I’m a 35-year-old man in the U.S., and for the last three years, I’ve been drifting in a void. I feel no progress, personally or professionally, just a crushing sense of being stuck and unhappy. I often see myself as that 15-year old teenager who was inexorably confused about the world and his place in it.

Six years ago, I moved to my dream city to start over. Then the pandemic hit, and whatever momentum I had vanished but I remained.

Despite that I feel profoundly lonely, unfulfilled, and depressed about the present and future. I’ve never found a partner and no longer have friends in this city. I’ve always struggled with dating and making friends. I feel extraordinarily insecure about my struggles to find community and companionship at my age.

As an introverted + shy human it’s always been challenging to connect with others. It feels disadvantageous to possess these traits but it’s who I am. Self-help books and therapy have never been particularly helpful in this regard.

My corporate 9-5 is a soul-sucking necessity. The prospect of doing this for another 35 years fills me with a cold, irrational fury. I have zero ambition because the entire "career" game feels performative, toxic, and utterly meaningless. I feel extreme envy but also pity for those who intuitively accept that the only way out of the game is to play it and hope to win. Good luck.

Everyone talks about finding passion or purpose, but I’ve looked everywhere and found nothing. There is no “North Star” for me.

I might sound like a curmudgeon, but I strive to be kind to those around me. People I interact with may describe me as kind, polite, and sociable. People who know me better might say I’m grounded, thoughtful, and caring. And still I am so alone.

My greatest fear is waking up at 50, still in this exact spot, still alone, with a lifetime of nothing to show for it. I don't believe in myself or my ability to change things anymore.

At the same time, I’m fortunate and grateful for what I do have: I live in a relatively safe country even though it’s currently run by a bunch of racist grifting troglodytes. I have some friends and acquaintances who I see every couple of months and connect with digitally almost daily, but they’re not in the city that I’ve made my home. I have my health, a job, and a roof over my head. I’m downright fortunate. And still there’s this gargantuan black hole in my life: profound loneliness and a lack of purpose. I feel extreme guilt about how good of a hand I’ve been dealt and how I’ve squandered it.

I’ve come to believe that I can't reason my way out of this hole. Every potential solution feels like a lie I tell myself before I inevitably give up or come up with an excuse for. Most things feel fake, forced and trite these days. Authenticity is my most important value.

I’m hoping to hear from those who have been in a similar situation and you came out of it.

I’m curious how many people here are working in careers they never actually planned for.
Was it something you stumbled into because you needed a job? A random opportunity? A complete career change?
What made you stay?
I’m asking because it feels like there’s so much pressure to find the “perfect” path early, but most people I’ve met seem to have found their direction by trying things rather than planning everything.
I’d love to hear your story and what advice you’d give to someone who’s still figuring it out.

I just turned 25 and I feel horrible. Like I’m wasting away. I’d like to find a job that doesn’t require college or any math at all. Ideally I’d like to make 45-60k I’m an autistic bald man.

I’ve been thinking about possibly working for these places:

1. Costco

2.fed ex/UPS/USPS

3.pharmacy tech

1. Dental assistant

I’m just not sure what I’m capable of, I was in special classes all throughout school, I wasn’t even supposed to get a drivers license but I somehow did.

I just can’t. I don’t know what to do with my life. I thought I’d figure it out by now. I can’t work my desk job much longer. I’ve been here 4 years and it is draining me. I want to make money being creative some how, I want to write a book maybe, idk anything. I hate working an 8-5. I can’t do it, thinking harder isn’t helping me figure it out either.

What has helped you with your quarter life crisis

26F, agoraphobic since covid lockdown. been isolating but since the ending of last year i’ve been working a job as a peer mental health supporter. the the only experience i had was from before COVID from 17-19ish i worked in a nursing home, did volunteering at some local charity foundations and did admin work at a hospital. i also do have a degree in psychology graduated in 2024. Once i graduated i was encouraged to start working by my parents which then turned to resentment and anger when i didn’t. i totally understood my parents and felt horrible.

i was still actively looking for work but no outcome until i saw a position for part time shift work as a peer supporter. i applied not thinking id hear back but since it was quite local to me i guess they took that into consideration? idk what but i got the job, family was relieved everything was “fine”.

