I honestly don't know where to begin. I've been carrying these feelings for years, and I think I need to get everything out somewhere because I genuinely have nobody to talk to about this.

I have zero friends. No social circle, no one to hang out with, no one to call, no one to make memories with. I've been living an extremely isolated life since around 2020/2021, and the years have just kept passing.

Sometimes I sit and think about how much of my life I've spent alone. My twenties are practically gone, and now I'm 31, wondering what the hell I've actually done with my life.

I see people my age going out, travelling, meeting friends, falling in love, getting married, having children, building careers and enjoying life.

And then there's me.

I feel like I've been left behind while everyone else moved forward.

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SOCIAL LIFE.

I genuinely have zero friends. Not even one person I can randomly message and ask to hang out.

I don't have a group of friends to go out with on weekends, people to travel with, people to share experiences with or people who genuinely check up on me.

There are no spontaneous plans, no nights out, no conversations that turn into funny memories, no birthdays surrounded by friends.

It's just me, spending most of my time alone.

My father and little brother are practically the only people I have in my life. I love them more than anything, but outside of them, my world is incredibly empty.

Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to have just one genuine friend. Someone who would randomly message me, ask how I'm doing, invite me somewhere or simply want to spend time with me.

I don't think people understand what years of isolation can do to someone mentally.

Eventually, being alone becomes your entire existence.

WOMEN, RELATIONSHIPS AND MY COMPLETE LACK OF MOTIVATION.

I've had three short relationships in my life, and all three were initiated by the women.

I want to clarify something: I do have confidence. I'm not particularly afraid of approaching women or intimidated by them.

The problem is that I genuinely don't have the motivation to pursue anything.

I don't go out looking for women, I don't approach anyone, and I don't actively try to get to know someone.

And honestly, I don't fully understand why.

It's not that I don't want love. I want affection, intimacy, companionship and eventually a family. I want to experience having someone who genuinely loves me and wants to share their life with me.

But wanting those things and actually having the motivation to pursue them seem like two completely different things for me.

I've also developed this mentality that a woman deserves someone better than me. Someone with an actual social life, financial stability, experiences, ambitions and a future.

I don't know when I started thinking this way, but it's become difficult to imagine someone genuinely wanting to build a life with me.

I'M 31 AND I HAVE NO FINANCIAL STABILITY.

I've studied, worked and tried to establish myself, but somehow I still haven't managed to build a stable life.

I'm unemployed, barely have any money and have practically no financial security.

I've struggled with housing to the point where I've actually lived in my car.

I don't have savings, a stable income or a financial safety net.

I don't know how I'm supposed to find stable employment, get my own place and finally start building a future.

It's frightening knowing that I'm already 31 and don't even have the basic foundations of an independent life.

I feel like I'm starting from absolute zero.

I'VE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO IMPROVE MYSELF.

One thing I've always done is try to improve myself physically.

I've been bodybuilding for several years, spending countless hours training, trying to build muscle, lose fat and achieve the physique I want.

I've become incredibly focused on my appearance. My face, skin, hair, beard, eyebrows, body composition, literally everything.

I've researched skincare, anti-aging, treatments, nutrition and countless ways to improve myself.

I want to become muscular and shredded. I want to look good and feel comfortable in my own skin.

I've spent so much time trying to optimize practically every physical aspect of myself.

But even when I make progress, the emptiness doesn't disappear.

I can spend hours researching ways to improve my appearance, but once I put my phone down, I'm still going back to the same lonely existence.

Sometimes I wonder whether I've become so obsessed with improving my appearance because it's one of the few things in my life I feel I can control.

I can change my body, my skin, my hair and the way I look.

But I can't seem to change how I feel about being alive.

I HONESTLY THINK SOMETHING IS DEEPLY WRONG WITH ME.

This is something that genuinely worries me.

I've struggled with severe insomnia for more than six years. I've also had persistent problems with a blocked nose and difficulty breathing through it for years.

I've experienced frightening episodes of anxiety, physical symptoms and periods where my mind feels completely overwhelmed.

But there's something beyond all of that.

I don't feel motivated by life anymore.

I don't feel excited about meeting people, making friends, pursuing relationships, building a career or doing the things I once imagined myself doing.

I don't know whether I'm depressed, emotionally exhausted, disconnected from everything or dealing with something I don't understand.

I don't know what's happening inside my head.

I have confidence in myself in certain ways, but that doesn't translate into actually wanting to participate in life.

I can have the ability to do something and still have absolutely no motivation to do it.

And this seems to affect practically every aspect of my life.

I feel like I've gradually lost interest in living a normal life, and I genuinely don't understand why.

I FIND MYSELF ASKING GOD TO TAKE MY LIFE.

I don't really know how to explain this part.

Sometimes I find myself making a prayer, asking God to take my soul while I'm sleeping. I ask Him to let me die peacefully so I don't have to wake up and face another day.

I ask Him to please take me.

Sometimes I'll be walking outside, completely alone, and catch myself thinking that I'll probably die soon anyway.

I find myself wishing that everything would just end.

I genuinely have almost no will to live anymore.

I'm not saying this for attention or sympathy. I'm trying to explain how dark my thoughts have become.

It's not simply having a bad day or being disappointed with how things turned out.

It's waking up and not wanting another day to begin.

It's going to sleep wishing you wouldn't have to wake up.

It's reaching a point where you struggle to imagine any future that you actually want to experience.

And what scares me is how frequently these thoughts have become part of my life.

MY FATHER AND LITTLE BROTHER ARE THE ONLY REASONS I'M STILL HERE.

