People who are not sure about their life path can experience fear, anxiety, and depression
They might make the wrong decisions for themselves and be lost for the rest of their lives.
Although difficult to pinpoint, there are clear signs that people’s lives are going nowhere.
Here are 10 obvious signs that help you identify those who need your help in these tough times.
1) Don’t know what they want to do for a career.
If someone doesn’t know what their long-term career goal is, it could mean their life is going nowhere.
They shouldn’t be delaying this in their early adult years.
They should know what they want to do for a career already so they can start moving towards it.
They shouldn’t allow themselves to waste anymore time trying to settle on one thing from the many options they have.
2) Have no direction in their life.
Someone who has no direction in life may not know his or her long-term goals; and this could mean their life is going nowhere.
They shouldn’t delay their decision when it comes to choosing a career.
They should make a decision as soon as possible and then start working towards it.
The longer they put off making this decision, the more they are putting themselves under pressure to figure out what they really want to do.
If they don’t have a specific plan for themselves in life, even for the future, they could be lost forever.
If it is the case, they need to think about what their goals are and start moving towards them.
This will help them save themselves from being lost forever and wasting too much time.
3) They are afraid of failure.
Someone who is afraid of failure might hesitate to make decisions for their future.
Failing is not a bad thing, as it only means that you’ve learned something new.
They need to learn how to accept failure in their lives so they can move forward with more confidence.
This fear of failure can be the reason they are not taking the necessary steps to achieve their career goals.
They might be worried about choosing a risky career and then being judged by others if they didn’t succeed in it.
4) Does not know what they are passionate about.
It is important that someone be passionate about the career path they choose.
If they are not, it could mean that they won’t enjoy what they are doing.
Once this happens, they will not be able to give their best at work.
Passion can put their life on a different path and help them achieve their goals in the future.
This will let them stay focused and not get lost in what they don’t like and can’t grow from it anymore.
5) They are afraid of changing their minds.
When someone is afraid of changing their mind, it could mean that they are afraid of moving on to a new life direction and will not get it right.
They will never make up their mind or take the necessary steps to achieve what they want.
They are stuck ins a rut, and this will lead them into an unhappy life path.
So how can they overcome this feeling of being “stuck in a rut”?
Well, they need more than just willpower, that’s for sure.
I learned about this from Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
You see, willpower only takes us so far…the key to transforming your life into something you’re passionate and enthusiastic about takes perseverance, a shift in mindset, and effective goal setting.
And while this might sound like a mighty task to undertake, thanks to Jeanette’s guidance, it’s been easier to do than I could have ever imagined.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
6) They always make excuses.
Someone who always makes excuses for why they are not working towards their goals can be telling signs their life is going nowhere.
They might make the excuse that they don’t want to repeat the same mistakes in their lives, or if someone else tells them about other options for their future.
The thing to remember is that everyone has different flaws in them, and it shows how each person learns from them.
No two people are exactly the same, so it’s not a good idea to always assume there will be the same outcome in most situations.
7) They follow the same habit.
If someone is always following a certain routine, it could be telling signs their life is going nowhere.
They might have a schedule that they keep to make sure they are always busy, and this tight schedule could be the reason why they don’t feel the need to move forward in their lives.
They end up feeling stuck in a rut and it can limit them from achieving their full potential.
8) They don’t believe that their future is brighter than their past.
If you do not believe your life is brighter than your past, there’s a big chance that you will end up being lost forever.
Someone who doesn’t believe what their future will be like will stay in the past and not enjoy the present.
This means their life is going nowhere.
They need to start believing that their future is brighter than the pain of their past.
If someone thinks there are better times in their lives, or that they were better off then, they are more likely to forget to enjoy what they have now and make it better than it was before.
They could be suffering from low self-esteem and need to get things back on track before too much time passes by.
9) Their lives are full of worry and frustration.
When you are full of worry and frustration, you aren’t enjoying life.
If you notice that someone is complaining and worrying about every little thing, it’s either because they have a hard time or because their life is going nowhere.
This could mean that their lives are full of worry and frustration and that they aren’t enjoying what they have now.
They should stop worrying and start enjoying themselves more in the present moment.
If they continue to worry about something that happened long back, this will take them further away from what they can experience now.
They need to learn how to let go of worries immediately to enjoy their lives more in the present moment as much as possible.
10) Don’t have a healthy lifestyle.
People who aren’t taking care of themselves could be putting themselves at risk for many different health problems.
These people could be emotionally unstable; their physical health could suffer because they’re not taking care of their bodies, which could mean their life is going nowhere.
They may be miserable and might feel down in the dumps all the time.
