Feeling Stuck in Life? How to Move Forward When You’re Between Chapters
Who else can lose an hour in Hobby Lobby without even trying?
I know I can.
I can walk in for one thing and suddenly find myself convinced I need a decorative wooden sign, three seasonal pillows, and an entirely new personality for my kitchen.
The funny part is, I don’t even have a traditional house to decorate right now. But that has never stopped me from enjoying every aisle. I still love the colors, the displays, and the way every section makes you imagine what a room could become.
Recently, as I wandered through the store, I noticed they had decorations for just about every room in a house. There were signs for the kitchen, shelves for the bathroom, baskets for the laundry room, and enough bedroom décor to make you question every comforter you have ever purchased.
But then I realized there was one part of the house they didn’t really decorate.
The hallway.
And at first, that made me laugh.
Apparently even Hobby Lobby knows nobody plans to spend much time in the hallway.
A hallway is meant to get you from one room to another. It isn’t the destination. It’s the space in between.
And standing there, I realized something.
Lately, I’ve been living in a hallway of my own.
Some doors in my life have closed. Other doors haven’t opened yet. I know I’m no longer standing in the life I had before, but I can’t always see clearly what the next chapter is supposed to look like.
Maybe you know that feeling, too.
Feeling stuck in life doesn’t always mean that something is wrong. Sometimes, it simply means you’re standing between what was and what’s next.
And maybe the hallway isn’t such a bad place to be. As long as we remember we aren’t supposed to live there forever.
Why Am I Feeling Stuck in Life?
There are seasons when life feels settled.
You know your role. You know your routine. You know what people expect from you and, for the most part, you know what tomorrow is going to look like.
Then something changes.
A marriage ends. A career shifts. Your children grow up and don’t need you in the same ways anymore. You retire. You move. You lose someone you love. You step away from a role that once gave your days purpose and structure.
Sometimes you’re the one who chose the change. Other times, life chose it for you.
Either way, suddenly you’re asking questions you never expected to ask:
Who am I now?
What am I supposed to do next?
Did I miss my chance?
Is it too late to start over?
When you’re feeling stuck in life, those questions can make you believe you’ve somehow gotten off track.
But I’m beginning to think we misunderstand these seasons.
Uncertainty doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lost.
Sometimes uncertainty is part of becoming.
The hard part is that becoming rarely feels comfortable while it’s happening.
The Hallway Is Not Your Destination
That undecorated hallway at Hobby Lobby gave me a visual I haven’t been able to forget.
Hallways aren’t meant to become home.
They serve an important purpose. They connect one space to another. But we aren’t supposed to drag in the couch, hang pictures on the walls, and decide we live there now.
Yet when we’re feeling stuck in life, that’s exactly what can happen.
We start furnishing the hallway.
We build routines around our fear. We decorate the walls with old stories. We replay what went wrong, what we should have done differently, or what we wish could go back to the way it was.
Eventually, the hallway starts feeling familiar.
And familiar can feel safer than opening a new door.
I understand that temptation.
Moving forward takes courage, especially when you have absolutely no proof that the next step is going to work.
But the hallway was never meant to be where your story ends.
Why Feeling Stuck in Life Can Last So Long
I think one of the biggest reasons we stay stuck is because we believe clarity has to come before movement.
We tell ourselves:
I’ll make a decision when I know exactly what I want.
I’ll try something new when I feel more confident.
I’ll take the next step when I’m not so afraid.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
I’ve waited for that kind of certainty before, and I can tell you it rarely arrives with a flashing sign that says, “THIS WAY, JONI.”
Most of the time, clarity comes after we begin moving.
You learn what fits by trying.
You discover what brings you joy by paying attention to how you feel when you do it.
You learn to trust yourself again by making small decisions and realizing that, even when everything doesn’t go perfectly, you are capable of figuring things out.
Sometimes feeling stuck in life isn’t a sign that you need a better plan.
Maybe you just need permission to take one imperfect step.
You Don’t Have to Know Your Entire Next Chapter
I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to figure out the whole story.
What’s my purpose?
Where am I supposed to live?
What should I do next?
Who am I supposed to become?
Can I tell you something I’m learning?
You don’t have to answer all of those questions today.
Moving forward doesn’t always require some dramatic, life-changing decision.
Sometimes it looks like taking a class. Making a phone call. Starting a journal. Having the conversation you’ve been avoiding. Visiting somewhere new. Saying yes to something that scares you just a little. Or finally admitting that something that once worked for you doesn’t fit anymore.
The next chapter of your life may begin much more quietly than you expect.
Sometimes You Need to Go Back to the Gate
I was on a flight once that made me think differently about these seasons. We were ready to go. Everyone was seated. The plane was supposed to be heading toward its destination. And then we had to go back to the gate.
When you’re sitting on a plane wanting to get somewhere, going backward feels incredibly frustrating. But sometimes a plane needs to return to the gate because something needs attention before it can safely continue. Sometimes it needs to refuel.
Life can be like that, too.
There have been seasons when feeling stuck in life made me believe I wasn’t making progress because I wasn’t moving forward fast enough.
But I wasn’t failing.
I was refueling.
I needed rest.
I needed healing.
I needed perspective.
And I needed enough honesty with myself to admit that I couldn’t keep flying on empty.
