Stop whatever you are doing. It hasn’t worked for you yet.

Take a few days off work, stop hanging out with your friends, stop engaging in the activities you usually engage in and just sit still for a moment.

If you are feeling lost in life then whatever you have going on right now has not helped you feel found. Meaning this is not where you will find your fulfillment or happiness.

Continuing to chase these things will not push you forward. Take the time you need to re-adjust yourself and put yourself on the right track.

Turn off all electronics and lock yourself in a room for a couple of hours to really think about what you want.

The problem with most people is that they never think about what they really want or where they want to go.

Which means it’s not strange that they end up somewhere they didn’t want to be.

Feeling lost is just a sign of you being on the wrong track… for now. It does not mean you are lost; you just haven’t looked at the map.

It’s like you are walking through the woods without a plan, trying to find someplace you will feel found. You have no idea what that place might look like or where it might be, so all you are doing is hoping for dumb luck to get you there.

But the truth is, you have a map with you right now… It’s just that place you want to end up often doesn’t have the easiest of paths.

You know exactly what you like already. You know what sports you enjoy, what foods you like and also what things you would like to do in life. You just tried to not see it because it was difficult, which is totally understandable.

If you already knew consider this: Even though you decided to take the easier route, you are still feeling lost right now.

Why not try doing what you love? It may end up working out! And it will definitely have more chances than the definite feeling of “being lost” you are experiencing right now.

But that only applies if you already know what you want. If you do not know what you want then you have to take a step back and figure out what that is.

Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Relax. And then figure out what you want. You have all the time in the world.

Here are some questions you need to answer before you do anything else:

1. Where am I at right now in life? — Accept where you are first so you have a starting point. You can only use a map if you know where you are. So where is that point that says “You are here”?

• Do you enjoy what your life right now? Why or why not?
• What are the facts surrounding your life? Where do you live? What are you doing every day? What commitments do you have? Etc.
• Is this where you want to be?
• What isn’t the way you want it? What is the way you want it? Make a List!

2. Where do I want to end up in life? — What is the place you want to go? In a map of the woods there will be dozens of exits, exciting clearings, interesting creatures, beautiful flowers and maybe even more incredible sights to see… So where do you want to go?

• What are the things you want out of life? Be specific. Do not hold anything back, you can ask for whatever you want.
• Think about skills, objects, relationships, jobs, locations, etc.
• What are the things you do not want in life? Again, be specific and do not hold anything back. This is just for you.

3. How do I get from point 1 to point 2? — Once you have identified where you are and where you want to go, you just have to figure out the path to take. That being said, there will be millions of paths for you to choose from, so pick one and then stay the course.

• Find out how other people have gotten there. You are not the first one with those dreams.
• Plan out daily things you can do that will get you one step forward.
• Find points on the map that can be used as “checkpoints” to see that you are on the right track. What are some achievements that show you you are doing well?

It is very important that you know that you do not have to do this all at once.

If you are feeling lost right now that is totally fine! Feel lost for a little bit and enjoy wherever you are!

And then, if you want to stop feeling lost, all you need to do is take one step in the right direction.

The problem is that when we get lost we focus so much on being lost, while seeing everyone else around us that isn’t lost, and we think that we have to get to where we want to be right away. But that’s never going to help you.

Take it one step at a time.

Do not worry about how you can get all the way to where you want to be, because that is a long ass journey. Instead just figure out what would be one step you can take towards it.

If you want to become a professional tennis player you don’t join the next professional tournament right away. You would get crushed without getting a single point.

Instead you go train for an hour tonight and then you pat yourself on the back because you have taken the first step there!

And then tomorrow you go again! And now you have taken another step! Awesome!

And, before you know it, a couple years will have past and you will be exactly where you want to be.

But you have to stop focusing on the goal x years in your future. Just look at the step you are taking right now.

One step today. That is all you need to ask of yourself.

Just take one, single step today and you will find yourself eventually.