How to Get a Life - A Guide for Women

I Don’t Know What to Do With My Life | By: Katie Lister

March 09, 2024

How do I get a life? What does it mean to get a life? I feel empty and lifeless; how do I change this? What can I do to give my life some meaning? If you are looking for ideas on how to get a life, this article is for you.

Hi, my name is Katie Lister, a practicing Registered Nurse and the founder of Growth Gals. I coach women to become the best versions of themselves and live authentic and fulfilling lives. Growth Gals provides a safe space for women to connect with like-minded individuals to learn and offer support to each other.

At GG, we have created a safe space for women to come together and talk about everyday issues specific to women. Finding meaning in life is one of the most commonly discussed topics here. This article will give you all the information you need on how to get a life.

Katie Lister

Written by Katie Lister, RN, BScN. An experienced Registered Nurse, Group Facilitator, Life Coach, and Community Leader. Read Katie's Full Author Bio

What Does It Mean To Get A Life?

In slang, “get a life!” is an insult that tells someone to look for something interesting to do with their life. In everyday speech, getting a life means getting out of your comfort zone and doing something different from what you are used to. It could mean one of two things:

To become productive in your life, start acting responsibly and independently.
To do things you find fulfilling and enjoyable

“I have no life” often describes someone with little to no social life outside of work and implies a lack of fulfillment. We all have different definitions of a fulfilling life, and what may seem like a lack of life to one person may be someone else’s dream life.

If you think you have no life, it’s essential to reflect on all areas of your life and note what brings you joy, a sense of purpose, and fulfillment. Consider your interests, personal goals, and relationships. If you still need more, focus on what makes you happy and stop comparing yourself to other people’s ideas of a fulfilling life.

Signs That You Need a Life

When you work too much and do not have a work-life balance, you are often too busy to notice that your friends never ask you out anymore. Here are some of the tell-tale signs that you need a life:

You never go anywhere

When you spend all week working and all your weekends are spent on your couch watching TV and isolating, this is a sign to find more meaning in your life.

There is nothing wrong with spending weekends indoors. However, if you find that you spend all your free time alone and never go anywhere or even accept plans to go anywhere with friends or loved ones, it’s a sign you need a life.

Lack of motivation

Do you love reading but cannot remember the last time you read a book? Do you love painting but haven’t touched a brush in years?

If nothing seems to excite you, or you can’t even remember the last time you had some fun, it’s an indicator that there is a problem. If you never do things you love anymore and you lack motivation and energy, you are probably burnt out and need to spice up your life.

You feel trapped

Whether it is in a job or a relationship, failing to find your purpose can leave you feeling trapped. If it is a relationship, you might have realized you are on different paths and outgrown each other. You might also feel like your sense of identity got lost after identifying with a relationship for too long. Work on your well-being and rediscover yourself and who you are to stop feeling trapped.

Perfectionism

When you are sad and unfulfilled, you might feel like you are losing control of your life. The natural reaction to such feelings is obsessing about controlling what you can, and feeling like no one can do a better job unless you do it yourself, or perfectionism.

You might start, for example, finding yourself constantly asking yourself the question: what am I doing with my life? or, obsessing over cleaning your house, and feeling like nobody can clean it better than you. You are probably using cleaning to distract yourself from your feelings. If you start to obsess over something, find balance by facing your feelings and focusing on other things.

Constantly making excuses

Change is scary but inevitable, especially when it comes to personal growth. You know you must do something about your life, but procrastination and making excuses have become your norm. You are afraid to take a leap of faith into the unknown. Every time you want to start on the changes, you find yourself making excuses and making up reasons why it can’t work.

How To Get a Life

Getting a life does not happen overnight. When you realize you need to do something, start with small changes to your daily routine until they become habits. Getting a life is about doing the things that make you feel alive. Here are a few steps you can take to get a life:

Consider self-reflection and self-care

For you to live a life of fulfillment, you must know what you want to achieve. What is your life purpose? ask yourself, what am I looking for?. What makes you happy? From when we are young, probably around ten years old, everyone expects us to act a certain way, from family members, friends, and society. This leads us to act according to their expectations, forgetting what we want.

Take charge of your life and consider some self-reflection and self-care. Avoid social media, which only fuels your unfulfillment when you compare yourself to others. Self-care involves taking care of yourself mentally and your body. Start by being true to yourself in all aspects of your life, and the rest will flow.

Set Goals

Take a pen and a piece of paper. Make a list of all the things you want to achieve. Make short-term and long-term goals, and separate them according to when you want to accomplish them. These goals could be fun things you want to achieve, such as trying new restaurants, paragliding, bungee jumping, traveling, etc.

Ensure you plan for the activities timewise and financially. If you have to save for the goal, make that a longer-term goal. Make a bucket list of the things you want to try for the first time and do it in your free time.

Go out with friends

Go out and have some low-budget fun at least twice a month. Meet with friends over a drink or some ice cream to catch up and live life. These activities will add some spice to an otherwise dull life and help you stay grounded. Negative thoughts may start creeping in if you keep to yourself too much without letting off steam.

‘I don’t know what to do with my life.’ Does this sound like you? This article can help.

Take up new hobbies

Sometimes, we outgrow old hobbies. Take up new hobbies that interest you, like cooking, pottery, or art classes. Find out what you enjoy and make some new friends while at it. New interests will throw you out of your comfort zone, but discomfort is necessary for some change and personal development.

Reconnect with your old friends

You might have lost touch with old friends if you have no life and only go from work to home and vice versa. Tentatively reach out to these friends and find out how they are doing and if they are open to rekindling the friendship. If they are interested, make dates and go out for some fun times.

Schedule chores

When you leave chores for when you have time, you will always have some pending chores and no time for other things. Schedule chores from day to day and free up some time for fun things. When you intentionally schedule things, you become better organized and have time to do other things.

Multitasking will only make you more confused and take up more time. Research shows that the brain takes twice as long to process each task it’s working on when you shuttle back and forth between tasks. On a workday, scheduling chores or tasks ensures you finish your tasks faster and can go home earlier or start on the next day’s tasks.

Consult a professional

If you need professional help, seek the services of a wellness or life coach to guide you on how to get a life. The professional will help you analyze your life and help you decide on the best way forward and how to navigate the transitions when you make the changes.

How Growth Gals Can Help You Get A Life

Our aim at Growth Gals is to inspire women to reach their full potential. We also strive to create positive change by giving women the resources to discover their true selves. Among the issues discussed are mental health, emotional intelligence, self-improvement, and how to get a life.

Growth Gals helps women overcome obstacles and make informed decisions. We also help them connect with others with similar values and experiences. Subscribe to the Growth Gals newsletter to access helpful guides and resources and learn more about how we can help you live your best life.

Conclusion

Getting a life involves waking up to the reality that you are not living your best life. You feel unfulfilled and have spent your entire life living for others. When you realize you need to live an authentic life and be true to yourself, try to self-reflect and decide how to reclaim and change your life.