Honestly, yeah. And the fact that you’re asking might mean you’re paying closer attention than most.

The honest answer is simple: it is completely normal to not know what you want to do in your 20s. Not just common, but expected. The problem is that no one really talks about it once you are out of school and supposedly on your way.

“I think almost everybody feels this way too.”

What makes it feel abnormal is how quiet everyone gets about it. You look around and it seems like people have direction, momentum, confidence. They have titles. They have promotions. They have LinkedIn updates that make it look like they knew exactly what they were doing all along.

And you’re sitting there thinking, why don’t I have that?

The Illusion of Everyone Else Having It Figured Out

A lot of the anxiety in your 20s does not come from not knowing what you want. It comes from believing you are the only one who does not know.

“It looks to me like they know what they’re doing. It looks to me like they know what they want to be doing and they’ve figured out their purpose or their thing.”

That belief gets reinforced every time you scroll. Every promotion post. Every new job announcement. Every carefully worded update that skips over everything messy and uncertain that came before it.

“What you don’t see on LinkedIn is when people experience these moments. The mornings and nights spent searching job boards and reaching out to people to ask for connections or leads.”

No one shares the doubt. No one shares the anxiety. No one shares the nights where they are questioning whether any of this is actually right for them.

“Nobody likes to share those moments when they’re unsure, when they’re unhappy, when they feel like they don’t have a path.”

So it starts to feel like you are the only one stuck in this space. You’re not. That same illusion is something I unpacked more deeply in What Should I Do If I Have No Idea What I Want To Do With My Life, because most certainty is just edited hindsight.

Uncertainty Does Not Disappear With Age

One of the most grounding things I have learned is that not knowing does not magically go away once you hit a certain birthday or salary.

“I’ve had conversations with older coworkers and younger coworkers. And to me, it kind of feels like nobody is really certain if this is what they’re always going to be doing.”

That realization matters because it reframes what you are feeling. Uncertainty is not a sign that you are behind. It is part of how careers actually unfold.

People change. Interests shift. Priorities evolve. What felt right at 21 might not fit at 25. What feels right at 25 might change again later.

“Career uncertainty really doesn’t go away.”

That is not meant to scare you. It is meant to take pressure off. According to research from the Harvard Business Review, most careers today are nonlinear, built through pivots, experiments, and periods of ambiguity rather than a single clear plan.

You are not failing at adulthood because you do not have a clear answer yet.

Why Your 20s Feel So Loud

Your 20s are when this uncertainty feels the most intense because everything is new and everything feels permanent at the same time.

You are making your first real decisions without a syllabus. Without a clear next step. Without someone telling you exactly what comes after this.

You start asking questions like, is this what I’m supposed to be doing? Is this just a job or is this supposed to be my thing?

“I personally put an immense amount of pressure on myself to find and discover my purpose for what I’m doing in my life.”

That pressure makes not knowing feel like a flaw instead of a phase. It turns curiosity into panic.

But clarity usually comes from experience, not before it. Psychologists at Psychology Today have found that identity and career clarity often emerge through action and reflection, not through early certainty.

Not Knowing Is Not a Dead End

There is a difference between being lost and being aware that something does not feel settled.

If you are questioning your path, that does not mean you are stuck. It might mean you are starting to notice what fits and what doesn’t.

“Maybe you’re actually ahead if this is a conversation you’re having or thinking about or listening to.”

Most people spend years on autopilot before they ever pause to ask whether their life actually feels aligned. Questioning earlier does not put you behind. It gives you information.

“There might be a day that you feel like this is exactly what you want to do and you’re super content. And that moment may last for a while, but that moment may also be fleeting.”

That fluctuation is normal. I talk about that same cycle in How To Build a Great Career in Your 20s with CEO Of Barstool Sports, because growth rarely feels clean while it’s happening.

The Quiet Reassurance

If you do not know what you want to do in your 20s, here is the reassurance most people need but rarely hear.

You are not broken.
You are not late.
You are not wasting time just because you do not have a clear answer yet.

You are in the part where you are learning what drains you, what energizes you, what you tolerate, and what you don’t want to carry anymore. That information matters more than a perfectly defined plan.

“You don’t have to have all of the answers.”

Not knowing is not a failure. It is the middle. And the middle is where most people actually live, whether they admit it or not.

FAQ: Not Knowing What You Want in Your 20s

Is it normal to feel lost in your 20s?
Yes. “I think almost everybody feels this way too.”

Does uncertainty mean I’m behind everyone else?
No. “Maybe you’re actually ahead if this is a conversation you’re having.”

Will I eventually figure it out?
It changes over time. “Some days you might be certain and some days you absolutely won’t be.”

What should I focus on if I don’t know what I want yet?
Pay attention to what fits and what doesn’t. “You don’t have to have all of the answers.”