But the reality is absolutely hate that job, i’ve been there for months i haven’t settled. i still make mistakes you make when you’re new. I cant socialize, my interactions with staff and patients is so awkward and robotic, especially with staff, i stutter a lot and shake everytime my supervisor gives me feedback, i cry after every shift. i wake up from 3-4am so i can take time to practice how to talk to coworkers and patients before my shift starts and it still doesn’t help. Im so incompetent it’s humiliating i can’t do basic things adults are expected to know, i genuinely don’t know anything. i’ve been so isolated i feel like i entered the world for the first time. i’m not improving.

I am so incompetent, and i am useless i don’t have skills and i don’t want to do anything i want to hide in my room and be safe in there. i understand that’s shameful and pathetic, very loserish. yeah. i am aware there are no options. i can’t blame anyone but i can put myself out of this misery.

For the past 3 weeks now i have cancelled all my shifts because i can’t go back i feel like this is the end because what will i actually do? i’ve searched for online options for years i’m always searching never get anything.

Every job has stereotypes.
What’s a career you think people underestimate, and what makes it more enjoyable than most people realize?

19f, graduated in may with my associates in paralegal studies but for the life of me couldn’t get a legal internship/job so i got a temp role through a job agency doing clerical support/mail preparation for an insurance company and i really like it! unfortunately i make just above minimum wage so i don’t think this position is sustainable long term.

while i do plan on going back to trying to trying to get a paralegal position once my temp contact ends i was just curious if there were any other similar avenues i should look into?

ideally positions where talking on the phone isn’t a majority of my day though obviously that’s going to apart of most clerical jobs.

thanks!

ETA: bonus points if you know any additional associates degrees/certificates that would be helpful for me as my community college allows alumni to take a class a semester tuition free and so i’d like to always be chipping away at something ◡̈ thanks again!

Probably no one will see this, but I need to put it out there anyway.

I've been struggling to find my first job since finishing my B.Tech in 2025. I was applying even before graduation, and I'm still at it now - nothing has gone my way.

My family and friends keep telling me to prepare for competitive exams. What none of them know is that I don't even have the confidence to do that anymore.

These days I don't feel like talking to anyone. Just completely lost.

Some days it's hard not to feel like a failure. I'm 24, still figuring this out, and tired of pretending I'm okay.

Any advice anyone?

​

I don't really know how to explain this without sounding dramatic, but it's something I've been carrying for years.

I'm 28 years old. I'm married. I have a beautiful 7-month-old son. I have a stable corporate career that pays well, supportive parents, and a wife who stands by me.

From the outside, I should feel grateful.

Instead, I feel like I've been mourning a version of my life that never happened.

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to become a doctor. Not because of money or status, but because it genuinely felt like my path. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are all doctors, and I grew up around medicine. I was accepted into medical school, but life took me in another direction and I ended up studying business instead.

For years I assumed I'd move on.

I haven't.

If anything, the feeling has become stronger with age.

What's confusing is that this isn't just career dissatisfaction. Every promotion, salary increase, achievement, or financial milestone gives me temporary satisfaction, but the question always comes back:

"Am I living the life I was actually meant to live?"

Some days I wonder if I'm simply grieving a future that never happened.

Other days I wonder if this feeling is trying to tell me something important.

The cost of changing paths now would be enormous. I'd be starting over while supporting a wife and child. The opportunity cost is huge.

I'm already in therapy because I don't want to make a decision based on emotion alone.

I'm not looking for someone to tell me to quit my job and chase my dreams.

I'm trying to understand something deeper.

Has anyone here carried a feeling like this for years?

Did you eventually realize you were grieving an unlived life?

Or did you realize the feeling never went away because you were ignoring something that truly mattered?

I feel caught between acceptance and action, and I honestly don't know which one is the healthier choice anymore.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 31-year-old immigrant woman living in Milan. I’m at a point in my life where I feel a strong need to support another woman, share what I’ve learned and contribute to someone’s journey.

This is not therapy or professional coaching. I would simply like to be there for someone who feels lost, lonely or overwhelmed-to listen, encourage her and check in regularly.

I feel I need this connection too. Maybe we can bring something meaningful into each other’s lives, with me taking a gentle mentoring role.

If this resonates with you, send me a message and tell me a little about yourself.