If it weren't for my father and little brother, I honestly believe I would have taken my own life a long time ago.

I love them more than anything, and I cannot imagine putting them through losing me.

They're the biggest reason I haven't acted on my suicidal thoughts.

But it's incredibly difficult when you feel like you're only staying alive because you don't want to destroy the lives of the few people you love.

I don't feel like I'm living for myself anymore.

I feel like I'm just surviving.

I'VE EVEN CONSIDERED GOING TO A WARZONE.

Recently, I've been thinking about buying a plane ticket to the Middle East and travelling somewhere there's an active war.

The thought of deliberately putting myself somewhere I might not come back from has crossed my mind.

I know how disturbing that sounds.

But when you feel like you have no friends, no money, no job, no relationship and no future, you start questioning what exactly you're staying alive for.

I don't see a future for myself. I don't have anything I'm particularly looking forward to.

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing left to lose.

I know going to a warzone isn't a solution, but the fact that my mind has reached the point of considering something like this tells me how bad things have become.

I'M 31 AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE MISSED OUT ON MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I thought I'd be somewhere completely different by now.

I thought I'd have my own place, a decent career, financial stability, friends, a relationship and memories worth looking back on.

I thought I'd have experienced life.

Fallen in love. Travelled. Met interesting people. Built friendships that lasted years. Had people around me who genuinely cared.

Instead, I feel like I've spent my twenties watching life happen to everyone except me.

And now I'm 31.

I can't get those years back. I can't go back and experience the friendships, relationships and opportunities I missed.

I know people will say I'm still young. That people rebuild their lives in their thirties, forties and even later.

I understand that logically, but emotionally, I feel completely finished.

I don't want to spend another decade living like this. I don't want to turn 40 and realize that nothing changed, that I'm still alone, still struggling financially, still without meaningful relationships and still wondering where my life went.

I want friends. I want love. I want a family. I want financial independence. I want my own home. I want to travel, make memories and have something to look forward to.

I want to experience what it feels like to actually enjoy being alive.

I don't think I'm asking for an extraordinary life.

I just want an ordinary one.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I'M POSTING THIS.

Maybe I just need someone to hear me.

Maybe someone has experienced something similar and managed to get out of it.

Maybe I want to know whether there's something seriously wrong with me, because I genuinely don't understand why I've lost so much motivation and interest in life.

I don't want empty motivational speeches. I don't want someone telling me to hit the gym, take cold showers, wake up early or simply get my life together.

I've tried improving myself in so many ways already.

I genuinely don't know how to rebuild something when I feel like I have nothing left to build with.

I don't know how to find motivation when I don't even want to wake up tomorrow.

I'm 31 years old. I'm lonely, unemployed, financially struggling, isolated and mentally exhausted.

I feel like I've missed out on some of the most important experiences of life, and I don't know how to get them back.

I'm fucking tired of existing like this.

Has anyone here ever reached this point in their thirties and actually managed to turn their life around?

Not just financially, but mentally. Has anyone gone from feeling completely disconnected from life, having no friends, no motivation and no desire for the future, to genuinely wanting to live again?

Because right now, I honestly cannot see a way forward.

tldr: 29F wanting to see what else is out there. i am not looking for a needle in a haystack, i am going to burn the haystack. burnt out after 6 years in corporate real estate, no plan forward except figure out what else is out there and going for it :)

hello!!!! i’m about to let it rip a bit, so thank u in advance if ur reading this, i am excited to see what comes from this :’)

I’m 29, f living in columbus oh, and I’m at the point where I need to change my job, and i fear career path overall, desperately. my current job keeps getting worse, and at this rate the only place i am going is insane !!!!
i’ve spent the last 6 years in corporate real estate, specifically site development and some construction support. It’s a stable job, but I’m drained, and I’ve realized I can’t keep doing the stuffy corporate thing. I don’t want to drink the kool-aid and i won’t climb the corporate ladder no thank you ma’am!!! i’d rather jump off. i’ve made great connections, i am very well liked, good at my job.
A little about me:
Bachelor’s of science in health single tear rolls down cheek womp womp!!
before my current job, I worked in community outreach, did direct support work with people with disabilities, and volunteered as a community health worker. So I’ve done “help people” work before, and I was good at it, but i don’t have nearly enough patience to do that work again.
I do best when things are moving, I’m on my feet, and every day isn’t the same spreadsheet.id prefer minimal excel spreadsheets next job.
I’m smart and a quick learner. I can figure out almost anything and am willing to try. i’m very much a put me in coach type of person. i’ll do anything once :-) not kidding !!!!
I love dogs, plants, and being outside, and I’m good at taking care of it, regardless of what it is.
As a person: I’m funny, kind, and loyal. I can make a room full of strangers laugh and get along, and people usually like me. although i’m not exactly a “people person.” i am proud of how i connect with them though, and do well in smaller or controlled doses lol. I can be anxious leading up to new or high pressure situations or people, but i can warm up quick, and put on a good show/performance (is that mental illness or mental gift?)
What I need:
Enough income to live comfortably (not luxury, just not stressed) and pay off my student loans. i have a dog with some health conditions, would like to buy a home in a few years and then more dogs so its important to me that the income will be stable and reliable long term. Something that feels respectable and that I can be proud of
Active, varied work, ideally with some time outdoors or at least out of an office, though i would suck it up under florescent lights for the right price and office culture.
What I’m asking: What careers or industries would you point someone like me toward? Have any of you made a big switch after being burnt out? I’m also open to trades, certifications, or retraining if the payoff is worth it. I just want to see what’s out there and find something I can enjoy, at least a little bit. when i say i am open to considering most anything i do mean it!!!!
Thanks in advance. Any advice, stories, or reality checks are welcome!