Going back to the gate doesn’t mean you aren’t going to reach your destination.
Sometimes it’s exactly what allows you to get there.
How to Find Clarity When You Feel Stuck
When life feels uncertain, I think one of the best things we can do is create enough quiet to actually hear ourselves think.
For me, journaling has been incredibly helpful. There is something about putting thoughts on paper that forces you to slow down long enough to see what has been swirling around in your head.
Because sometimes the answer isn’t actually hidden from us.
It’s just buried.
Buried under noise. Under the fear. Other people’s opinions. Expectations. And the pressure we put on ourselves to have everything figured out right now.
If you’re feeling stuck in life, try sitting with a few questions:
What feels heavy right now?
What keeps pulling at my attention?
What brings me energy?
What am I curious about, even if it doesn’t make sense yet?
What am I holding onto simply because it’s familiar?
What would I try if I knew I didn’t have to get it right the first time?
Those questions probably won’t hand you a complete map. But maybe you don’t need the whole map yet. Maybe you only need enough light for the next step.
Trusting God When You Feel Stuck in Life
Faith has been an anchor for me during seasons when life feels unsettled. I wish I could tell you that trusting God makes all uncertainty disappear. That has not been my experience.
There have been plenty of times when I’ve prayed, “Okay, God. I trust You. But a little more information would be GREAT.”
Anyone else? I want the plan. I want to know where I’m going, when I’m getting there, and preferably what I should pack.
But God doesn’t always work that way.
Faith hasn’t always given me the entire plan.
It has given me enough courage to take the next step.
And when I’m feeling stuck in life, I have to remind myself that a closed door does not mean God has forgotten me.
Maybe He’s protecting me from a room I keep trying to reenter.
Maybe He’s preparing something I’m not ready to walk into yet.
Or maybe He’s using this hallway to shape me into the woman I need to be when the next door finally opens.
I may not understand what He’s doing.
I don’t have to.
I only have to trust that He is still with me while I walk.
What My Own Hallway Season Has Taught Me
Living and traveling in an RV has brought me more joy than I expected. It has also taught me a lot about uncertainty.
There are days when the freedom feels incredible. I can wake up somewhere beautiful, change plans, explore something new, and appreciate how many possibilities are in front of me. And there are other days when I would really love to know exactly where I’m going to be sleeping next month.
Both can be true.
I can love the journey and still feel tired.
I can trust God and still have questions.
I can be grateful for where I am and still be ready for another door to open.
That realization has helped me stop judging myself for feeling stuck in life.
I don’t have to label this season as bad simply because it’s uncertain. This is still my life. Not the waiting room before my “real” life begins. And it's certainly not wasted time or a delay.
This chapter counts, too.
When Everyone Else Seems to Have It Figured Out
One of the hardest things about being in a hallway season is looking around and believing everyone else has already found their room. They look settled while you’re searching. They seem certain while you’re asking questions. They’re posting the new job, the new house, the anniversary, the family vacation, or whatever else makes it appear that their lives are moving beautifully according to plan.
Meanwhile, you’re standing there thinking, What in the world am I doing?
Remember: you’re seeing one room in someone else’s house.
You don’t know what hallways they’ve walked through to get there.
If you’re feeling stuck in life, someone else’s timeline is one of the worst measuring sticks you can use for your own.
You are not behind because your life is changing. You have not failed because you need time to figure out what comes next. And you are not too old, too late, or too far along to begin something new.
What to Do When You’re Feeling Stuck in Life
You don’t have to force the next door open, but you do have to remain willing to move.
Pay attention to what brings you alive.
Notice what keeps tugging at you.
Try something.
Change your mind.
Pivot.
Rest when you need to rest.
Pray.
Write.
Ask questions.
Have the conversation.
Take the trip.
Learn something new.
And when something doesn’t work, don’t automatically decide you made a mistake.
Sometimes discovering what isn’t right for you is part of finding what is.
Life isn’t always about discovering the one perfect path and following it forever.
We grow.
Our needs change.
Our dreams change.
We change.
There is nothing wrong with adjusting the direction when you realize you’ve outgrown where you were headed.
Your Next Chapter Is Still Being Written
If you’re feeling stuck in life right now, I hope you remember the hallway.
You may be standing between a door that has closed and one that hasn’t opened yet. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing ahead of you. You are still growing. You are still becoming.
And God is still working, even when your life feels quiet.
One day, you may look back and realize the hallway wasn’t where your story stalled. It was where you rested. Where you listened. Where you learned to trust yourself again. Where you finally stopped trying to reopen a door God had already closed. And where you found the courage to keep walking toward whatever He had waiting for you next.
So don’t furnish the hallway.
Rest there if you need to.
Pray there.
Refuel there.
But when that next door opens?
Walk through it.
Your next chapter may be closer than you think.
Listen to Big Talk at the Table
If this season sounds familiar, Bonita and I talk even more about feeling stuck in life, living in the hallway, navigating life transitions, and trusting that it’s never too late to embrace something new in this episode of Big Talk at the Table.
We talk about trying new things, finding clarity when you don’t know what comes next, trusting the nudges along the way, and remembering that sometimes you have to refuel before you’re ready to take off again.
Pull up a chair and join us for the full conversation.
There is always a seat waiting for you at the table.
~ Joni Leigh
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