Thank you

Yana

26f I went to college and grad school and became a PA and felt like I had everything figured out. But, these days I feel so lost and I’m not sure what the issue is. On paper everything seems good, I have this professional degree, and a good job, supportive family for the most part, and 1 close friend nearby and few good friends in other states but over the past few months I feel like I’m on a downward spiral. When I first started my job about a year ago for the first 6 months I was doing great and really enjoyed it, but then I had to take a 3 month break for my mental health and since then it’s been rough. I find it harder and harder to just go to work these days and have used up all my PTO, I spend most of my time doing nothing quite honestly or scrolling online to see if I can find an answer for my current situation. I know I have a lot to be appreciative for but I can’t seem to escape this feeling that there should be more to life? Besides mental health, I do think I’m dealing with a slight existential crisis as well as feeling quite incompetent at work. It feels like all there is to life is working. I just dont know what to do anymore. If the answer is just work my current job, do better at it, and suck it up, then I’ll do it. I’m not sure if quitting and getting a less stressful job would be better either. But I wanted to hear if anyone else has been through something similar and how they got through it and if you have any advice or suggestions I’d greatly appreciate it, thank you for reading.

Hello,

I usually don't post or do much on Reddit, but in the past few years, I've been really sick with being caught in a constant loop of getting job, hating job, leaving job, and then being financially worse off. It's like I want to create or make something and then when I sit to do it, all my motivation goes out the window and then I spiral about not making enough money and not enjoying my job. I struggle heavily with depression and ADHD, inattentive.

I work as a Forklift Picker which isn't too bad, but not doing something that requires creativity or using my brain makes me bored and unhappy. I don't hate manual labor if it's something I'm interested in, but stacking boxes on a pallet all day isn't it for me.

I've worked fast food management, warehouse and forklifts, and a little video editing, which I have an associate's in but the area I live in doesn't have much jobs for it unless it's freelancing, and I suck at networking.

I've been researching certifications and degrees and CNC programming, UI/UX design, and whatnot sound good, but I think if I really went back to school, it'd be for animation. I want to make something that people can watch and be like "whoa, that's cool" and I can not live paycheck to paycheck anymore. Any suggestions? I'm burnt out, depressed, and don't know what to do with myself.

​

I'm 30 years old. After my baccalaureate, I didn't have really good achievements. I went to faculty and didn't have really good marks until my Master's. I struggled a lot with a lot of theory—by the way, I was in Physics—and somehow I continued to a PhD. It was really my biggest mistake. I worked on a topic related to AI, with a lot of papers to read, a lot of theory, new terms, and a lot of equations, and I was lost. So I quit the PhD. I had an opportunity to take a job that a person without any knowledge or diploma can do, just to be financially independent, to have time to think about what I should do, and to escape from burnout. I was really exhausted, but here we are: three years have passed, and I'm still in the same job with nothing changed. The big point is that I'm not up to date, I don't have huge knowledge to apply for jobs in the AI field, and I can't rely on my current job forever. I have a huge feeling that I don't want to regret in ten years that I didn't take things seriously. I feel like I'm just running and escaping, but until when, I don't know.

I (28f) feel I have truly made a mess of my life by exploring too many options. As a child, I wanted to be a writer/artist, but felt that was not a viable path to commit to. I decided to study cognitive science in undergrad, but the computer science courses crushed me in first year. I switched to psychology with the plan of going into clinical psychology (one of the most competitive programs in Canada to get into). I applied to clinical for three years with no luck, despite having 2 years of clinical work post-grad, several published research papers, and straight A's in my last 3 years of school.

At this point (24), I had begun to return to my childhood art and writing practice, feeling that perhaps that had been the path I should have taken all along. I decided to let go of the clinical dream and did a master's in design, planning to apply my creativity to health contexts. I did extremely well in my master's, winning awards for my research, was offered several internships, and was even selected to write/direct a film for a prestigious international film festival. Naturally, I had quite a bit of faith that my path was unfolding before me.

Now I am a year out of my master's. The film premiere has been delayed another year; I have not been able to find a job except part-time or contract work that pays as much as my pre-master's jobs. I am feeling totally lost, isolated, and regretful. However, I was offered a funded arts PhD out of the blue by a researcher whose work I admire, for 2026 Fall start. But I am terrified that it will only lead me to this same state of ambiguity and unemployability, only at age 32 instead of 28.

I have begun to backtrack to my clinical psychology plan and have found a supervisor who would support me for a 2027 direct-entry PhD in counselling psychology (although it is not 100% guaranteed). I feel so conflicted because I don't want to "give up" on my artistic practice, but I also miss doing direct clinical work and having a cohesive professional identity. If I do this program, I would be 33 when I graduate, and I am yearning to have a family before 36.

