Everyone will encounter point in their life where they feel like they’re at a crossroads. It is sometimes scary to know that the decisions you make at this point can have a massive effect on the outcome of your journey.
However, although it can be intimidating, it’s important to remember that only you can make these big, crucial decisions. But how can you know when you’re at one of these big turning points? We will look at 15 signs you’re reaching a crossroads in life.
What it Means to Be At a Crossroads in Life
Being at a crossroads in life essentially means you’re at a time where you’re going to have to make a massive, potentially pivotal decision. And when you make this big decision, this will be a determining factor the direction of your journey goes in.
Ultimately, you decide the best course of action. Crossroads can have both positive and negative outcomes depending on the direction you go in, which is why they give us such anxiety when we reach this period in life.
It can be either an opportunity for you to succeed, or potentially a crisis period for you to deal with – depending on the choice that you make. When you reach this kind of dilemma, you might find it difficult to concentrate on other things.
You may feel like you don’t really have a choice, or that no matter what you choose, you’ll regret it later down the line. This is a normal feeling if you find yourself at a crossroads. Here’s a few other ways that you’ll know you’re at a crossroads in life.
You are feeling restless and uncertain about your current path
When you feel like you’re at a crossroads, there’s a high chance you feel anxious about the path you’re currently taking, and whether you’re even heading in the right direction. This is very common when making decisions around study, or when you’re deciding between your current job and a new role.
It is normally healthy, and it may signify your readiness for a new situation. When you begin to feel restless in your current position, it creates a feeling of uncertainty that your current path is the right one.
You have lost interest in things that used to excite you
Another indication of a crossroads is that your interest is in continuing on this route is fading, or another path begins to seem like it may provide a better alternative. This can be with a work situation, but sometimes it can also be related to a relationship too, when you may think about breaking it off with our current partner.
When you begin to feel bored with how things currently are, you may need to make a change to rejuvenate yourself.
You feel like you are stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it
Often times people who feel stuck in a rut have create their own path in life, and are then self reflecting on the directions that they’ve gone in. Have I made the right decisions, or would I have been better off heading in another direction? How can I get my life together?
This can be quite an uncomfortable situation, and it can also be very difficult to deal with the feeling of being stuck with no clear path forward. Though, the truth is that we all have many different outcomes and paths that we could potentially go down depending on what suits us best.
You are craving new experiences
Is your gut instinct telling you that you need to experience something new? This is common, and it shows the point of the journey when one feels they’ve started to become tired of the path that they’re on.
If you’re a young person with no responsibilities and enough money to live on, it’s a great time for exploration to see whether a certain path may suit you more than the one that you’re on, as in this life we seldom have a chance to explore something new as you grow older. Taking advantage of these new experiences when you’re young is essential for growth.
You have a sense of wanderlust
When you experience wanderlust, it indicates the need to embark on a different path than the one you’re currently on. As humans, the possibility of discovering the world and learning about different cultures is very appealing, especially in a world with social media when we get real time glimpses into other possibilities.
If you’ve started to feel like you crave an adventurous experience, you may be at one of life’s crossroads ready to make a decision.
You are feeling disconnected from your current situation
If you feel unsatisfied with the current situation you’ve found yourself in, it’s important to own up and accept that you’ve made those decisions that have led you to this crossroads. Feeling disconnected often indicates an imbalance between your values and your goals, as you may not be reaching what goals you’ve set long term.
The best thing you can do in this scenario is to make an informed decision about your future the best that you can based on your current experiences.
You want to make a difference in the world
When we feel an urgency to change the world, this signals that you’re at a crossroads situation regarding your impact on the world. It can, unfortunately, feel like we’re meaningless in a world that heralds Instagram influencers above teachers and nurses.
Making a difference in the world should be an enjoyable experience that helps you to connect with other people, whether this is regarding a new job or a personal passion. Fortunately, if you’ve found yourself at these crossroads, there are things that you can do.
How to Deal with Being At A Crossroads in Life
Pay attention to how each option makes you feel
Set aside the practicality and rationale for the moment, and focusing on your feeling when you consider each option. What does your gut instinct tell you?
Yeah, that decision may not be as profitable for you, but it will provide you enough cash to live comfortably on, whilst also helping you to live your dream life or move to a new city. Rather than being fearful of change, sometimes we must embrace it when making big decisions.
Is being stuck down to money?
Most life decisions include money as a major factor, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Money doesn’t mean happiness, but it does make the world go round, and it can enable you to help other people in your inner circle.
Although short term financial decisions have a significant impact on many life choices, they should not necessarily determine your choice. But, it’s true that analyzing the risks and potential downsides in the short term are importance when you reach a crossroads in life.
Talk to close friends about your decision
Those who are older than you may have already faced this crossroads before, and they can often give a few pieces of advice that may be able to help you make a decision.
You’ll probably be surprised at how much others’ views about your situation may lead you to a different path, as it allows you to consider the bigger picture and think about where each path may lead to in the long term.
It’s worth asking the opinions of the people that know us the best in life to see whether they may have valid insight on whether one path is better than another based on your personality.
Remember that you can change direction again if you need to
Usually, most of the decisions we make in life aren’t definitive, and you can go back later down the line if you decide that you’ve made a mistake.
You may not be able to get your same job back, but you can usually find another role within the same field if you decide to do a U-turn.
If everything isn’t going as smoothly as we pictured it in our head and you’ve ended up with a different outcome than anticipated, it usually isn’t the end of the world. This type of mindset really helps when making your decision, as it lets you know that your next chapter is exactly that – just another chapter in your book of life.
So, do some thorough research on the situation at hand, get the perspective of your friends and family, and then simply make the best decision for you. However, whether you follow your heart or your mind is often down to you.
