The Granola Aisle of Life: How to Stop Feeling Lost

By Christine Kutnick, PCC

Last week, I found myself overwhelmed in the granola aisle at the grocery store. Over 40 options stared back at me. There were keto-friendly, grain-free, high-protein, mixed-with-fruit options. I told my daughter just to grab one, and we picked the one with a coupon.

That same week, I talked to three people, all at different life stages, all saying the same thing:
“I feel lost.”

• My 28-year-old son took time off from engineering to teach and travel. Now he’s trying to figure out what will actually make him happy.
• A 66-year-old man told me he feels lost after losing his wife. He’s spending time in Costa Rica, hoping to figure out what’s next.
• A 45-year-old woman left her job because it was draining her. She’s hoping clarity will come from taking a leap.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not the only one. More importantly, you don’t have to stay stuck. If this sounds familar, are you wondering how to stop feeling lost?

Why You Might Feel Lost Right Now

Many of us are living in this era where we are rethinking everything. We began asking bigger questions about purpose, time, and what matters most.

But instead of feeling free, we feel overwhelmed. Life no longer comes with a step-by-step plan. The path of school → job → marriage → kids → retirement doesn’t fit everyone anymore.

We are living in an overchoice world.

So now, with all the options, many of us are asking: what now?

Too Many Choices = Feeling Stuck

We weren’t taught how to make meaningful decisions. In school, there was usually a right and a wrong answer. Now, we face too many choices every day, and nothing is black or white (right or wrong), and we are without the skills or confidence to choose what’s best for us.

How “Over Choice” Impacts Our Decision Making

When given so many choices, it impacts the way we make our decisions. We

• Decision Fatigue: We often allow others to make decisions for us, which doesn’t serve us well because it is not what we truly want. This approach will lead us to revisit this search when we are not feeling aligned with the choice.
• Analysis Paralysis: We get stuck and keep spinning our wheels.  We never make a change and end up regretting something at the end of our lives.
• Increased Anxiety and Stress: This can put us in a place where we feel stressed and experience anxiety.  We know that under these two situations, decisions are not usually the best-formed decisions.
• Post-Choice Regret and Dissatisfaction: Considering more options increases the likelihood of regret or dissatisfaction with the final choice, as you may wonder if you missed a better option.  This is the paradox of choice.
• Impulsive Decisions: We allow immediate gratification to kick in and make a decision for us. This is usually addressing happiness (a feeling based on external factors) vs Joy (based on an inner feeling)
• Avoidance and Procrastination: Over choice can lead to avoiding decisions or postponing them, possibly delaying essential life decisions.

Sound familiar? It’s no wonder “how to stop feeling lost” is something so many people are searching for.

Read how Netflix is an example of our over choice

3 Small Steps to Help You Feel Less Lost

1. Be Kind to Yourself

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re living in a time that makes it really hard to feel certain about anything. Feeling unsure is not a personal failure, it’s a sign that you’re thinking deeply.

2. Figure Out What Really Matters to You

When you don’t know your values, it’s easy to spend time and energy on the wrong things. A coach can help you figure out what feels right and where you’re out of sync.

Ask yourself:

• What gives me energy?
• What drains me?
• When did I last feel excited about something?

3. Make Decisions One Step at a Time

Forget about five-year plans. Just take the next right step. Try:

• A decision journal
• A calming routine before you make big choices
• Writing out “what if” options
• Talking to someone who won’t judge or steer your decision. A coach can be that thought partner.

Try this now:

Think about one thing you’re avoiding. Then ask, “If I had to choose between just two options, what would I pick?”

Sometimes that’s all it takes to get clear.

What a Coach Can Offer

You are not broken, nor do you need to be healed. You need someone who will provide you with a container to spend time thinking about what you want, how you want to do it, and what you need to do first to make it happen. 

You need someone who will ask you questions to help you understand your thoughts and repeat them back to you so you can verify if it is true or if it is a story you have been living that is not accurate.

A coach will help you clarify your goals so that your decisions are aligned with them. They can work with you to stop the feeling of being lost or confusion.

They will also provide you with accountability so that you don’t fall into one of the over-choice traps of Decision Paralysis, Impulse Decisions, or other Avoidance.

Final Thoughts

Now is the time to stop feeling lost doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. It means you’re paying attention.

You don’t need to figure it all out today. You don’t have to settle. You just need a clear way to make decisions that feel good and support that helps you stay honest with yourself.

The granola aisle will always be full of choices. The difference is knowing which one actually works for you.