I know the most financially straightforward thing to do would be to let go of getting more education and get a job, or even try doing something entrepreneurial (although I don't know what that would be). But I also love research, and I feel this is my last chance to get a PhD without having it totally collide with my timeline for having children. In general, the last couple of months I've been stuck in this terrible rumination and fear that I have no more time left to take risks and to dream, and so much shame about being this unconsolidated at an age where I thought I would already have a PhD, a job, and a life partner.

I suppose I am looking for wisdom and perspective. Also, yes, I have ADHD :)

Im so exhausted. Ive been (basically) unemployed Since November of Last Year. “Basically” because I take art comissions from friends when they pop up. I was a barista / management at a coffee shop that unfortunately went out of business. That sucked, but i think it sucks even more that I cant find anything now. My main question before I dive into my personal life; how the fuck do I not give up and stay positive. Literally.

I have an Arts Degree. I love my Arts Degree. I love art. I would rather cut off my own hands before I give up entirely. I don’t give a fuck about anyone that may think it’s a throw away degree; because chances are if you think that, youll think what I want to do in life is stupid because AI exists. Speaking of that; right now with the AI boom I feel so incredibly stuck and fucked. I Graduated in 2019. In a time where we were told ai is terrible, cheating, “the same as using wikipedia as a source”. Now its used everywhere. Every kid uses it. Job recruiters don’t read resumes anymore, they have a fucking robot that reads it, and tells them what to think about a resume.

Its so incredibly disheartening to try and stay positive about finding a job of any kind now is so hard. At the end of the day, Id love to tattoo and I know thats a long uphill climb. Ive been building and perfecting my portfolio for about 2 years, drawing seriously for about 7 years. Ive applied for everything that can make me money (9-5 job) and i mean everything. Pest control. Retail. Janitorial. Barista. Bar-back. Amazon. Costco. Target! Walmart!! By fat the Pest Control interview was the weirdest one; but I digress.

How in the world am I actually supposed to stay positive? Im just genuinely looking for a mindset change and a reminder that im not alone maybe? Or maybe not alone in the fact today was my breaking point where ive just been screaming, and crying wondering what the fuck is going on?

I have been in the physical therapy/ chiropractic field for many many years and I’m looking for a new career in a different field completely. This is a dead end field for me and I have reached the end of that chapter. I’m looking for a new career. Something I can support a family with something I can learn without a degree I’m willing to go into just about any career as long as there is good pay good benefits and something I can climb the ladder in . I have a lot of customer service experience computer knowledge I’m a hard worker and very willing to learn if anyone has any suggestions or can point me in a direction that would be amazing

Hi all,

I'm new to this community, but after reading some posts I feel like maybe I've found a virtual home.

Some important information- I'm almost 30, and I don't have a lot to show for it. I often wish I was a lot younger, maybe 18-20, because it would be easier to justify my current life.

I have no dating/relationship experience. I live at home with my parents. I can drive, but I don't know how far and the law won't let me try. Never been to college. I work maybe 15 hours a week on a good week, often less. Most of my time is spent sleeping or on the internet.

I hit the mental health jackpot- anxiety-depression-OCD- when I was 18 followed by mental health bingo- ADHD-Anxiety-Depression-OCD-ED- about a year ago. I imagine there's a spiderweb in my brain with all sorts of tangles and threads and it's all interconnected and if I disturb one part of the web the spider makes a new one that's even stronger.

My dream is to have a partner and a family and my own place. I'd like to be a writer. But I wouldn't exactly say I want those things, because every single aspect of every single thing I mentioned terrifies me for a whole host of reasons. I'm worried a partner will cheat on me and I won't be able to cope with that. I'm worried a partner will get an illness and I won't be able to cope with that. I'm worried there will be a natural disaster and my life will be upended. I'm worried I'll suffer severe brain damage and lose everything but not be aware of that. I could fill many college essays with all of the many worries I have about everything I mentioned- (I'm guessing, I've never been to or applied to college.)

I also have an internet addiction which I feel uncomfortable talking about, which in itself probably gives some idea what it is.

I can come up with many reasons and excuses for why I should do nothing and not try. I have yet to find anything that can overpower the spider in my brain. But I haven't spent much time talking to other people who might also find themselves stuck, so that gives me hope. I haven't given up yet, but I don't know how to move forward. Humor is one of my primary coping tools, but I am miserable when I'm not engaging in my addiction or shopping or doing some other activity that jacks up my dopamine.

