The older you get, the more pressure there is to figure out your life purpose. The school system, parents, friends, neighbors—basically everyone is determined to freak you out about this. It seems like there’s always something to aspire to our someone to keep up with.
But the thing is, no one takes the same path in life. Everyone travels differently. If you’re still worried about where life is taking you, every day doesn’t have to be an existential crisis—there are things you can do that’ll help you feel better and give you some direction and perspective.
These are five of our favorites.
Just chill.
Have you ever heard the line, “you’re young, you’re not supposed to have it all figured out yet”? You should definitely use that expectation as a license to chill. Take a breather and realize you don’t have to keep up with everyone around you. If you truly want to find your purpose, it’ll show up eventually, but maybe not soon. Patience is an important part of the process.
Take every opportunity you can.
Try new things. Take cooking lessons, start reading more, go on last-second vacations—whatever. The more life experiences you have and the more activities you take part in, the easier it’s going to be to figure out what suits you best. You’re never going to discover anything if you’re holed up in your room all the time.
Find a way to express yourself.
Whether it’s writing, sitting in front of a camera, or getting on a stage, make an attempt to share yourself with the world. Don’t hold anything back. Bringing your thoughts, ideas, and emotions to the surface can do a lot to help you figure out what you want out of life.
Never stop learning.
Yes, learning is possible without a classroom and a syllabus—the internet exists, you know. From online learning websites like Udemy and Skillshare, to simple Youtube tutorials, there’s no shortage of ways to get smarter. Curiosity about the world around you goes a long way when it comes to finding your way in life.
Keep some perspective.
Sometimes it’s best to ignore the bigger picture and focus on the good right in front of you at this very moment. “Life” is a pretty massive concept, and it can be overwhelming to think about fixing all of its parts at once. Find one small, tangible thing you can do right now to help find your purpose and focus on that. These small things add up, and over time you’ll begin to see your life moving in the right direction.