So, you're turning 25. Hopefully you haven't gone too deep into that quarter-life crisis yet. But, if you're finding yourself feeling stuck and entirely too lost, I'm here to tell you it's OK. Adulting is hard, and I don't think anyone has a serious definition for such a term. Personally, I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and not knowing what you want in life by 25 just seems so natural. Nobody seems to really have it all together, so be happy right where you are. The future is yours to find, not figure out.
The first step is to stop comparing yourself to others. Everybody's living their own life, and you want yours to be different, too. Sure, one of your friends is finishing up grad school and the other just landed her dream job. But, maybe you want to travel the world and find a way to get paid for your wildest passions. What's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.
You might not know exactly what your passionate about yet, or what you want in that special someone. Once again, there's absolutely nothing wrong with living your life in the pursuit of figuring it all out along the way. As long as you're putting one foot in front of the other every day, and being a good person, there's really nothing standing in your way.
There are so many reasons why you shouldn't stress about where you're at in life, but these seven say it all.
Let the quarter-life crisis come and go. You're really not that old. Sure, one day you'll be amongst the elderly, but you'll have so many amazing stories and experiences behind you before that happens. So, stop worrying about the extra candle on the cake and start living your life like the 20-something you are. The amount of opportunities and time you have to pursue your passions is endless, and it's never too late to follow your wildest dreams.
If you're still feeling so stuck and your mind is stressed with the idea that you've accomplished nothing, then look to your bucket list. Write down a few things that you want to do this year, whether it be trips that you want to take or the experiences you thought you should try one time. Start checking things off the list, and you'll be surprised by how much of yourself you'll find.
What they don't tell you about adulting is that everybody is seriously winging it. I've yet to meet a grown human on this planet who has it all figured out, and the answers to everything. The only people who remotely come close are dads, in my opinion. They will just always seem to know everything.
When we were little, we looked up to adults like they were our favorite superheroes and we were their sidekicks. But, now we're sort of taking their place (When did that happen?). And realizing that Phoebe is really the most relatable character in Friends, and that the Batmobile needs to go in for repairs sometimes, too. So, before you sit yourself down for a serious talk about what your five-year plan is, through the pad of paper away. Live in the present, follow your passions, and you'll end up where you're supposed to be.
At 25, you still don't have too many responsibilities. Sure, you may have a job, bills to pay, and an apartment to clean on your days off. But, when you get right down to it, the only person you're really supporting is yourself. You could jet set to another country, and maybe work and live there for a while. Or you could launch that business or write that book that you've been thinking about, without really seeing any consequences.
Truth is, your time and money is your own. And being 20-something means you're more free than you have ever been and will ever be to live your dreams and pursue your passions. Having complete control over your path and regular routine might seem scary to some, but when you realize that it means you have so much opportunity -- it's not so bad, after all.
No matter what age you are, there's still a lot left to learn. You spent a majority of your life so far at school, learning algebra and things that you might never need to know again. But, those textbooks and general education classes that seemed pointless were actually teaching you one of the biggest life lessons of all -- how to learn.
Life will throw you so many curveballs and situations, and you'll take something away from every single one. Everybody's constantly trying new things, and when you don't know what you want to do with your life yet, you're diving head first into every experience. Travel, talk to strangers and listen to their stories, and create your own. Figuring life out isn't all about five-year plans, and you can grow and gain so much more just from learning from the world.
Life is honestly about living. That's why nowadays everyone is so beautifully obsessed with making the most of every moment. If you're trying to figure everything out right now, then you're really not enjoying the present. You're thinking about the future, and where you should be in comparison to your friends and family -- and life is passing you by.
You should feel good about the fact that you're 25 and making memories. Not being tied down to one thing, or knowing exactly what you want means that you're trying everything and have the energy to throw yourself into life's adventures. Don't ever underestimate that these stories and experiences won't make you more interesting in the long-run, and totally fuel whatever fire you choose to light in your future.
Quite honestly, soul-searching is so fun. It's like when you're newly single and they tell you to take the time to find yourself. As cheesy as it sounds, it's actually the truest and coolest thing you'll come across. Feeling lost and confused is so natural at 25, but the universe is also giving you the perfect moment in life to see who you really want to be.
Maybe you'll take some poetry to a coffee shop and lose yourself in the words. Or maybe get into meditation to see what's really on your mind. Others love to throw themselves into travel and let being surrounded by other cultures reveal something they didn't originally see. Truth is, it's not a lightning bolt moment where sparks fly and suddenly everything is so simple and straightforward. But, it is kind of fun to give yourself the attention and love you deserve.
Seriously, I can't stress this enough -- you're not supposed to have this thing called life all figured out. If we knew what we were doing since day one, then the world wouldn't be so messy at times and life wouldn't be such an adventure. You would have your good days and bad days if you had everything straightened out in your head, just the same. And there's nothing saying that the universe wouldn't get involved and throw you off course at times, too.
Not knowing where you want to be, or what you want to do, can of course be so scary. But, once you change your perspective and give yourself a bit of a break, you'll realize how beautiful it is to be 25 and not have it all figured out.