A typical non work day in my life is sleep until about 9:30-10:30PM, eat breakfast, think about projects I might want to do, don't do them, go back to sleep, internet until about 4:00-5:00PM, take a nap, get up around maybe 9-10PM, eat dinner by 2am, take medications (I take medication every night, although sometimes at different times) more internet, sleep. I spend most of the day in bed and shower every couple of days. I dread going to sleep at night because I could wake up to an unimaginable hell. I don't shower or brush my teeth as often as I should.

I talked about a lot of the issues I've faced, but there are good things too. I've never been financially insecure. My parents have been incredibly supportive. I've had access to great treatment programs and specialists. I don't have a lot of friends, but I have a couple. And even though I don't work many hours, I have a job.

I alternate between feeling guilty about that, like I've wasted that, and taking that as proof that I've exhausted all options and I'm treatment resistant and simply too broken to lead a normal life. I'm my own worst enemy and I don't know how to defeat the part of me that is keeping me stuck.

I enjoy reading and helping people. I would dread working a 9-5, and I don’t want a career that is repetitive each day. I’ve considered becoming a librarian, but I don’t know if I could see myself doing that for the rest of my life. I’ve also thought about becoming an English professor not sure if it’s worth it though? Hydrology/Environmental science seems interesting enough. I’m honestly stumped. I really value time over anything . I want time for my passions and hobbies, spending time with family. I know for sure I could not work at a job I hate.

So I’m a 23 year old guy from UK. I finished uni last year. And since I’ve been working at a hotel not using my degree (it’s business degree) and has been useless for me so far. Didn’t help me get a better job so I’ve decided to go travelling. Now while travelling I realise I’m gonna have a lot of downtime. They’ll be time for partying… exploring etc… but also times I won’t be doing that and will be chilling by a beach or on a night bus or whatever.

But I want to build something for my life that isn’t working at some rubbish hotel for minimal wage. It’s been a great and fun job to save up for travels but I need to think about the future.

I want to work in sport 100%. That’s my life goal is to work in sport. However I’ve thought about media and film too.

Ive always been fascinated by cameras, the creative process of stuff etc… like when I watch a movie my brain is immediately like “how was this filmed” or “wow this cinematography is incredible” not about the actors or the dialogue or whatever.

I really want to build a business for myself. I want to learn video production and using a camera and just videography in general. But I find the first steps so daunting. Like on instagram I always see reels about working hard, putting in the hours when you’re passionate about something, doing something you enjoy, just creating things. But I really want to do that. I was thinking maybe combining my new hobby of Vidoegraphy with sport or something along those lines but it’s the starting that I find the absolute hardest. This isn’t like specific to what I want to do now. But more a general thing. Because I feel like I’m too late to a lot of things being 23. I’m not a 16 year old that wants to pursue videography. Or whatever. I dunno I just feel like the whole “work hard for something” is harder said then done. I work hard on things I’m passionate about but I don’t know where to start when it comes to starting a business or a passion.

I hope this makes sense and anyone can help me out

I posted here some weeks back about feeling stuck in a career where I am not feeling any thrills and don't have a clear idea of how to proceed. I opted for a master's degree in computer science for a mixture of reasons; one of them was curiosity and learning how to code, seeing it as a valuable skill in modern-day society. I happened to enjoy the studies, but never really had a clear idea of what a job should look like that would combine newly acquired skills with my interest in the arts, such as music and movies, as well as my people skills - getting energy from being around good and creative folks. In the end, after being in the career for a handful of years, I've never been happy with the jobs I've had; ranging from generalist consultancy work and a new role in a startup – with a really sweet boss at that – where I don't meet any new people nor have any colleagues. Due to this inner conflict, I am now in my early 30s, feeling more lonely than ever - not having a lot of friends nor a partner.

I miss feeling purpose, and more than that, I miss feeling a want or a need to do something I'm good at. Along the way, I seem to have lost touch with and an understanding of where my skills really lie. Not just the skills I studied for, but skills I feel excited about doing. I am no longer sure.

How would you re-assess yourself in my situation? Most days I am considering quitting and throwing myself into a completely different context, but I want to do it in a structured way and lay out a plan while having a solid income.

Hi everyone I (25M) recently graduated from university and facing the important decision of choosing a career. I have two paths: one is the family business path in which there are hurdles with my father (abusive and short tempered; lashes out; have been hurt multiple times from him) and the second path is through a job. The business path doesnt automatically promise success (big money) as I will have to work towards creating business and new clients. Along with that taking up responsibility for running the whole house and other responsibilities. This one offers limited freedom and big money if I am successful. The job path offers quick financial independency and freedom but obviously not too much financial leverage. There is a lot of money that I will have to start making through side hustles to survive and thrive in this economy. Plus the dread of a 9-5. This path promises small money, more freedom but not the emotional hurt that I will get by being with my father.

