15 Important Reminders For Everyone Going Through A Quarter-Life Crisis

You are not alone.

1. It's perfectly OK to have no idea what you're doing with your life right now.

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You're in your twenties. How are you supposed to know what you want to do for the next 70-plus years? That is INSANE. You can't possibly know. And even if you know what you want to do right now, that could change drastically in a year. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to know exactly what you want out of life, and just enjoy the journey.

2. In your twenties, there are plenty of other people who still don't know what they want out of life.

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And if they tell you they do, they're lying. It's too easy to look at people around us and assume they have the perfect life plan that we all dream of. But realistically, they don't. They're just as scared as you are. And even if they aren't currently having some sort of quarter-life crisis... chances are that they will. Don't sweat it.

3. Social media is a lie.

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It's pretty terrible to get on Facebook and see all the people you went to high school and college with getting engaged and announcing new jobs. It can make you feel even worse about your situation. But remember, you don't post a status announcing to the world that you have no idea what you want to do with your life... and neither do they. Social media can often be a platform for pretending we have fantastic lives. Close out of that app, boo.

4. No decision you make will be the wrong one.

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Being in your twenties means making a lot of decisions, and making decisions means we're all damn terrified of making the wrong one. Here's the thing though, there are no wrong decisions. Sure, you might choose a path and realize you hate it later on... but that's part of life. That's all part of figuring out what exactly it is that you DO want to be doing. Don't make your decisions even harder by being terrified of making the wrong one.

5. You can always move back home.

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During a quarter-life crisis, we may feel the urge to run away. We feel the need to escape the normality of every day life and experience something new. Oftentimes this means moving away. Moving away is frightening for a lot of reasons, but it's important to remember that you can always go back home. There's no rule that says you have to stay somewhere forever.

6. If you're not fulfilled in your job, remember that you've got time to make moves.

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There are many components to leading a fulfilling life. We have to be careful not to confuse having a job with a feeling of fulfillment. Don't be too hard on yourself if you have a great job but still feel trapped. Ultimately, your career of choice should make you come alive. And if that's not happening, it's OK to yearn for more.

7. There's always a way out.

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Don't ever believe that you are stuck doing something for the rest of your life. You are not. There is always a way out. There is always a new opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do. You just have to seize it.

8. High school and college weren't as great as you are remembering them.

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It's just like after a tough breakup, you reminisce by picturing your ex in all their glory. This is simply untrue. No one is perfect. The same can be said for high school and college. We hold these parts of our life in high esteem. But chances are, you weren't 100% happy there, either.

9. Failure is a key component of success.

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I fail, you fail, he fails, they fail, WE ALL FAIL. And you know what? Failure is good. Failure means that we're learning. Failure means that we can only do better next time. No one who has ever been worth anything has ever done something without failing. Fact. (Probably.)

10. Nothing is ever how we expect it to be, especially not your twenties.

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For some reason we generally put pictures and expectations in our heads of how things should be. But do things ever really turn out the way we expect them to? Nope. You may have envisoned your twenties being this great time where you work in a booming company and date all kinds of fabulous people. And when that didn't pan out, you found yourself disappointed. But just because this isn't what we expected doesn't mean that it isn't exactly how it's supposed to be. Just enjoy it. Not knowing what's gonna happen is what makes life fun.

11. Comparing yourself to other people your age is useless.

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There's always going to be those people that seemingly have all their shit in order. They got the great job, the great relationship, the perfect Instagram filters. Hell, they even show up in your alumni newsletters every month. Stop comparing yourself to them. STOP. Everyone's success is different. Believe it or not, these people probably wish they had parts of your life too.

12. Your life isn't a race.

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When we're young, we imagine where we will be at age 25. And then we're filled with stories of where our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles were when they were 25. Maybe they were married, maybe they already had kids, maybe they were partners at a firm. But your life isn't a race. There is no set age when you are supposed to do the things you want to do. It is whenever it happens for you in YOUR life, and that's how it should be.

13. Happiness does not lie in material things.

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Getting a new apartment, new car, or new purse probably won't ultimately make you happy. Spending time with friends and family, nights spent laughing, and experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime are what make you happy. Remember that the next time you see someone else buying a new car.

14. It's OK to be selfish.

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Repeat after me, It is OK to be selfish. It is OK. Sometimes you have to stop paying attention to what other people think about your life and only pay attention to what you think. The thing is, other people aren't going to have to deal with the results of the decisions you make in life, YOU ARE. So sometimes you need to stop worrying about making other people happy and worry about making yourself happy.

15. And most important, you are not alone.

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We are all in this together. Don't forget that. This is just a small bump in the road on the way to the rest of your life. Don't let it derail you.