Getting lost in life is easy. Sometimes it can happen to us when we least expect it and before we know it, we’re helpless and feel lost in life.

At times, when we have to take a life altering decision or even a few smaller decisions, we play safe and take the first decent decision that comes to our mind. But it’s not always the right thing to do because that little decision could alter our life.

Now, what is it that you really want out of your life? Is it wealth, fame or something else? Every person’s dream is different and others’ definition of wealth may be very different from yours. Saying “I want to be rich” isn’t the end of the planning. It’s the small aspects that matter.

Do you want to be rich enough to live a debt-free life? Do you want to be rich enough to own a villa by the beach? Or do you want just enough to make ends meet? Dreams will change and only passion will take you ahead.

But to start with, you need to benchmark your dream, so that you don’t get lost in life. Success is what everyone wants. Think about what exactly you want to attain in your life. Remember, money is usually the first priority but what else do you want along with that.

Everyone has a threshold for sacrifices. Some push further while some give up on the very first sign of threat. We work hard only in the hope of not letting ourselves down, but each day we come across hurdles, big and small, and it’s not easy to overcome all of them without hurting ourselves.

When you want something, you will have to suffer an equal magnitude of pain and loss before you attain it. So ask yourself, are you ready to dream big or would you be willing to take it slowly, one step at a time, where the pain will be considerably smaller. Would you be willing to burn the midnight oil? Would you be willing to lose weekends and holidays, cut your expenditures to bare minimum? Would you be willing to cut down on the time you spend with your loved ones? These are a few things you need to think about before you venture on.

When you’re younger and more ambitious, your dreams start and end with money. You think that money will buy you anything and everything. But this is the exact sort of thing that can make you feel lost in life.

Wanting money and nothing else is good, to a certain extent, but at one point, you have to draw the line. In reality, money can’t give you everything. It can only give you a push in the right direction. So what is the value you want to be attached with? Do you want to make a difference to others’ lives with your thoughts and ideas, by making people laugh, healing others or by guiding them in the right direction?

It’s easy to build castles in the sky, but it’s when you wake up that you realise how hard things can be. Remember, it’s your happiness that matters the most, so listen to the voice in your head and interpret it well. Instead of trying to make it to the top on day one, plan your baby steps. And preferably, choose a career that has multiple options. Even if you go halfway and realise you’re not cut out for something, you could still progress by choosing an alternate vision along the same line of your actual dream.

What legacy do you want to leave behind when you pass on? What do you want people to say about your life and you as a person? What do you want to be known for? What would you like your obituary to say about you? Knowing where you want to end up makes choosing the path to get there and keeping track of your progress, infinitely easier.

When you’re young, you don’t really care about being remembered. All you’re focused on is how you can avoid feeling lost in life. But as age catches up with you, you’d want to do all those things you missed out on in the earlier part of your life.

Create your own map and plan your own journey. No one really has to ever feel lost in life. I was lost in life too but that was only momentary. You may feel lost too and you may not know what you’re doing. You may be experiencing this for a few years now. But remember, it’s just a few years of your entire life.

It’s like stopping on the highway of life and asking for directions, because you’re momentarily lost. And that’s it. We all have the opportunities and the resolve to follow our passion and avoid getting lost in life.

Your world can be exciting and full of passion, every single day. But even in your own map of life, it is easy to stray and get stranded in a pool of quicksand. So, listen to yourself and let your passion take you forward to your dreams of happiness.

Happiness, however elusive, is only one step away, so wake up each morning and ask yourself the same question, “Am I going to be happy today?” One day, not far into the future, you will answer that question with an affirmative answer.

Remember, we all feel lost in life. And we’ll all tell ourselves at some point, “I feel lost in life”. But what really matters is what you’re going to do about it. And in which direction you’re going to take a baby step into a better world of passion and happiness.