In both of this, I am offered something that I value and something that I dont. I have thought about what I value more. And I am currently stuck at this point. The thing is I have always valued my mental health more and avoided emotional hurt even over money. I wont be in a job that drains me neither in a business that drains me. But the thing is there is an underlying need for an excessive amount of money. Like having the kind of money that allows me to be a bit relaxed rather than living marginally through a monthly pay check. So this is what I an stuck at. Choosing between ownership under my father’s business and money vs limited money and freedom. I would appreciate if someone can give their own opinion or advice as to what I should do. Thanks.

I’m 25 and recently graduated with a BA. On paper, I should probably feel relieved, but instead I feel more anxious than ever.
I am from India.

For the past few years, especially after the pandemic, I’ve been carrying this constant fear about my future. Now that college is over, it feels like all the uncertainty I’ve been pushing away has caught up with me.

Some of my classmates have jobs. Some are preparing for government exams. Some are doing master’s degrees. Some are joining family businesses. Others seem to have a clear direction.

I don’t.

I’ve spent months researching careers, reading Reddit, talking to seniors, watching career videos, looking into fields like public policy, consulting, PR, UX, teaching, filmmaking, NGOs, digital marketing, company secretary, research and many others. The more I research, the more confused I become.

Every field seems to have people saying:

“Don’t do this.”
“The market is terrible.”
“I regret choosing this career.”
“It’s oversaturated.”

Then I find someone who says the exact opposite.

I know Reddit has a negativity bias, but it’s hard not to absorb all of it.

I also come from a family where my parents have their own conflicts. My dad is the only earning member, and although I respect everything he has built for our family, it also makes me feel an enormous sense of responsibility. I feel guilty that I’m still financially dependent on them.

Lately I’ve also noticed that my mind wanders constantly. Even when someone is talking to me, I sometimes drift into thoughts about my future, random memories, books, movies, politics, history or career anxiety. It’s been happening since school, but I notice it much more now because I’m trying to become a responsible adult. I’m planning to speak to a mental health professional instead of trying to diagnose myself.

Some days I feel completely exhausted even if I haven’t physically done much.

I don’t think I’m lazy. I don’t think I don’t want to work.

I think I’m overwhelmed.

I keep wondering whether everyone else also felt this lost in their twenties or whether I’m falling behind. Seeing people my age getting married, buying homes, earning well, pursuing higher studies or simply knowing what they want makes me question whether I’ve missed something important.

If you’ve been in a similar place:

How did you get through it?
When did things start making sense?
How did you stop overthinking every career decision?
How did you deal with feeling like everyone else had their life figured out?

I’m not looking for motivational quotes. I’d genuinely like to hear from people who’ve been through this and eventually found their footing.

The title is a bit preposterous. I do know more or less what I want to do. However, considering the current present where we are as a society (at least here in America and maybe in another parts of the world), the job market will only get more competitive.

I'm majoring in History from a well-ranked regional school here in the Northeast. Not that it matters. Right now I work part-time as a library assistant at my local branch, and I was thinking of going for my Master's in Library Science and Information (the cheapest/online program accredited from the ALA) and focus towards either finding entry-level jobs at law firms or corporate... However, I don't know if that is the right decision.

With a humanities degree, I don't know exactly what to do. I definitely want to think about a career and future, I want to travel and be able to live comfortably. Any advice would be appreciated. I don't know what other jobs I could get with a BA in History and while the soft skills are real, I do feel a bit tad limited.

I’m 23 and graduated recently. Instead of feeling like my life is taking off, it feels like I’m starting over.

I’m changing career directions, studying for graduate school, reading books on economics, learning programming, exercising more, and trying to develop new hobbies. On paper, I’m making progress.
But emotionally, I often feel like I’m rebuilding everything at once—career, friendships, daily routines, even my sense of purpose.

One thing I’ve found surprisingly difficult is how much harder it is to meet people after university. Everyone seems busy building their own lives, and making genuine connections feels much less natural than it used to.
I’m not looking for quick fixes—I know building a meaningful life takes time. I’m just wondering whether anyone else has gone through a similar phase.

Looking back, what helped you move from feeling “lost” to feeling like you were heading in the right direction?