Lost and Found Possible Selves: Goals, Development, and Well-Being

How do the goals we once cherished but can no longer pursue relate to maturity? The authors asked adults who have experienced challenging life transitions to describe the life goals they once sought but no longer do and those goals that motivate their lives now. The authors conducted research which examines how adults' views of their lost and found goals relate to maturity. In this article, they share some of the results of these studies with a special eye toward understanding the role of possible selves in adult development, the trade-offs that might characterize maturity, and the issues facing adults who have the opportunity to grow through important challenging life experiences.