Feeling lost hits harder than people admit. It sneaks up when life is technically fine but emotionally off. It feels like drifting. It feels like waiting for something to happen. It feels like everyone else has a purpose and you somehow missed yours.

That quiet disorientation is one of the most common experiences of your twenties. I’ve written about it directly in How Do I Find My Purpose When I Feel Lost? because feeling lost is often the beginning of clarity, not the absence of it.

If you are in that place, you are not broken. You are not behind. You are not alone.

And strangely enough, the clearest roadmap I have found came from a conversation with Jordan Litz, who plays Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway. He did not find his purpose early. He did not follow a straight path. He found meaning through loss, fear, reinvention, and unexpected direction.

Here is what I learned about finding purpose when you are lost.

Purpose Usually Starts With Losing Something

Most people expect purpose to appear fully formed. But more often, purpose begins with something falling apart. Jordan said something heartbreaking and honest:

“I was crushed, dude.”

He wasn’t lost because he lacked ambition.
He was lost because the thing he thought defined him disappeared.

Feeling lost is not a failure.
Feeling lost is a transition.

Purpose rarely shows up when everything is calm. It shows up when life forces you to look for it.

If you are in that emotional space, read How Do I Let Go of the Person I Used To Be next.

Psychologists note that identity loss often precedes growth and meaning. Psychology Today has written about how purpose frequently emerges after disruption, not stability Psychology Today on loss and identity growth.

Feeling lost is not a failure.
Feeling lost is a transition.

If you are in that emotional space, read How To Know It's Time To Bet on Yourself next.

Your Purpose Isn’t Behind You. It’s Ahead of You.

The line that reframes everything is this:

“I found musical theater at 26.”

He didn’t find it in college.
He didn’t find it while everyone else was building resumes.
He found it at an age where most guys panic that they are too late.

Purpose does not belong to the earliest person.
Purpose belongs to the most open person.

Career research consistently shows that meaning often comes from nonlinear paths. Harvard Business Review has highlighted how purpose-driven careers frequently emerge later, after experimentation and redirection Harvard Business Review on nonlinear purpose and careers.

You are not supposed to know your purpose at 18, or 21, or even 25. You grow into your purpose by following the next interesting thing, not by forcing a plan you no longer fit.

Your Purpose Comes From What You Already Carry

One of the strongest lines in our conversation was this:

“You can take the skill set you already have and apply it to something new.”

Purpose is not created from scratch.
Purpose is assembled from the skills, habits, and strengths you already have.

Jordan didn’t abandon everything he learned from swimming. He redirected the discipline, the stamina, the work ethic, the resilience. That is how purpose actually forms.

This idea of transferable identity is something LinkedIn emphasizes heavily in career development guidance LinkedIn on transferable skills and career pivots.

If you feel empty or unsure, you are not starting empty.
You are starting experienced.

For more on this shift, read How Do I Reinvent Myself in My 20s?

Purpose Requires Moving Through Fear

People think purpose arrives once they feel confident. But Jordan told me the truth:

“I was terrified.”

Not ready.
Not certain.
Terrified.

Purpose is not something you wait to feel safe enough to pursue. Purpose is something you move toward while afraid.

Every meaningful chapter begins with discomfort. The fear is not a stop sign. The fear is a signal that something important is beginning.

Stop Assuming Everyone Else Knows Their Purpose

One of the most grounding things Jordan said is a line every guy in his 20s needs to hear:

“Stop taking everything so seriously. People aren’t judging you the way you think.”

Most of the pressure you feel is imagined.
Most of the timelines you stress over are invented.
Most of the expectations you carry were never asked of you.

Purpose becomes easier to find when you stop performing your life for other people and start following what actually interests you.

If comparison is feeding your confusion, this connects directly to How To Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else.

Purpose Comes Into Focus as You Move, Not as You Think

Purpose does not show up in isolation. It shows up through action. Through trying. Through messing up. Through stepping into something new even when you are unsure.

Jordan found purpose because he took a step. Not because he had a plan.

Behavioral research consistently shows that clarity follows action, not the other way around. Psychology Today has written about how purpose and motivation are built through movement, not overthinking Psychology Today on action and meaning.

If you wait until you feel perfectly ready, you will be waiting for years.

Purpose rewards movement, not certainty.

Where You Go From Here

If you feel lost right now, you are not missing your purpose. You are on the road toward it.

Purpose takes time.
Purpose takes curiosity.
Purpose takes risking a new direction.

You do not have to know the final destination.
You only need to follow the next thing that pulls you forward.

Your purpose will meet you there.

If you want your next step, read 24 Things I Learned Last Year.

FAQ

How do I find my purpose if I have no idea what I want?
Start with what interests you, not what impresses other people. Purpose grows from curiosity.

What if I feel like I wasted years?
Nothing is wasted. Your skills, discipline, and experiences transfer into whatever you pursue next.

Is it normal to feel lost in my 20s?
Yes. Almost every guy feels this way at some point. It is part of the transition into adulthood.

How do I know if I am on the right path?
Pay attention to what energizes you more than what drains you.

What if I’m scared to make a change?
Fear is normal. Move anyway. Purpose grows from action.