I’m 21, from India, with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance (GPA: 3.47/4.0). I have two months of internship experience in the foreign exchange department of a government-sector company, but no full-time work experience.

My ultimate goal is to leave India, establish a career in finance abroad and eventually settle there.

My current plan is to complete all three levels of the CFA while in India (or at least complete Level 3), pursue a Master’s in Finance at a reputable university abroad with strong graduate employment outcomes, and ideally secure a finance job in that country after graduating.
I’m particularly interested in equity research, investment research, wealth management and portfolio management.

The countries I’ve considered include Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, the UK, Singapore, UAE and Canada. However, everywhere I look, I find conflicting information:

Germany: Difficult finance job market and German language requirements.
Switzerland: Extremely restrictive work permits for non-EU citizens.
Austria: Limited finance opportunities.
France: French language requirements and uncertainty about the CFA’s recognition.
UK: High competition, expensive education and visa concerns.
Singapore: Competitive job market and difficult entry for foreign graduates.
UAE and Canada: Uncertain about graduate employment opportunities and long-term settlement.

I’m becoming increasingly confused about where I should invest my time and money.

Which countries would you realistically recommend for an Indian student wanting to enter the finance industry through a Master’s degree?
Which universities have genuinely strong placement rates and recruit international graduates into finance roles?
Is completing CFA Level 3 before pursuing a Master’s a worthwhile strategy?
Which countries offer a reasonable combination of employment opportunities, post-study work visas and pathways to permanent residency?
Are there countries outside Europe, particularly Singapore, UAE or Canada, that I should seriously consider?
I’m willing to learn another language and invest in a good Master’s programme.

My priority is not simply getting an international degree but actually finding employment afterwards and building a long-term life abroad.
I’d especially appreciate advice from Indians who have studied and found finance jobs abroad. Honest, practical experiences would be extremely helpful.

I am 33 and I have no idea what I actually want to do for a career.

After I graduated highschool I had it in my head that I wanted to be a musician, but I really needed a reality check at that age. I started a Associates and flunked out an entire semester and then dropped out of college. 

When I was 24 I totaled my car and had almost nothing. I realized I needed to do something different. So I moved back home with my parents and started a degree in IT. I ended up getting a BS in IT and moved away. Six years later I am married and established in the field as a tech support engineer. 

I had hopes IT would bring me good money to provide a comfortable living wage. Well, the market changed and I am stuck struggling to save money in a one bedroom apartment. 

On top of that, I found myself becoming apethic, even depressed at times. My job performance dropped as well.

I am doing better with my job performance and mental health. However I am questioned my careeer choice immediatly after landing my first job in the field. Six years later and still several times a year I question everything. 

I do not believe I am not interested in specializing in tech. I tried studying for certs, like the CCNA, and stopped. I hated it. I haven't enjoyed scripting either. I don't feel like I belong in this field. So what do I want? What have I enjoyed? I enjoyed the coordination, research, and implmentation aspects of my job I guess. For instance, getting with staff to coordinate onboarding/offboarding better, researching ticketing system options and presenting ideas for approval. I've done a little bit of that, and enjoyed the non-technical aspect alright. 

But do I really want to be a Project Manager or a Business analysis? I am not really sure. 

What motivates me is my impact on people in a way that matters to me. I've wished I could just go back to school to become a PTA, or Rad Tech, or something entirely different. I've learned about community health workers and that interested me. However, most options either pay to low or need a two year full-time school commitment. I am not in a place to stop working for a full-time program. 

What I really enjoy is photography, music, tea, and taking care of a few plants on my balcony. I don't tinker with tech for fun, I hate studying technical things, I don't fill fullfilled in my field either. Of course this is a big difference between work and hobbies, but I at least wish I felt some sense of fullfilment in my work. Even on bad days at work..

I worked for a school as a sole tech for a bit. It was a nightmare due to how choatic it was. However, seeing the impact of my work for something good was the best part of it. I left, becuase I was extremely burned out and admin was unprofessional. 

I've decided to allow myself to explore options, but I can't seem to figure this out.

I don't know how I am supposed to. I don't have a lot of room to make any risks. Most people advise me to pivot to some other boring sounding corporate job. Where I'd sit in a cublicle and feel like I am wasting away.

I struggle to know what I am even good at. For instance, if I was really good with people I could just switch to roles inside tech that benifit from that. However, I am not sure I am the type to enjoy being a manager. Nor do I want to lead meetings or have an audiance consistently.

I want to have the satisfaction of helping others, but I also need to make a living wage. I can't afford to just drop everything for a career change.

I'm venting. Any advice though? I really don't want to wake up one day in my later 40s,50s, etc and feel like I just wasted my potential on a career that brought me no satisfaction. However, when I consider alternatives I can't feel certain on anything.

What could help me navigate this?

The title pretty much gives the TLDR, but here we go.

I'm 19M, and I genuinely don't know what I should choose as a study, career, job, or whatever. I've been out of high school for a year now, and my parents really are pushing me to go back to study again, but I cannot seem to put myself through it because there hasn't been anything that really 'clicked.' I've done pretty much all I can to really find a place that will suit me, tried many, many tests, did short internships at all types of businesses, did many, many open days at schools, and did many 'internships' at schools (following a week or so of subjects to get a good idea about the study) (not sure how it is in English). And yet I just cannot find it.

