21 Journal Prompts for When You Feel Lost and Confused in Life

We all experience periods of feeling lost in life and confusion about which direction to go in. There are millions of paths we can take, and sometimes we just don’t know which path is the right one. Even if we do know what we want, figuring out how to get there can feel overwhelming and paralyzing.

These journal prompts for when you feel lost and confused will help bring you peace of mind, a fresh perspective, and a sense of direction.

It’s very natural to desperately want to know what we should do next, as being adrift in uncharted territory often feels dangerous. When we know what we want to be doing, it feels safer. We feel more confident in ourselves because we have it figured out.

Whether it’s for a short time, several months, or even years, it can bring feelings of shame and hopelessness when we don’t know what to do next. Especially since our society idolizes people who seem to know what they’re doing at all times.

Having experienced that lost feeling for years, I know how awful it can be. Whenever someone asked, “so what are you doing with your life,” I was filled with shame and dread because I never had a good answer.

So with these journal prompts I want to help you find some clarity about the direction of your future, but also peace of mind. But first, I do want to say that one of the biggest things that helped me was to stop putting pressure on myself to have it figured out.

If the answers don’t come to you right away, allow yourself to relax and find other things to enjoy in life. Stepping away from the problem can often lead us to the answers.

Journal Prompts for When You Feel Lost and Confused

1. What are the main areas where you feel lost in your life right now?
2. What areas of your life do you not feel lost in? Where do you have purpose or clarity?
3. When did you first start feeling lost and confused about your future, and what events or circumstances might have contributed to it?
4. What is the biggest source of pressure in your life to have things figured out? Is that pressure fair or realistic?
5. What feels worse, the uncertainty of your future or the pressure to have it all figured out? Does this change your perception of the real problem?
6. Allow your imagination to run wild here and think about the absolute worst thing that could happen from you not knowing what to do next, the more absurd the better.
7. After the previous question, allow your logical side to debate that story and come up with a more realistic answer. Is it really as bad as you’ve made it out to be? Is not having a direction right now really going to bring about the end of the world?
8. What are your values, what’s really important to you?
9. How to do you want to feel right now? Are there other ways you can get that feeling? (For example, if you want love you can practice more self-love, if you want to feel more abundant you can practice gratitude for your current abundance)
10. Forget about the big picture and focus on what you can achieve in the present moment, what are some small steps or actions you can take today to be productive?
11. What are the most pressing decisions you need to make at this point in your life? Can you think of any small steps you can take now to start building momentum?
12. Describe a time in the past when you felt similarly lost. How did you overcome it, and what can you learn from that experience?
13. List five things you are grateful for, even in this state of confusion and feeling lost.
14. What repetitive thoughts come up around feeling confused and lost?
15. Consider the idea that those thoughts reinforce the feeling of being lost. If you could change your current state by changing your thoughts, what new empowering thoughts would support you finding clarity and a sense of direction? (Tip: turn those thoughts into affirmations and use them when thoughts around being lost come up)
16. Write a letter from a version of your future self who overcame this challenge, offering advice and encouragement for navigating this period of confusion.
17. Explore the idea of your ideal day: What would it look like, and how does it differ from your current routine? What’s one small shift you can make to take a step in that direction?
18. Reflect on your strengths and talents. How can you leverage them to find your way out of confusion and into a more meaningful path?
19. Imagine you had all the answers and were completely unburdened by confusion. What would your life look like in that scenario?
20. Write about a time when you felt confident and sure of your direction. What was different then, and how can you bring some of that into your life now?
21. Create a mind map or visual representation of your feelings of confusion, and then add branches for potential solutions or steps forward.

In addition to these journal prompts, it may be beneficial to read 8 steps to find your direction.

Remember that journaling is a personal and introspective practice. There are no right or wrong answers, and the goal is to explore your thoughts and emotions to gain insight and clarity. You can choose the prompts that resonate most with you and write as much or as little as you like in response to each one.

Here are some additional journal prompts and resources:

• How to Reclaim Your Power
• How to Stop Overthinking
• Journal Prompts for When You’re Angry
• Morning Journal Prompts for a Good Day
• Self Love Journal Prompts

Join the FREE Self-Love Challenge