Trust me, we've all been there. It might be while you're driving, in the middle of the grocery aisle, or after a life-altering event. But we've all hit that point where we've realized that it's time for things to change. Not only that, but it's the realization that things cannot possibly keep going the way that they have been and, as a result, change is the only option.

There are several things that can trigger this moment of clarification — maybe it's the dead-end job that you dread dragging yourself out of bed to go to every morning, regardless what day of the week it is. Maybe it's a relationship that drags you down every time you try to get back up. Maybe it's even the environment you're in, feeling unsatisfied with the city and people that surround you no matter how often you try to reconcile with it and them and see the silver lining in it all.

Sometimes it may even start with something as intense as a mistake or everything that you thought you had together finally is falling apart. Some of us don't realize that we're unsatisfied until a fiasco finally parks change in front of us until we can no longer hide it from it. Whatever the problem is, everyone has been there. Change is not always fluid, natural, or even wanted. Sometimes it just comes from being stuck.

So, you're finally waving that white flag and admitting that you're stuck. What now? Where do you go from here? How can you start picking up the pieces when you're not even sure what needs to change?

The Small Changes

Not all of us can afford to move to a brand new city on the east coast, change our entire identity, and start a new life. Sometimes when you're stuck, it's as simple as reassessing the little ways in which your daily struggles add up. If it's your job that's bringing you emptiness, are there small ways that you can engage with your co-workers? Maybe you're unfulfilled because take your mishaps as they come, like deadlines and postponed arguments with people you care about, instead of putting your heart and thoughts into them?

Whatever it may be, sometimes it really is as simple as a single conversation, an open window, or a long, tearful drive with some Smiths blasting from your radio to make the little changes necessary to shift gears and keep you moving.

The Big Changes

There are those rare moments in a year that you may realize something really, meaningfully big is missing out of your life. These are when the days of, "I just need to be alone" don't ever end, these are when the little changes aren't enough to fill your soul back up, this is when you may actually be stuck in a way that requires a restart.

Here's the great news — it's never too late to start again. And you can never do it too often. There is no law stating that you can't continuously reinvent yourself into you find a life worth living. It's OK and also relieving in ways that you can't imagine — to break down and admit that it's time to go back to basics.

This might involve cutting important relationships from your life because they're building you a life you didn't ask for. Maybe you have to quit your job, take a semester off, or move away from a city that you've spent all your time trying to find a place to belong in. Whatever it is, be patient and understanding with yourself, because those urges to start from scratch are the most important things that might ever happen to you.

You're stuck. We've all been there. Change is not always quick and dramatic, but it's always up to you. Take a breath, look around, and realize one thing: you will always make it through.