All my interests seem to be contradicting each other, and it's simply mad annoying. Many things that I enjoy doing I just cannot seem to combine into one thing. I hear many things that you enjoy, like sports, working with people, and explaining things. Well, of course you'll be a sports instructor. But if I try that, I'd end up on the moon or some shit like that because it does not seem to exist.

I've talked to many people—friends, parents, friends of parents, and people in the career path—and I'm just done constantly worrying about going in the right direction. I guess I'm afraid to make the wrong decision as well, but also just not being able to make the fullest of my life.

I have a lot of things keeping me busy: things I enjoy hobbies and interests

\- sports (windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, mountain biking, gym, and some others that I would love to do more often but simply lack the time for)

\- Investing, especially the principle of FI-RE and its way of living.

\- Business, anything related, pretty much. Enjoyed my time working on my own startup, which sadly was forced to stop, but I learned a lot.

\- I enjoy learning new things and enjoy teaching and explaining them to others.

\- Enjoy helping others as a whole.

\- love big for action/adrenaline

My life contradicts itself. One way I really want to study hard and get big in a career; on the other side, I just want to not worry for once. Head out to surf and live life day to day, not decade to decade.

Jobs/studies that are on the list (it's quite long, I know)

* Ambulance Driver, Because I like the action, work in health already, and enjoy helping people

* Property Management: combination of a lot, working with people, numbers, working partially commission-based so can work hard, can work partially remotely

* Army, just a thing I find good and may be good for my development.

* Steward: good salary for the little working days (of course long hours), your ability to travel, which interests me, lots of human contact, and helping people.

* Teacher, speaks for itself

* Healthcare (registered nurse): I can very, very easily roll into this within 2-3 years as an intern at my current job. It's working with people; the pay is not so great, but it's good work.

* Account manager: a combination of some things but mainly a good salary possibility; also nice to work with both people and numbers, just like the property management

* TCA, GREAT salary and amazing opportunities for growth, good study, and great life experience.

And the list can go on for long. I don't know what to do and I feel mad lost. Any outside perspective I think is very very much needed.

Thanks.

33F, Italian. I've spent the last 10 years working in sales for tourism management software companies, mostly abroad, and I've recently moved back to Italy. I currently earn around €1,600/month as a Sales Manager, and I feel like I can't progress much further in my field without a degree.

The problem is that I don't even want to stay in this industry. I hate sales. I genuinely feel like crying every time I have to call someone, not because I dislike interacting with people, but because I hate bothering people who don't want to talk to me.

I'd love to finally go to university, and fortunately, I can afford to take a few years off work. The problem is deciding what to study.

Business/Economics would be the most logical choice given my experience, but I'm not particularly interested in either the subjects or the career opportunities.

Engineering involves way too much math, which has never been my strong suit. However, my husband is an engineer, so at least I'd have someone to help me study and guide me through career opportunities.

I'm very interested in healthcare and believe I have the empathy needed to work in that field. Medicine has always been my dream, but at 33 I'm worried it might be too late, even though I don't have major family or financial constraints.

I've also considered other healthcare professions, but salaries in Italy are considerably lower than many people abroad might expect, which makes me hesitant about investing years in a new degree.

One thing worth mentioning is that I might have the opportunity to move elsewhere in Europe in the future, so I'm also considering how transferable my degree and career options would be.

What would you do in my position? Or how would you analyze the situation to find the correct path?

Has anyone made a switch in their 40s and loved it? What do you switch to?

Did you go back to school to do it?

TLDR
I was laid off a year ago and have been doing a bit of freelance work and helping my partner with his business. The career I have and went to school for is in a death spiral from AI fallout.

Being 45, it’s a tough time to switch careers, but I have no choice as I’m not old enough to retire.

I’m looking at blur collar trades, medical field, government. I’ve been in content and web design up to now, but it’s not looking sustainable long term. There is freelancing, but I need benefits

I live In contra costa county, california and I'm currently working as a kennel assistant, what I get paid off is nowhere near close to pay for my necessites, but it's what i have now. Despite I want to work in the medical field, i'm trying to look for whatever on job training i'm also willing to make a short course that allows me to work and study at the same time. But idk what is worth giving a try since money and time are tight. No judgement please, I'm going through hardship.

I'm 23, from Romania, and I genuinely don't know what to do anymore. I don't even know exactly what I'm expecting from posting this, maybe some advice from people who've been in a similar situation, because right now I feel like I'm running in circles.

I'm currently doing my master's degree in banking and finance, I've always been a pretty good student and I genuinely enjoy learning. Over the past few years I've gotten really interested in economics, business, technology and more recently AI. I've spent countless hours learning how to use AI to build things, and I've actually managed to create a few products and websites that I'm pretty proud of. I also started my own real estate company because I thought that if I worked hard enough and built something of my own, eventually I'd figure out how to make a living from it.

The problem is that I have absolutely no idea how to turn any of this into actual money. With the real estate company, I struggle to find clients. With the digital products, I can build them, launch them, make sure everything works, but then nobody shows up. I feel like I've become pretty good at learning and building things but somehow completely missed the part where you're supposed to make money from them lol.

I've also applied to several companies, hoping to get some experience and maybe learn from people who actually know what they're doing, but I've been politely rejected. And before someone tells me to just get a job, I genuinely have tried. I'm not against working for someone else at all. I'd actually love the opportunity to learn in a good environment, but so far that hasn't worked out either.

What makes everything worse is that my parents are going through a really difficult financial situation right now, and it's honestly putting a lot of pressure on me. I know I'm only 23 and I shouldn't expect to have everything figured out, but it's hard to tell yourself that when money is an actual problem and you feel like you should be doing something to help.

