Recovering From School and Career Burnout: When Does Life Begin?

If you’ve ever watched the Disney movie Tangled, you might remember Rapunzel’s opening song, When Will My Life Begin? For a lot of us, especially young adults in the midst of change, this sentiment feels all too familiar. When I was a student, I often found myself caught up in a similar mindset—always looking ahead, waiting for the next stage of life to begin.

But I’ve learned there's a crucial difference between planning for the future and simply waiting for it to arrive. We all anticipate big life transitions: finishing school, landing that dream job, moving to a new city, potentially starting a family. These are exciting moments that shape our paths. Yet, if we spend too much time fixated on what’s coming, we fall into the trap of thinking, My life will finally start when I get X—when I graduate, when I find that job, when I reach that next milestone. The truth is, our lives have already begun, they are happening right now. Life doesn’t start in six months, a year, or three years from now. Life only exists in the present moment.

The Problem with Waiting for the Future

As someone who’s always been goal-oriented, I’ve come to understand that chasing the future can become an endless cycle, believing that fulfillment or purpose lies just beyond the horizon. This is one of the key elements that creates school and career burnout. When there’s always a new milestone in front of you, and if you aren’t careful, you may never feel like your life has truly “started.” Ask yourself: When will this stop? When will I have enough? What am I waiting for to feel like my life has begun? The hard truth is, life is fleeting. We may not get tomorrow, and if we’re always waiting for that next thing, we might miss the richness of what’s already here.

Shifting your perspective in this way can be empowering. For some, it means realizing that waiting for the future to “start living” may be holding you back from truly engaging in the present. This change in thinking can inspire action, helping you prioritize your wellbeing today rather than putting it off to the future.

For others, this realization might bring a sense of relief. The pressure to achieve, to constantly look ahead, can weigh us down. Allowing yourself to embrace the present can be freeing—giving yourself permission to enjoy life now, instead of next year or after you meet a specific goal.

The Grass Isn't Always Greener

This mindset reminds me of the saying, The grass is always greener on the other side. It’s human nature to think that things will be better once you achieve or obtain something just out of reach. But what happens when you get there? Often, the satisfaction is short-lived because there’s always another goal, another “next step.”

This is not to say that we should stop setting goals or striving for better. For many, the present may be difficult, even painful, and looking forward is the only way to get through this time of life. Sometimes, the grass truly is greener on the other side, and a positive change can completely transform your life. But I invite you to consider this: What would it look like to live fully in the present moment, even while looking toward the future? Can you be both at peace with where you are and hopeful for what’s ahead?

Living in the Now

We often think that everything will fall into place when we reach the next stage of life—that we’ll feel fulfilled once we hit those future milestones. However, I would argue that the present offers value, meaning, and opportunities if we look for them. It is easy to miss fulfillment in the present, while we’re busy looking ahead to the future. Being present doesn’t mean settling—it’s about embracing where you are right now, with all its complexities and uncertainty, while continuing to work toward what comes next.

So, I encourage you to give yourself some compassion. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: How can I live fully today? Maybe that’s giving yourself a break, letting go of the pressure to have everything figured out. Maybe its asking for help, and beginning to prioritize your own mental health. Maybe it’s recognizing that your life has already begun, even if it doesn’t look exactly how you thought it would. Life is happening right now, and it’s worth showing up for.

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