I do not have a clear vision of where I want to be, and I daydream often. Is it wrong??

I´m currently struggling to transition to adulthood. The whole thing surrounding relationships, work, and having a healthy life is taking a massive toll on me. And after a lot of thinking, all of my relationships have been with people that I live with. I just don't know how can I work on that to start putting myself out there. It's been a while since I've been in a romantic relationship, but I don't want to jump into something without having those things worked on myself.
Asked by PJ
Answered
07/07/2022

Thanks for posing this question. 

It can feel like there's an expectation that you should somehow have your whole life mapped out by the time you hit 'adulthood'. The truth is, however, that we continue to grow and develop throughout our lives but particularly as a young person. I would like to normalize how you're feeling. It is a confusing time when you're considering your identity - who am I; who do I want to be; what do I want to do; who do I want around me. It's worth taking into account that at the time we are writing this, the world is just coming through a pandemic. The impact this has had on everyone has been huge and I think young people have been hit particularly hard. 

When you're in a time of transition, you're going to be mixing and associating with people other than who you've grown up with; school, college, uni friends, family and work colleagues. There are all sorts of occasions where you're going to be faced with a whole bunch of new people and relationships that you have to negotiate and work out. This also makes you wonder about your identity; where do I fit in with these people and are these the people I feel good with and want to be around. It is hard to put yourself out there! Remember, though, that you are not on your own in feeling this.

It makes sense that you would be wary about romantic relationships given that you haven't had that sort of relationship for a while. Give yourself the space to consider what's important to you in a relationship - what's ok and what's not ok. Then you can feel better about getting to know someone a bit more. Take it at your own pace, one step at a time. There's pressure to find 'the one' but the real gift is giving yourself the time to be with the people that make you feel good, that you can be yourself with. Consider how you feel when you're with someone and if they are someone you'd like to hang out with. 

Wanting to have a clear vision of where you want to be and daydreaming about it is not wrong at all, in fact, it can help you think about what you want. It feels like now is the time for you to explore what you want your life to look like - now and in the future - and daydreaming is a great way to do that. Times of transition are challenging and they are also really exciting as you have all the choices in front of you. So take your time and be kind to yourself.

I hope you find this helpful and good luck!