They should take care of themselves, eat healthy food, and exercise.
In fact, they shouldn’t think they can solve all the problems in their life by drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.
If you know someone who is going nowhere, what can you do to help them?
You could tell them that they are going nowhere as an honest opinion, which means that they should listen carefully to what you have to say.
They need your help and support in order to save themselves from making a mistake that they might regret in the future.
Your words will be the push they need to make a change in their lives.
1) Ask them what they are feeling.
You will have a better idea of the problem if you can figure out the feeling that makes them not move forward in their lives.
Ask them to describe how they feel about everything in their lives, and if you notice a pattern of unhappiness in the answers, it could mean that they are going nowhere.
For example, if you notice that someone is angry all the time and can’t control this, it means they have low self-esteem and need help to change this.
They may not be able to see very far ahead because of the way they think or because they get hurt easily.
They need a clear mind so they can see what needs to be done right now instead of making excuses for what is wrong in their lives.
2) Tell them how you feel.
Tell them how you feel about what they’re doing and why it doesn’t make sense to you.
Ask them if they feel the same and if you notice this being happening, it could mean that their life is going nowhere.
Your words will be a strong push for them to change their minds so they can start moving forward again.
3) Ask them to make a list of things they would like to do.
Then ask them to make a list of what they are afraid of doing, and if you notice similarities between their lists, it means they are going nowhere.
For example, you could ask them what they would like to do with their life, and then ask them which things are preventing them from achieving this goal.
If you don’t have time right now because of lots of other commitments in your life, ask for their help in the future when you can do it with less burden in your schedule.
4) Give positive feedback about what is working well in their lives.
When someone thinks that everything is going wrong in their lives, it’s hard for them to realize what is working well for them at the moment.
Give them an honest opinion about what you see positively in the way they handle certain situations.
They need to know the good things going in their lives so they can keep them in mind and use them when the going gets tough.
5) Talk about what is worrying them.
It is hard for someone to realize what is bothering them when they don’t know how to express it properly.
They may find it hard to express themselves clearly, and you might not notice how worried they are about something that is bothering them.
Tell them what you think, and tell them how you would feel if you were in their situation.
6) Take their thoughts seriously.
The way someone thinks about something could be telling signs that their life is going nowhere.
For example, if someone keeps thinking about the past when they should be moving forward in their lives, it could mean that they might not want to change anything in their lives and are stuck in a rut.
They might be afraid of making mistakes, so they are always thinking negatively about themselves.
We can’t change the past, but we can move on with our lives.
7) Find a way to help them identify their purpose.
But when it comes to experiencing peace from a lack of purpose, it could be that they are not living their life aligned with a deeper sense of purpose.
The consequences of not finding their purpose in life include a general sense of frustration, listlessness, dissatisfaction and a sense of not being connected with your inner self.
It’s difficult to help them identify their purpose when they are not feeling in sync.
I will recommend a useful solution for them.
I learned a new way to discover my purpose after watching Ideapod co-founder Justin Brown’s video on the hidden trap of improving yourself.
He explains that most people misunderstand how to find their purpose, using visualization and other self-help techniques.
However, visualization isn’t the best way to find your purpose. Instead, there’s a new way to do it which Justin Brown learned from spending time with a shaman in Brazil.
After watching the video, I discovered my purpose in life and it dissolved my feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction. This helped me to identify my purpose in my life.
8) Give them frequent reminders about goals and outcomes.
People who are going nowhere may forget about their goals and how important it is for them to reach certain outcomes every day.
It’s easy to think what is irrelevant in the moment, but you should keep reminding them that they need to think about their future.
They need positive reminders so they can make a plan for themselves in the right direction.
9) Support the person’s choice.
The way people choose to live their lives is their own decision, and they have to face the consequences of that choice.
Don’t force them to do things they don’t want to do because you think it will help them change their life for the better.
Instead, you should be their friend and support them so they know what is right for them.
10) Don’t give up on them too easily.
If you think that people who are going nowhere might be better off alone, it doesn’t mean that you should give up on them.
You should try to help them, but don’t rush into something you know they can’t handle.
Let them be with the things that get in their way and let them help themselves instead of doing everything for them.
Conclusion
If someone is not living their life to the fullest, they are not enjoying what they have today and will end up missing out on all the joys in life, which means their life is going nowhere.
If you know someone who feels this way, do everything you can to help them get back on track in their lives.
They need your support to achieve their greatest potential in life.
As I mentioned before, I can honestly say that this new way of finding success by finding your purpose actually helped me to reorient my life.
I hope this article has inspired you to give someone some extra support in their life.