Sometimes, life has a way of becoming incredibly tedious and monotonous.
Routine overwhelms everything else, and your days become predictable… any vestiges of excitement virtually go out the door.
Nobody is safe.
I think we’ve all experienced the latter at some point in time, perhaps some more than others.
Soon, this reliance on routine manifests into a lack of purpose and meaning in life–a hole that can be tough to dig yourself out of.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You only live once… it’s in your interests to start owning your existence, your life.
But first things first, you have to get to know the red flags.
In this article, I’ll take you through some behaviors of someone lacking direction and meaning in life.
Let’s get to it!
1) Compulsive learning
Many people who lack direction in life are aware something is wrong but lack the necessary motivation to take the steps to address the problem.
I remember a few months ago I would get pretty bad episodes of heartburn.
I was well aware something was off.
I would research profusely on the internet about my condition, the causes and triggers, and treatments.
But for many weeks, I lacked the willpower to do anything about it, prolonging my uncomfortable ailment indefinitely.
I didn’t make any major changes to my diet, my alcohol consumption, my lifestyle, etc, despite fully knowing what I had to do to get better.
People who lack meaning often act in a similar way to I did: they’ll constantly consume things like self-help books, podcasts, or online courses, without ever truly applying the knowledge.
They might make the first step, but lose interest shortly thereafter…
Remember, making the first step is meaningless if there is no follow-through.
If you want to improve your life, actions will always speak louder than words.
2) Frequent identity shifts
I have a high school friend who changes his image almost seasonally.
He grew up with money and hasn’t truly had to work a day in his life.
Today, he has a few creative hobbies but other than that he lacks concrete purpose.
Based on what I know, his days are filled with glaring amounts of idle time.
One week, he’s an enlightened yogi.
The next, he’ll drop the chakras to be a budding business mogul or an up-and-coming film producer.
The bottom line is that regularly and drastically changing your identity, lifestyle, or appearance points to a lack of concrete direction in life.
Excitedly starting new ventures, hobbies, or routines but gradually quitting them when the initial burst of energy fades is a hallmark of a person who lacks purpose.
Having an unconscious lack of commitment to a particular persona, or even new projects, will eventually mean faded enthusiasm.
And the quest to “find themselves” continues…
3) Symbolic acts of rebellion
People who lack meaning might overcompensate for it by rejecting conventional life choices and societal norms such as getting married, having kids, or pursuing a corporate career.
They might look down on others who seek the latter options, convincing themselves those people are mere sheep…
In reality, this outlook is actually formed as a way of distancing themselves from the pressure of conforming, of “getting it together,” thoroughly aware there isn’t a clear alternative in mind.
Sound familiar?
4) Chronically seeking external validation
While many get their validation and fulfillment from achieving things in their day-to-day lives, people who lack meaning will look externally to fill that void.
Maybe they’ll constantly fish for approval and compliments when around peers.
They may not admit it, but deep down, they know something is missing… and a few polite words can tide them over until the next existential crisis.
Or maybe they’ll incessantly overshare on social media, hungry for likes and positive feedback.
I know people who almost completely fabricate virtual personas for themselves.
They’ll flood your feed with posts about how hardworking, well-liked, and skilled they are, mixed in with the occasional selfie… when the truth is, things are not quite as rosy.
5) Excessive daydreaming
Many people who lack direction may long for a different life but don’t have the determination and will to change things up.
Rather than make the concrete effort, they’ll use their excess mental energy to fantasize about a life or future they want to attain but don’t quite know how.
By daydreaming, they’re taking the easy way out.
Rather than putting the time and work in to make those dreams a reality, they’ll get caught up in their ruminations and go on never-ending mental tangents.
Eventually, passing the time conjuring up these imaginary fantasies for themselves becomes a form of escapism.
The valuable time they waste thinking rather than doing is something that they’ll almost certainly regret in the long run.
6) Disregard for long-term planning
As established, people who lack direction and meaning are often unwilling to change for the better.
Sure, they may want to get it together, but when push comes to shove, they remain unmotivated.
This means that they’ll constantly live in the moment, rather than think about and plan for the future.
Setting long-term goals is essentially a foreign concept to them, consistently feeling irrelevant or unattainable.
In their mind, achieving great things is a process, for other people, not them.
And thus, the status quo of doing nothing remains.
It’s a shame.
7) Hyper-attunement to others’ lives
Do you tend to mindlessly scroll through social media, observing other people doing great things with their lives, while you passively sit at home twiddling your thumbs with envy?
Sure, the latter is a fairly common habit, but it’s far from a healthy one.
Once you get into the mindset that exceptional things are meant for other people, not for you, this can be damaging, leading to feelings of inadequacy and jealousy.
Rather than getting out there and owning your life, actively doing something assertive about your situation, you stay resigned to defeat, to the unfulfilling status quo.
Be a full participant in your life, not a mere spectator. You deserve better. I guarantee it.