There are moments in life when you feel unsure of where you’re headed. This can happen to anyone, grown-ups, teens, even kids. Maybe you feel it when you’re at school, doing something that just doesn’t make sense to you. Maybe it’s when everyone else seems to know what they want, but you’re still trying to figure it out. Or maybe it’s when you’re doing something that used to make you happy, but now it just feels like a chore. Or it’s a job you used to enjoy and now it feels like you’re in the wrong career.
You might think, Did I make a mistake? Or am I supposed to be doing something different?”
Guess what? That feeling is normal. It’s okay to feel confused. It’s okay to question things. It’s okay to feel stagnant or not enough. And no, you’re not broken or behind. You’re growing.
For kids and teens, here’s something important to remember, you don’t have to have all the answers right now. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to be when you grow up, or how to solve every problem in your friendships, school life, or even your feelings. Life is a long journey, and figuring things out is part of the adventure.
But when you start to feel like something isn’t right, like a sport you used to love now makes you stressed, or a friendship feels one-sided, or school is making you feel small instead of strong, or a job is stressing you way too much, that’s your inner voice speaking. Listen to it.
Here are a few steps you can take:
Talk to someone you trust. It could be a parent, a teacher, an older sibling, or a friend. You don’t have to carry confusion alone.
Write it down.
Journaling helps turn jumbled thoughts into clear ones. You might find patterns or feelings you didn’t notice before.
Try new things.
You don’t have to stick with something just because you started it. Exploring different hobbies, activities, jobs, or ways of thinking helps you learn more about who you are.
Be kind to yourself. Feeling lost isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign that you’re paying attention. That’s a strength, not a weakness.
And to the young hearts reading this, know that even adults feel this way. Life isn’t a straight line. It’s full of turns, rest, stops, and even reroutes. Everyone is figuring things out as they go, even the people who seem like they have it all together.
So if you feel like you’re going in the wrong direction, pause. Breathe. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to ask questions. And it’s more than okay to take your time.
You’re learning. You’re growing. And you’re going to be just fine.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