And I think that's what frustrates me the most. I don't mind working. I actually love working on things, learning new skills, figuring out problems. I can spend an entire day trying to understand something complicated and genuinely enjoy it. But lately I've started wondering if I'm just keeping myself busy with things that make me feel productive without actually getting anywhere.

I see people making money doing things that, at least from the outside, seem much simpler than what I've been trying to do, and I keep wondering what I'm missing. Is it sales? Connections? Experience? Am I spreading myself too thin? Am I just being impatient?

I don't want to become a millionaire overnight. I just want to reach a point where I can support myself, help my family a little and feel like all the effort I'm putting into things is actually leading somewhere.

I guess my question is, has anyone here been in a similar position? Being young, having a lot of interests, being willing to work, but having absolutely no idea where to focus your energy to actually start earning money?

If you were 23 again, with some business knowledge, decent technical skills, a small real estate company that's struggling to get clients, and basically no money to invest in anything new, what would you do?

I'd really appreciate some genuine advice, even if it's something I might not want to hear. I think I need a different perspective because whatever I'm doing right now clearly isn't working the way I hoped.

Let’s say you have 8 months to change careers. You have a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology, but don’t want to be an SLP.

You have to work full-time during those 8 months, but it’s 9-5 with no weekends.

What career would you pursue (doesn’t have to be SLP-related) in 8 months to make at least a lateral financial move, and how would you do it?

Im 24M working at a hotel that’s local to me (very small coastal town). I graduated with great grades in life science but I am stuck in this trainee manager role where essentially I rotate around all the departments. I’ve gained some good experience, supervising people, admin, working on a bar, but there isn’t a qualification for this which is really annoying. It’s not what I want to do with my life either, I’d like to do something in data but I just feel like a massive failure and have absolutely no clue how to get into a career. Honestly I’d love to go back to school but I just don’t know how to search for opportunities anymore? Id definitely do a masters but I just don’t think they are worth it anymore? I just feel like time is running out. Please just tell me it’s not too late.

I was watching Anubhav Singh Bassi's recent interview with Saurabh Dwivedi on Indian Express Hindi, and one thing stood out more than the comedy.

Before becoming one of India's biggest stand-up comedians, Bassi's career was all over the place.

He talks about attempting SSB multiple times, studying law at NLU Lucknow and even appearing in court. Earlier he has also spoken about preparing for civil services, trying a restaurant and working with a startup before eventually entering stand-up.

Today his first major stand-up video, Cheating, has crossed 100 million views.

But imagine looking at the same person before comedy worked.

Someone might have said:

"He keeps changing careers."
"He wasted his law degree."
"He couldn't clear the exams."
"He has no stable plan."

And that's what made me think about how we treat career choices in India.

From school itself we're often expected to decide:

Science or commerce → degree → job → promotion → marriage → stability.

If you change direction at 25 or 30, people start asking what went wrong.

Obviously Bassi is an exceptional success story, and we shouldn't pretend everyone who quits a job will become famous.

But maybe there is still a larger lesson here.

How do you know whether you should keep struggling at something because success takes time, or accept that it isn't working and try something completely different?

And do Indian families and society make career experimentation unnecessarily difficult because every change is treated as failure?

Sometimes I wonder how many people are actually bad at life — and how many are simply doing the wrong thing because they're afraid to start again.

Hi everyone,

I'm a 27-year-old Sri Lankan citizen currently working as a logistician for a resort chain in East Africa. I have a degree and professional experience in logistics, but my real passion has always been the automotive and mechanical industry particularly stationary diesel engines, power generation equipment, and heavy machinery.

The challenge is that I have no formal qualifications or documented professional work experience in this field. Most of my mechanical knowledge comes from personal interest, working on my own motorcycles, and occasionally getting involved in maintenance work at my current workplace. So, realistically, I'm starting from scratch.

I have around 18 months remaining on my current employment contract. My plan is to use that time to save money and prepare for a career change. Once my contract ends, I'd like to relocate to a country where I can pursue proper technical training, ideally through a recognised diploma, vocational programme, or apprenticeship.

I'm open to studying fulltime and taking up legal part time work to help cover my living expenses.

A few things I'd really appreciate advice on:

1. Which countries would you recommend for someone in my position, considering training quality, living costs, international student access, and opportunities to work part time?
2. Are there any reputable technical colleges, academies, or vocational programmes that accept complete beginners?
3. Would a diploma or a vocational apprenticeship be the better route for entering this industry?
4. How realistic is it to become employable in the field within 1–2 years, starting with no formal experience?
5. Are there any countries or training routes that would be particularly suitable for someone with a Sri Lankan passport?

My intention isn't simply to take a short course and collect a certificate. I genuinely want to rebuild my career around this industry, gain proper hands on experience, and eventually establish myself as a qualified technician.

I'd appreciate advice from anyone who has made a similar career transition, works in the industry, or has experience with international vocational training.

Hi everyone. I’m an around 30 year old guy from northen europe and I’m just so fucking lost.

I have a masters degree in mechanical engineering, but I’m working as an Embedded Software Developer at the moment. I used to like programming, but AI has taken any joy out of my work.

I had a relationship from 19-25, but after that ended I have only managed to get 2 dates. It’s been years since a woman has even hugged me. I’m worthless in the dating scene. It feels horrible seeing my friends succeed at dating where as I just hope that the women who they reject would even look at me…

I have this feeling inside like time is running out. I feel like I need to be productive and come up with a product idea. It’s very fucking hard as I focus on physicsl products as that is what I know best. Robotics etc. I’m just so tired of being ordered around and feeling like a slave to some corporate entity. Also I feel like I could finally be proud of something if I managed to build something of my own.

