Ever sat in your room at 2 a.m., eating cereal out of a coffee mug, scrolling through Instagram Reels of people “finding themselves” on Bali beaches, and thought, Wow, I can’t even find my other sock? Yeah. Same.
Welcome to the delightful existential crisis that is your twenties—and honestly, your thirties aren’t exempt either. 🙃

If you’ve clicked on this post because you typed something like “how to find purpose when you feel empty” or “am I behind in life??” into Google at 1:47 a.m., first of all: You’re not behind in life. (We’re sneaking that reassurance right up front because if you’re anything like me, patience is not your spiritual gift.)

Seriously though—whether you’re a Bangladeshi student panicking because your cousin just became a doctor at twenty-three, or a U.S. millennial drowning under student loans and LinkedIn updates from people with suspiciously photogenic home offices, feeling “empty” is not a sign you’re broken. It’s just a confusing, soul-squiggly part of being human.

Let’s be real:

• Social media tells you that if you don’t have a six-figure business and a six-pack by 26, you’re failing.
• Family gatherings are basically job performance reviews…but with samosas or turkey.
• Your bank account has started ghosting you harder than your last Hinge match.

And don’t even get me started on the endless “career path” graphs that look suspiciously like that confusing subway map you pretend to understand.

Feeling Empty ≠ Failing at Life

You are not a malfunctioning adult because you don’t wake up every day with the passion of a Disney princess starting a new day with birds braiding her hair.

Honestly? Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is get out of bed, brush your teeth, and resist the urge to text your ex “u up?” for closure you definitely don’t need.

We live in a time where every scroll screams “More! Achieve! Be better!” while we’re all just trying to figure out whether we should start a YouTube channel, launch a side hustle, or learn how to assemble IKEA furniture without sobbing. (Spoiler: you won’t.)

So if you’re sitting there wondering:

• “Why am I feeling so lost?”
• “Why do I feel like everyone else has it figured out?”
• “Is my dog judging me?”

First, deep breath: You’re not alone. You’re just alive in 2025.
Second: You’re not behind in life.
Third: You’re about to read something way better than another “10X your mindset” thread on Twitter.

Because today, we’re going to talk about 7 surprisingly doable ways to find purpose when you feel emptier than a bag of chips with 80% air.

And don’t worry—we’re keeping it honest, slightly chaotic, and refreshingly human. No fake positivity, no “just think positive” nonsense, and absolutely no PowerPoint slides about “manifestation frequencies” (unless you’re into that, in which case—vibe on, friend).

Here’s What’s Coming Up:

• How to stop doom-scrolling your way into a quarter-life crisis
• Why crying in Target is way more universal than you think
• Tiny steps that feel good and look good on Pinterest mood boards
• Mindset shifts that don’t require deleting all your social media or moving to a cabin in the woods

Because guess what?
Finding purpose isn’t about radically reinventing yourself overnight.
It’s about stringing together tiny, sometimes-messy moments that feel meaningful to you.
It’s about choosing yourself—awkwardness, chaos, empty coffee mugs and all.

If that sounds good, grab a snack (preferably something with fake cheese powder), cozy up, and let’s find your next step together.

Alright, bestie. Let’s dive into the good stuff: 7 ways to find purpose when you feel like a Wi-Fi signal stuck on “searching.”

No guru talk. No five-year plans written in calligraphy. Just real, scrappy steps you can actually take without needing a spiritual awakening on a mountain somewhere. Let’s go.

1. Start Where You Are (Yes, Even If That’s “Confused on the Couch”)

Newsflash: You don’t need to move to Paris or start a million-dollar Etsy shop tomorrow to find purpose. Sometimes, purpose starts exactly where you are—blanket burrito and all.

Try this:

• Ask yourself: “What’s something small that doesn’t make me feel dead inside?”
• It could be watering your one surviving plant. Or rewatching The Office for the 7th time because honestly, comfort counts.

Relatable Moment:
I once thought I had to “be productive” to find meaning, so I took a $300 online pottery class. I ended up making what looked like a very sad ashtray. And guess what? I still felt proud because I started something.

👉🏽 Moral: You don’t find your path by thinking about it. You find it by wobbling your way forward.

2. Find Tiny Wins and Celebrate the Heck Out of Them

Life isn’t all big, flashy promotions and TED Talks. Sometimes, it’s unclogging the drain without calling your mom.

Celebrate:

• Sending that scary email
• Updating your resume
• Eating a vegetable voluntarily

Tweetable Quote:

“Tiny wins are still wins. If you brushed your teeth and faced the day, you’re basically a gladiator.”

Why It Works:
According to Psychology Today, tiny accomplishments trigger dopamine boosts—meaning your brain literally loves it when you give yourself credit.

👉🏽 Life-Changing Advice: Set ridiculously low bars and celebrate clearing them. (Example: “Today, I answered one email and didn’t cry. Iconic.”)

3. Talk to Yourself Like You Would a Friend (Not Your Worst Critic)

Let’s be honest: Half the time, the only “hater” in the room is… you.

Real Talk:
If you wouldn’t call your friend a lazy, useless failure for not having a six-figure career yet, maybe stop saying it to yourself.

How to Flip the Script:

• Replace “I’m a mess” with “I’m figuring it out.”
• Replace “I’m falling behind” with “I’m finding my pace.”

Relatable Humor:
At 25, I genuinely thought I’d be a CEO, own two dogs, and have abs. Reality check: I have a chaotic Canva subscription, no dogs, and an emotional support hoodie.

Inspirational Quote:

“As Dory says: Just keep swimming. (Or awkwardly dog-paddling. Same thing.)”

