Solo living is often framed as a phase—something temporary, something you pass through on your way to a “real” life with a partner. But what if that’s not true? What if thriving solo is just as valid, just as fulfilling, as any other way of living? What if, for you, it’s even better?
This isn’t about saying solo life is superior—it’s about recognizing that it might be better for you. It might be better for you forever, or just for now. Either way, the important thing is making the most of it, rather than treating it as a holding pattern while you wait for something else.
The Myth of Solo Life as a Transition Phase
From childhood, we’re conditioned to see relationships as milestones—the next step in a progression that starts with school, leads to work, and culminates in pairing up with someone. Living alone, especially for an extended period, is often seen as a gap in that journey, an incomplete chapter. People will tell you, “You’ll find someone eventually,” as if that’s the only logical conclusion to your story.
But what if it’s not? What if solo living isn’t a phase, but a destination?
While you ponder that for a moment, remember this too: A destination doesn’t have to be permanent.
Even if you do eventually choose to be in a relationship, seeing solo living as just a waiting room stops you from fully embracing its benefits. You miss the chance to build a life that’s wholly your own, free from compromise, free from expectations, and rich with self-determined purpose.
You Are Not Half of a Whole
There’s a long-standing cultural myth that people are “halves” looking for completion in someone else. This idea is everywhere—from fairytales to rom-coms—but it’s flawed. You are already whole.
A relationship might enhance your life, but it shouldn’t be the thing that defines its meaning. The moment you start living like you’re waiting for someone to come along and “complete” you, you put yourself on pause. You stop building, stop growing, stop fully inhabiting your own life.
Instead of waiting, why not thrive? Instead of seeing this time as a gap, why not see it as an opportunity?
The Real Measure of Success in Solo Living
If thriving solo isn’t just a phase, how do you measure success? Not by whether you eventually couple up, but by whether your life feels fulfilling and satisfying right now. Success in solo living looks like:
- Feeling content and at home in your own space.
- Having routines and habits that support your wellbeing.
- Enjoying your own company without feeling like something is missing.
- Pursuing hobbies, passions, and interests on your own terms.
- Building a life that’s not defined by the absence of a relationship, but by the presence of things that make you happy.
Solo Might Be Better for You—At Least Right Now
Maybe solo life is right for you forever. Maybe it’s just right for you right now. Either way, why not make the most of it?
Instead of treating solo living as a waiting room, see it as an open space where you can explore, learn, and grow without constraints. What do you want from your life, on your own terms? That’s the real question—not whether or not you’ll find someone someday.
Solo isn’t a pause. It’s a path. And it might just be exactly the right one for you.