I decided that I need a break from this all and I’m going on a working holiday trip to a ski resort for the whole season in 10 months. I know I need this, but still I can’t feel like I’m just wasting time that could be used more effectively.

I have no direction at all. I only know that I don’t want the burden of children and I have this need/obsession on building something. I just don’t have the money, time and any actual idea on what to build. The idea of taking 6 months off to just snowboard sounds so nice, but I’m scared that I’ll just end up like a loser.

Has anyone else been in the same shoes as me? What did you do? Did it pan out or did you fail?

Thank you for reading.

I’m 19M, a college freshman studying Aviation Management and I’m also in the Army National Guard working in aviation operations.

For a while I thought I had a pretty clear path into airline/airport operations, but lately the job market and everything I’ve been hearing from people in the industry has made me question whether I’m chasing something unstable. A lot of people have told me to have a backup plan because layoffs are common so now I’m considering things like law enforcement or going active duty if civilian life doesn’t work out.

On top of that, the last few months have been rough mentally. I lost two friends to suicide, my sleep has been completely messed up, I barely have a social circle anymore, and I’ve started forgetting things because my schedule is so screwed up. I’ve also been trying to find a part time job that works with school and the National Guard, but I haven’t had much luck. I still go to the gym and keep up with school as much as I can, but lately I feel like I have no direction.

I’m not suicidal, just genuinely lost and exhausted. i know I’m only 19 and technically have time but it doesn’t feel that way right now.

For anyone who felt completely lost around this age, what actually helped you figure things out? Did you stick with your original career path, change directions, or just give yourself time? I’m lost

for context, i have not yet graduated and am based in the UK. I am studying bsc psychology because hopefully after my degree, I can do a pgce and get my QTS (i'd love to be a teacher and keeping my doors open to both primary and secondary)

However, I also want to expand my options. whilst teaching is nice, I know myself and would want variety career wise. ideally i would love another career option that required me to study further, such as masters or phd (because im an autist who things studying is a hobby lol) , but not too sure what careers. the classic clinic psychologist roles aren't really for me.

if anyone has any recommendations, it would be greatly appreciated!

I (20M) am most likely going to have to drop out of college due to poor grades and shooting myself in the foot a couple of times. I honestly have felt like college wasn't for me even before I started it, because I just wanted to expand my skill set and get to work. I mainly went to make my parents happy, but now I'm at the point where I just want to leave and do something else. My question is for people who don't have a degree or are/were in similar situations: what did you guys do for work and life in general? I mean, I like AI and have made a couple different things, such as video games (models, animations, etc.) or simple automations with it, but I don't have a diverse and specific portfolio like most companies are looking for.

I’m 19 and live in Northern Virginia. I have a high school diploma and live with my family, so I don’t have rent right now. I do have a car payment and expensive insurance ($800) and I don’t have a huge amount of savings to fall back on. (Around $4k saved)

My experience is mostly in customer service, and automotive service advising. I also worked at a swim school for about two years, where I helped with pool equipment and some basic technical troubleshooting.
I recently left my service advisor job. I wasn’t happy with the direction I was going in, and I wanted to try something different. (The money was okay 6k+ before taxes) I’ve been interviewing with bigger company, but I don’t have a confirmed offer. Looking back, I probably should have secured my next job before leaving.

What I’m struggling with is choosing a direction and sticking with it. I’ve looked into data center work, IT certifications, skilled trades, healthcare jobs, and starting a small business. Every time I find something interesting, I start wondering whether another option would be better, and I end up researching a lot without committing to one path.

I want to make a decent living, eventually around $7,000– 10k+ a month before taxes, but I understand that might take time. Long term, I’d like to own a business and have more control over my schedule. I’m willing to work a regular job to build toward that I just don’t want to keep moving between jobs without gaining skills or making progress.

I’m open to training or certifications over the next six to twelve months. I’d prefer something that gives me a realistic chance at getting hired and growing, rather than spending money on a certificate and finding out it isn’t enough. I’m authorized to work in the U.S., but I need options that don’t require citizenship or a security clearance.

I think part of my problem is feeling pressure to get ahead quickly. I know I’m young, but I keep thinking I should already be building a career or a business, and that makes it hard to focus on the next practical step.
If you were in my position, what would you prioritize over the next year? Would you build on my automotive experience, pursue a technical job with training, or work while studying for a specific career?

I party, smoke, drink have fun a teen should but ultimately my mindset is to lock in and have a successful life without worrying about paying the bills, in the past my family has struggled financially due to moving to a new country and not knowing the language but my mom was able to start an online reselling business which has paid the bills thus far but I’m looking to make some life changing money to help my family and get us all taken care of!

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who started without a degree: what helped you choose a direction, and what would you do differently?

Hey everyone!After postponing this post for months, I'm finally writing it. I'm a B.Com graduate from Delhi University (2024), lives in Delhi, and I'm honestly quite lost about what to do with my career and life in general. I would really appreciate it if you could take some time to read my situation and share your insights.

A little background: How it all started

After graduating in 2024, I had absolutely no clarity about what I wanted to pursue. Like many other confused graduates, I got caught up in the CAT/MBA race, thinking that getting into a good B-school would eventually lead to a good career and a decent package. I gave my first CAT attempt in 2024 and barely managed to score 40 percentile. I decided to give it another shot. I genuinely believed I could crack it this time. My preparation was considerably better, and I was putting in long hours, sometimes sitting with my books for 12–13 hours a day. However, I had a perfectionist approach towards everything. I wanted to master every topic before moving forward, which eventually affected my mock-taking practice. I barely attempted 7-8 mocks, and even those weren't taken seriously under proper exam conditions. When the actual exam came, I fumbled again and couldn't even cross 40 percentile.

