If you’ve ever spiraled because you couldn’t figure out your niche, you’re not alone. At some point, “finding yourself” turned into a checklist:

☑ Aesthetic
☑ Side hustle
☑ LinkedIn summary
☑ 3-5 marketable interests that make sense together

Somehow, the question “What do you like?” started feeling a lot more like “What can you be known for?”

The Problem With Needing a Personal Brand by 22

There’s nothing wrong with self-expression. Or ambition. Or even having a vibe. But when the pressure to “have a thing” kicks in before you even know who you are yet, it gets messy.

You feel like you’re constantly behind. Like everyone already figured it out. Like you should be someone already.

That pressure gets internalized quickly, especially online, where everyone seems to have a clear niche, a story, a monetizable interest, or worse, a loyal audience.

Identity As Content.

For Gen Z, self-discovery often plays out on public platforms. What used to be private growth now happens in front of an audience; friends, followers, even strangers. Suddenly, experimenting doesn’t feel low-stakes anymore.

• Trying something new? Better make a reel about it.
  
• Figuring something out? Hope it looks intentional.
  
• Changing directions? Now you feel like you need to “explain” it.
  

Identity becomes how easily others can recognize and understand it. The result? A personality formed partly by the algorithm and the fear of seeming inconsistent.

Why This Feels So Personal (And So Exhausting)

We were taught to “stand out,” but also to be marketable. To be interesting, but also digestible. To be authentic, but also post-ready.

So we chase clarity, fast. We try to build ourselves like a project we can present. When that clarity doesn’t come easily? It starts to feel like a personal failure.

Identity was never meant to be a performance. Or a pitch deck. Or an aesthetic that stays consistent for years.

Here’s What Might Help

• Let yourself be inconsistent
  Some weeks you’ll be a minimalist. Other weeks, a maximalist with a crochet phase. It’s fine. People change. You’re people.
  
• Remember you can exist outside of categories
  You don’t need a label to be valid. You don’t need to “be known for something” to matter.
  
• Keep some parts of yourself offline
  Not everything you try has to be content. Not everything you feel has to be announced.
  
• Your “thing” might not show up until later
  Some people find their rhythm at 19. Others at 40. You’re just not boxed in, and that’s a good thing.
  

You don’t have to build a brand around your personality to be worth paying attention to.

The self you’re becoming? It’s allowed to take time. Even if no one can “get it” in 30 seconds or less.