🌿 When You Feel a Little Lost in Your Twenties (and Beyond)
Do you ever feel a little lost… even when life looks like it’s finally taking shape?
I’m 26. Out of education. Building a business I love. In a wonderful, honest relationship where we talk about everything, dreams, fears, and the kind of future that still feels half sketched-out in pencil.
And yet, some days, I feel completely adrift.
We talk about starting a family, but the reality of IVF and IUI costs makes it feel heartbreakingly far away. The numbers don’t just sit in a spreadsheet… they sit in your chest, quietly, reminding you of what feels out of reach. It’s a strange kind of grief: not for what’s been lost, but for what you haven’t yet had the chance to build.
At the same time, I pour my heart into Kindling Minds, a project that feels like both my passion and my purpose. It excites me, it fulfils me, and it terrifies me all at once. There’s a constant whisper of “get it right” that lives somewhere between pride and pressure.
Everyone around me seems to be moving forward, new houses, babies, wedding photos, milestones - and I’m watching from a place that feels both full and stuck. It’s the odd, uncomfortable tension of gratitude and grief living side by side. You’re proud of how far you’ve come… but part of you wonders why it doesn’t feel like enough.
The truth is, this stage of life is rarely talked about honestly. We speak so much about starting out… university, first jobs, “finding yourself” and so much about arriving, marriage, mortgages, families. But what about the messy, quiet in-between? The chapter where you’ve technically “made it” to adulthood but still feel like you’re waiting for something to click?
For me, being neurodivergent adds another layer. I often struggle to process emotions in real time, to separate what I feel from what I think I should feel. The overwhelm builds, and suddenly I’m frozen, standing at the foot of a mountain that everyone else seems to be halfway up.
So how do you move forward when everything feels like too much?
I’m learning that maybe progress isn’t about speed or scale. Maybe it’s about one small step, even a shaky one, in the right direction. Maybe the goal isn’t to conquer the mountain, but to build the strength and kindness to keep walking.
Sometimes that looks like giving myself permission to pause. Sometimes it’s asking for help, or letting go of perfection, or admitting that I’m scared but showing up anyway. Because showing up… even imperfectly, still counts as movement.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain, or like you’re falling behind while everyone else moves forward, you’re not alone!
So many of us are carrying invisible timelines we never agreed to. But life doesn’t unfold on schedule. Growth isn’t linear. And success doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s story.
I’m still learning to trust that. To believe that standing still isn’t failure, sometimes it’s just gathering strength.
And if you’re somewhere in that same space, half hopeful, half overwhelmed, maybe that’s your sign to take a breath, to take a step, and to remember: you’re not behind. You’re becoming.
🌻 A Final Thought
If this resonates with you, that strange, in-between season of gratitude and uncertainty, you’re in good company! So many of us are figuring it out as we go, learning to build lives that fit who we truly are rather than who we think we should be.
At Kindling Minds, that’s what we stand for: growth that feels human. Learning that feels kind. Progress that doesn’t come at the cost of your wellbeing.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to make sense of your next step, I’d love to hear from you. How do you navigate those moments of stuckness? What helps you find your way back to centre when everything feels uncertain?
Share your story in the comments or join the conversation over on Kindling Minds. Let’s remind each other that it’s okay to move at our own pace, because the path isn’t meant to be straight. It’s meant to be yours.