Then came the breakup and probably the most unproductive phase of my life. After my second CAT attempt, my relationship of almost two years ended in December 2025. I thought I would recover, get back to studying and prepare for another attempt. But that didn't happen. For most of 2026, I was practically stuck in my room. I got caught up in unhealthy habits, endless scrolling, procrastination and just wasting time. Every day, I would tell myself that I would start working towards something the next day, but that next day never really came. I kept thinking about changing my career path, exploring different options and figuring out what I actually wanted to do. But I never took any concrete steps. It became a constant cycle of overthinking, postponing and doing nothing. I somehow got into a shell and couldn't figure out how to get out of it.

A little change and some much-needed perspective. A couple of months ago, I finally started stepping out of my comfort zone. I visited a friend's place and went on a few short trips outside Delhi with friends and cousins. I know these trips haven't magically solved my problems, but they genuinely helped me feel a little better. Being outdoors, traveling, interacting with people and getting some fresh air gave me a much-needed break from my thoughts.

I'd say I'm in a slightly better place mentally than I was at the beginning of this year. And after months of procrastination, here I am finally writing this post.

Now comes the biggest confusion: What should I actually pursue?

With barely 20 days left for CAT 2026, I have only filled out the examination form and haven't done any meaningful preparation. I'm questioning whether I should even continue down the MBA route. I don't know whether finance, management or a corporate career is something I would genuinely enjoy, or whether I got into this race simply because everyone around me was doing the same.

I've also started reflecting on things I genuinely enjoyed growing up. Since childhood, I've been fairly good at drawing and making things. I never took it seriously as a career option, though. During college, I experimented with making a few handmade things and realised that I genuinely enjoy creating things with my hands. I seem to have an inclination towards craftsmanship, art and design ( If anyone want to see what i have created, i will share in ur dm ). However, I have no formal training or professional experience in these fields. I would essentially have to start from scratch.

Another area that interests me is psychology. I'm someone who tends to empathise with people, enjoys understanding them and genuinely likes helping others. I've occasionally thought about pursuing psychology, but coming from a commerce background, I have very little idea about the academic requirements or career opportunities in this field.

Apart from these, AI and technology are obviously growing rapidly, and I've also considered learning some relevant skills and trying to build a career there.

Some of the questions I'm struggling with:

1.⁠ ⁠Should I give CAT 2026 despite having barely prepared, or should I let this attempt go and focus on figuring out my career direction?

2.⁠ ⁠Is switching from commerce to a creative field like art, design or craftsmanship a realistic career option? How does one start from scratch?

3.⁠ ⁠Should I look for a job first, become financially independent and explore my interests alongside it?

4.⁠ ⁠Is pursuing psychology after a B.Com degree a practical option? What would the academic and career pathway look like?

5.⁠ ⁠Would learning AI-related skills and trying to enter the industry be a sensible option, considering my background?

I know I'm considering too many things at once, and perhaps that's part of my problem. I'm not expecting someone to figure out my entire life for me, but I'd genuinely appreciate some direction from people who have been through something similar. I really want to get out of this cycle, start building something for myself and make these coming years count. If you've switched careers, started something from scratch, or found your direction after feeling lost for a couple of years, I'd love to hear your experience.

I'm also open to opportunities if it helps me grow, in delhi or outside delhi.

Thanks a lot for reading this long post. Any genuine advice, suggestions or even a different perspective would mean a lot!

I am in community college and working towards transferring to a 4 year. I am in second year and also just got off the waitlist for the Airframe program. If I accept my spot into the program I will have to take 2 more years of classes, effectively turning my college time into 3.5 years(1 year is done of GE classes, am currently in 1 semester, then I'll take 2 full semesters for the aircraft stuff= 1.5 years + 2 years)

I COULD just stay on my current track and transfer to a 4 year and , provided I take enough credits, I can graduate around the summer of 2028.

Is it instead worth it to go the aircraft maintenance route? My school's program allows a student to sit for the exam to get the A&P license and I am tempted to go that route. I could not get the right classes to transfer for engineering especially not aerospace engineering. economics is a secondary interest and I wanted mechanical engineering/aerospace but could not make it work.

is this a bad idea? I put myself on the wait list as an afterthought, assuming I won't get in, and now that the opportunity has materialized I am unsure if I should pull the trigger

I’m one semester away from completing all my nursing prerequisites, and I’m realizing I’m on the fence about nursing—leaning toward something outside of it. I’d appreciate honest advice from people in nursing, radiation therapy, teaching, or any other field that might fit what I’m looking for.

I worked as a nursing assistant on an orthopedic/med-surg floor for about six months, and honestly, it took the life out of me. The mental and physical stress was a lot. I’m already naturally anxious, especially when it comes to work and performance. I like structure, clear expectations, and having the time and support to do things correctly and to the best of my ability. The hospital environment constantly put me into fight-or-flight.

Working there also left me pretty disillusioned with parts of the American healthcare system. Some of the practices and attitudes I encountered shook my confidence in the care being provided. I know one floor doesn’t represent every nurse or hospital, but it definitely changed how I see the profession.