4. Try New Things…Badly

We love to romanticize new beginnings on Pinterest boards. But guess what? Most beginnings are tragic.

• Your first podcast episode will sound like it was recorded underwater.
• Your first blog post will make you cringe in two years.
• Your first crochet scarf will look like a sad spaghetti monster.

And that’s beautiful.
Starting badly is the only way to start.

👉🏽 Motivation for Young Adults:
You don’t find passion before action—you stumble into it by doing weird stuff and seeing what sticks.

Practical Tip:
Set a Zero Pressure Month where you try 1–2 random hobbies for fun, not perfection:

• Make a playlist of songs from different countries
• Cook something terrifying (looking at you, sourdough starter)
• Try freelance gigs with $0 expectations

5. Curate Your Inputs Like Your Life Depends on It (Because It Kind of Does)

Your brain is a garden. If you’re watering it with TikToks about billionaires waking up at 4:00 AM and “hustle culture” flexes, no wonder you feel like trash.

Financial Freedom Tip:
Follow creators who inspire creativity and kindness, not just money and Lambos.

Self-Deprecating Story:
I once followed a bunch of “productivity hacks” accounts and ended up spiral-reading about 17 different ways to wake up earlier.
Spoiler: I just woke up tired and ashamed.

Better Inputs to Try:

• Uplifting podcasts
• Inspirational tips from real people (not just “grindset” bros)
• Gentle newsletters like Letter Weave’s life hacks

👉🏽 Actionable Step: Audit your feed like you’re Marie Kondo-ing your brain.

6. Volunteer or Help Someone (Even If You Feel Useless)

Sometimes the best way to find yourself is to get out of your own head.

Real, Messy Motivation:
Purpose often shows up when you stop trying to be important and start trying to be helpful.

Ways to Give Back Without Overwhelm:

• Babysit your tired friend’s dog for free
• Send a kind text to someone you admire
• Volunteer one Saturday at a local event (bonus: free snacks)

Inspirational Tip:
Even if you feel like a human dumpster fire, you can still bring light to someone else’s day. And weirdly, it heals a little piece of you too.

7. Remember That Purpose Evolves (You’re Not Locked Into One Thing)

Maybe you thought you’d be a vet, and now you’re running a handmade jewelry shop. Or you studied economics but your heart is secretly in watercolor art.

Guess What:
It’s allowed.

Life isn’t a single job title or passion. It’s a chaotic, hilarious buffet. Try different dishes.

Pinterest-Perfect Quote:

“Purpose isn’t a destination. It’s a lifelong scavenger hunt.”

Overcome Self-Doubt Tip:
Every job, heartbreak, win, and fail is part of your training montage. You’re just in the messy middle—and the messy middle is gold.

Quick Recap of the 7 Ways to Find Purpose:

1. Start where you are—even if it’s messy.
2. Celebrate the weird little wins.
3. Talk to yourself like a hypeman, not a troll.
4. Try new things…badly.
5. Curate your mental diet.
6. Help someone else (even while you’re figuring yourself out).
7. Let purpose be a shifting, growing thing.

Okay, deep breath.

We’ve covered a lot—from messy starts to celebrating tiny wins to realizing that “finding purpose” is less about big neon signs and more about stringing together little breadcrumb moments of “Hey, that felt good.”

And here’s the truth I wish someone had whispered to me during my 2 a.m. existential spirals:

👉🏽 You’re not supposed to have it all figured out right now.
👉🏽 You’re not behind in life.
👉🏽 You’re not broken, lazy, or a “failure” because you feel a little empty sometimes.

You’re human.
You’re learning.
You’re becoming—in ways you can’t even see yet.

Your Journey Isn’t a Race—It’s a Chaotic, Beautiful Side Quest

Imagine if life were a video game. Some people are out here building castles or climbing mountains. Meanwhile, you might still be trying to find your sword in the tutorial level.

And guess what?
Both players are still part of the game. Both stories matter.
Nobody’s journey is better just because it looks shinier on Instagram.

Witty Life Metaphor:

Life’s a Wi-Fi signal. Some days it’s strong and you’re downloading dreams at 5G speed. Other days, you’re just… buffering. And that’s okay.

Your “buffering” days are building something important too—patience, grit, empathy, humor, resilience.

(And honestly, humor is criminally underrated. Being able to laugh at yourself mid-crisis? That’s elite emotional intelligence.)

What Finding Purpose Actually Looks Like

Finding purpose isn’t a singular “Aha!” moment with dramatic background music.

It looks like:

• Saying yes to weird, new opportunities even if you’re scared.
• Surviving days when brushing your teeth feels like winning an Olympic medal.
• Choosing to believe that even your messiest chapters are part of the masterpiece.

It’s quiet.
It’s clumsy.
It’s yours.

You’re Already Closer Than You Think

If you’re here—reading this, still curious, still searching—you’re already way ahead of the game.

Because a lot of people numb out. They stop asking. They settle.
But you? You’re still reaching for something more.

And that is beautiful.
Messy. Imperfect. Beautiful.

Final Takeaway:

Your path is messy, but it’s yours.

Not Instagram’s.
Not your parents’.
Not that kid from high school who is now somehow a crypto millionaire.
Yours.

Friendly (and Slightly Sassy) CTA:

👉🏽 If today’s post made you smile, breathe easier, or feel a little less alone, pin it for your next spiral, leave a comment about your journey, or join our newsletter for more life hacks, real talk, and gloriously imperfect motivation!

Because trust me, bestie—we’re all just out here winging it. And somehow, that’s what makes it magic. 🖤