you to learn which things you do enjoy. And this can be key when you feel lost and you aren’t entirely sure who you are anymore.
It forces you to focus on the present
When you feel lost, it’s often because you aren’t sure where you want to go anymore. Your career plans seem uncertain or have fallen through, you aren’t sure what you like and you don’t know what the best decision to make is anymore. So, when the future is scary it’s time to focus on the present since you have nothing else but the present moment before you. Take the time to look around and appreciate the things that you already have. You could make a list or chat to a loved one about it. Your focus needs to be fully on the present, as the past is long gone and your future now seems nonexistent. This helps us to reflect on our current state and therefore we have the possibility of deciding whether or not we want to make changes to it.
We can also focus more deeply on the things that we enjoy, our identity, and what kind of life we want to live. Through focusing on the present, the need for a future soon fades away. We learn how to be grateful for the moment that we are living in instead of stressing about a time that may never come. This is the only way that you will be able to think more clearly about the path you want your life to take. You will also notice that things start to come more easily to you the more that you appreciate what you already have.
It means you’re self-aware
Feeling lost is actually a good thing because it means that you’re self-aware. You’re questioning about what is going to be best for you and what is going to actually make you happy. This ability to reevaluate your own situation means that you aren’t blindly going into anything. In my opinion, I would much rather deal with the uncomfortableness of feeling lost than blindly going into a career and realising that I’m deeply unhappy doing it. The only way to get to where you want to be is by going through uncomfortable times and situations. By being honest with yourself, you are able to do more of what you really enjoy rather than the things that you think you should enjoy. Once you have opened your eyes to your own personal reality, it’s impossible to pretend like it doesn’t exist anymore.
Developing your self-awareness during a period of uncertainty will be hugely beneficial for your future. Once you get through this time, you know that you will be able to get through it again. As we change and evolve constantly, you might find that the cycle repeats itself a few times throughout your life. This is all normal and sometimes it takes getting a bit lost to be able to find the right path again.
Feeling lost often ends up being more of a blessing than a curse. It means you get the chance to learn more about yourself and what you enjoy whilst also discovering new opportunities. Just like everything, this feeling and this period of time are temporary.
As always, leave a comment if you have felt this way before and how you got through it. You can check out my other blog post on how to become an optimist and transform your life here.