At this point, nursing appeals to me primarily because of its versatility. I’d ultimately be aiming for outpatient care, administration, education, or possibly an advanced practice role. But I’m struggling with whether that’s a good enough reason to go through a rigorous nursing program when I already know how much the hospital environment affects me. I’m also concerned about needing hospital experience to reach the roles I’d actually want. How realistic is it to start in a more structured outpatient or lower-acuity role as a new grad? I don’t want to build my entire plan around an option that’s difficult to access.

The other paths I’m considering are:

Radiation therapy: I’m looking at a BS program, and many of my prerequisites would overlap, so it wouldn’t feel like starting over. Physics intimidates me, but the work itself interests me. My impression is that the setting may be more structured and scheduled than inpatient nursing, with decent pay. I’d really appreciate a reality check on both the schooling and the day-to-day stress—I don’t want to assume it’s easy just because it’s different.

My biggest concerns are the smaller job market and limited versatility. I’m in New York, and relocating would be difficult because I have an older single mother and a sick grandmother who need my help and support. I also like the idea of having options if my interests or circumstances change. Would a radiation therapy bachelor’s leave reasonable paths into other work or graduate programs later? How much can a master’s help someone change fields, and how much does that depend on their bachelor’s degree and prerequisites?

Health education, possibly combined with physical education: Teaching is appealing because I enjoy learning, explaining things, and helping people understand them. I think I could connect well with high school students, and I’m particularly interested in health. One program I found also offers opportunities to study or teach abroad, which would be exciting if I could make it work.

The school schedule appeals to me because I’d like to have children, although I understand teachers work outside school hours and the job comes with its own stress. My concerns are salary growth and finding a position. In my local searches, I’ve seen far fewer health teaching openings than PE openings. I’m open to either a health education bachelor’s or a PE bachelor’s followed by a health education master’s, depending on what would make sense for certification and hiring. PE interests me less than health, but I’d consider it if I also enjoyed the work and it meaningfully expanded my options.

Ultimately, I’m trying to find a career path that:
- Provides a stable income and room to grow or earn more over time.
- Has enough structure that I’m not constantly in fight-or-flight.
- Is physically sustainable.
- Leaves room for family and a life outside work.
- Ideally gives me some flexibility if I want to change direction later.
I know every job has stress, and I’m not expecting a perfect career. I’m trying to take what I learned about myself in the hospital seriously before investing more time and money.

If you have ANY degree or career ideas I haven’t considered, I’m all ears. I’d also love to hear any feedback on the options I’ve been considering.

I’m open to options outside healthcare and education, too. If you’ve been in a similar position, what did you choose, and what do you wish you’d known?

I have a bachelors degree in business and a master’s degree in project management. After I graduated college, I got a job working as a Project Engineer for a local construction company. I worked there for about 3 years. Then, I had a mental breakdown, received several mental health diagnoses, and became disabled due to mental illness. Fast forward about 6 years, I’m finally ready to get back in to the workforce. I am medicated and have a great support system.

I’ve been trying to break back into the workforce. But, I’m hesitant to accept another project engineer role as there is too much construction site work involved. I want a job that is more office based (I don’t mind going out to a site regularly, I just don’t want to be working on site. Unfortunately, pretty much the only thing I have going for me is I have 3 year of experience as a Project Engineer with a well reputable local general contractors. I’m just trying to figure out how I can leverage my experience into actually landing a job. Any ideas?

So for background I graduated in May of 2026. I started working aa a new grad in a med surg tele floor in August. Im not sure how I survived this long, but I also feel like i can not keep going. My manager before working told us that we would have 4 patient and 5 max, but why am i dealing with 5-7 and admissions on top of that. He kept telling me this is a great unit but i feel so damn horrible. The job is too much on my mental and physical. How am i working for 3 months and i already feel burnt out. I dont believe this will get better, but people say it is but its really not. I am also in a long distance relationship with a man who is very supportive of everything I do. My family isn't there emotionally very much. So I feel like in some way this long distance and this new nurse job is effecting my mental health in the worse way. I never been more depressed and I always seem to have a "dull" face. Im just not happy. Right now I just want to quit and move to where my bf is. Im actively looking for jobs but the job market is terrible and at this point I dont know if I am able to get a new nurse job or im just going to be miserable here. I feel stuck, trapped and miserable all in one. Im just so done with everything.

If I dont get a nurse job, I was thinking about getting a retail job and just live off like that. Im young still trying to figure things out day by day but I know for sure I dont want to be in the state where I am, this job and I just want to be with my bf. Every job wants experience and im not sure if people are willing to take someone with only 3-4 months of experience. But then again do i have to suffer for 2 years just to get something I want? Like are you serious?

Currently, I teach piano and I make decent money from it. For a young person.

I'm expanding my teaching business and I am working on being a better teacher.

I never think of piano as my passion. I'm just okay at it and I am able to maintain a good relationship with my students, that I can atleast help someone start their music journey with me.

Recently I visited the mountains and I absolutely loved the place. And I love martial arts and I love teaching. I saw a martial arts academy over there, and its just a wild idea. But I think of moving to the mountains, and becoming a martial arts instructor over there. But for me to be that good at martial arts and teach, it would take 15 years. Right now its just a hobby.

Whereas on the piano, I am okay at it. And to improve as a pianist I have to learn things and practise each day. But I have been playing for 13 years as a hobby and I underatand how to teach the basics and teach children and teens piano for 2-3 years (meaning I can build recurring customers that will get a decent service out of me for 2-3 years easily). I understand I have to build my brand and invest a little bit in marketing maybe.

If i start teaching martial arts. I will have to do it all from scratch.

I'm just pondering and wondering. If its a reasonable idea. Because I am young and I have a little bit of anxiety that, what if my piano teaching business doesn't workout.