It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s
Start writing a post
Student Life

It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s

It is okay not to know what you want to be when you grow up, or who you want to spend the rest of your life with – it is okay not even to know what you are doing tomorrow.

144
It's Normal To Be Lost In Your 20s
Elizabeth Zamudio's personal photo

It seems like we should all have our life together by the time we get in our 20s. That we should graduate from college and know what we want to do with our lives and our careers. That we should fall in love and have our fairy tale wedding planned out. That we should have our solid group of girlfriends to fall on and have our list of bridesmaids ready and mapped out. That we should have our 5-year plan stapled to our foreheads. That we should know what we want to do with our lives and how we're going to do it.

To be honest, it is all just lies.

I am 21-years-old, and I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with my life. Sure, I have a plan – I am about to graduate in eight months. But, for a while, I was freaking out about it. I am still freaking out about it most days – but I am slowly starting to realize that not having it all together is okay – actually, it is normal.

Why do we feel such immense pressure to have our lives all sorted and figured out in a neat and picture-perfect timeline? Why do we feel like we're never doing enough and we're not good enough at this stage in our lives?

Social media perhaps?

People spend more time on social networks and social media than they do doing anything else during the day – eating, working, going to the bathroom. It is no wonder that we are always pinning ourselves up against other people – destined for failure in the self-worth department.

The reality is, people on social media always seem to have their life together, but it is never really the case. The real issue lies between the essence that is social media entirely. We're comparing us behind the scenes lives with everyone else's highlight reel – they only show what they want us to see, not what their lives actually are.

The problem lies beneath all of the plans and the searching and the trying to figure it all out. We are so busy worrying about getting our lives together that we forget how to live.

It is okay not to know what you want to be when you grow up, or who you want to spend the rest of your life with – it is okay not even to know what you are doing tomorrow.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and the best way to make the most of your time while you're here is by living each moment like it is never coming back to you. Instead of worrying about getting everything right, we should be worried about living every moment to the fullest.

We as a society have taught young adults to plan more for the future. But in retrospect, we never even know what the future will hold. Many times, we are faced with the harsh and cold reality that life is just too damn short. Things happen and time is cut way too short for any of our "plans" to fall into place in the long run. If we are spending the majority of our youth planning for a future that may or may not work out, we just wasting our time.

The real way to have ourselves together is by making a life that we are happy living, and I do not mean 10 years down the road, I mean now. If you are living every day with a smile on your face, surrounded by people you love and going places you enjoy – to me, you have it all figured out.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

96929
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments