3 Ways to Find Your Purpose If You Feel Lost in Life

I spent my early and mid-twenties feeling lost at sea.

I felt adrift; I didn’t have a sense of direction.

I switched jobs and industries multiple times, never lasting more than 1.5 years with any company. I constantly had this gnawing feeling that I wasn’t living up to my potential and was haunted by the quote, “Hell is where the person you are meets the person you could’ve become.” I wanted more out of my life whilst time felt like sand, something I couldn’t grasp onto.

Upon reflecting on my 20s, what I did well and what I could’ve done differently, I’d like to share with you three ways to find your purpose if you’re feeling lost in life:

1) Be honest and unapologetic about what you want in your life

Deep down inside, I knew that the 9–5 wasn’t for me and I wanted to travel; however, I felt I “should” have a 9–5 job because it’d allow me to be a “productive” member of society. I continued down the path of having 9–5 jobs because I couldn’t own what I truly wanted.

2) Know your values and live in alignment with them

It’s easy to get caught up in distractions — in my early twenties, it was the prestige and money that came with having a corporate job. I wish I had taken the time to evaluate my values and priorities because had I done that, I would’ve recognized earlier on that I don’t care so much about prestige and money and knowing this would’ve empowered me to make more aligned career choices.

3) Follow your interests and build your skills — it can take you to places you would’ve never imagined

When I was working at the World’s Fair, I volunteered to blog for the USA Pavilion. Although I wasn’t getting paid for it, blogging piqued my interest and the more I blogged, the better I got at it. Two years later, a reporting gig opened up on a cruise ship. Because I had previously blogged for the Pavilion, I had credibility as a writer and ultimately landed the cruise ship gig, which took me around Southeast Asia and Oceania.

If you find yourself feeling lost in life, rather than looking for directions and validation from external sources, take a moment to turn inwards, towards your inner compass. Your wants, desires and deepest dreams are within you, patiently waiting for you to give them the attention they deserve. When you honor and nurture your desires and dreams, you will feel grounded in who you are.

You will no longer feel adrift.

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