The Quarter-Life Crossroads: Chasing Purpose at 25
In the months leading up to turning 25, I have found myself spiraling into what some might call a quarter-life crisis. The best way I can describe it? A persistent feeling that I’m not quite living up to my potential—that the person I imagined I'd be by now still feels out of reach.
I thought I’d feel a fiery sense of purpose by this stage, with a long list of accomplishments to match. And we all know (myself included) that life doesn’t work that way. Purpose isn’t a destination; it’s a moving target, an ongoing journey, and all that jazz. Yet, this rational understanding of life and our collective knowledge of all its trials and tribulations hasn’t done much to quiet the existential dread. Am I being dramatic? Probably. But does knowing that talk me off this mental ledge? Not a chance.
By 25, I imagined I’d be settling into a solid career path, living in a vibrant city, and thriving in a job that fuels me. I pictured a life defined by confidence, security, and a deep sense of alignment with my “higher self”—the gap between who I am today and who I know I can be at my fullest potential. On paper, I’ve checked a lot of those boxes. But in my internal reality? I don’t feel it. Instead, I feel untethered, floating through my days, waiting for that clarity to strike.
It’s not that I’m not working hard—I am. But am I working hard enough? Am I pouring my energy into things that actually matter to me? Or am I just running on autopilot, chasing distractions, getting caught up in things that won’t mean anything in the long run?
The most frustrating part? I can see the woman I want to become so clearly. She’s poised, and confident, and carries herself with an effortless kind of grace. She speaks with conviction, moves through life with ease, and always seems to know her path. I want to be her. I am her—at least, I want to believe that. But right now, the gap between us feels impossible to bridge.
When I Felt Purposeful
There was a time when I didn’t question my sense of purpose. During my senior year of college, I was relentless. My schedule was packed—classes, internships, extracurriculars, and part-time jobs. There was no space for self-doubt because I simply didn’t have the time. I was exhausted, but I knew exactly what I was working toward: graduation, a full-time job offer, and figuring out "the rest" from there.
Back then, I believed that once I stepped into adulthood, the world would be my oyster. I imagined transitioning seamlessly, carrying that same drive and clarity into my post-grad life. What I didn’t anticipate was how disorienting it would be to lose the structure that had guided me for so long.
Suddenly, there were no clear next steps—just an open-ended question: What now?
Searching for Alignment
Fast forward to today. I made it to New York—the city I always pictured myself living in. I’ve hit many of the milestones I once dreamed of. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not fully aligned with the person I’m meant to be. It’s not that I don’t have goals—I do—but somewhere along the way, they started feeling less like aspirations and more like obligations.
I know I’m only 24. I know life has a way of working itself out in unexpected ways. I know that in a few years, I’ll probably look back and laugh at how hard I was on myself. But right now? Right now, I feel stuck between my potential and settling for “good enough.”
Maybe that’s what this phase of life is about—learning to sit with the discomfort, figuring out how to close the gap, and trusting the process even when the path ahead isn’t clear. Maybe the answers lie not within overthinking but by living through it one step at a time, even when I don’t know exactly where they’ll lead.