17 Jan Adulting
Have you ever seen the movie 13 Going on 30? If not, then spoiler alert! It’s about a 13 year old girl, who wishes on her 13th birthday to be 30. This is not an uncommon theme in movies (remember BIG, anyone?). The reason it’s a common theme is because it resonates with so many people.
How many of us wanted to be grownups when we were little? I know I did, or at least I thought I did.
I mean, how cool is being an adult?! You get to wear whatever you want. No curfew. You get to make your own money. Driving. Drinking (not together, of course.) There seemed to be so many alluring factors to being a grownup.
And then, I grew up and became an adult.
As a kid, almost everything I needed was taken care of for me. Meals magically arrived on the table every night at 6. Doctor and haircut appointments were made at the very time they were needed. I was dropped off and picked up from school, sports and any other event at just the right time. And, all snacks I enjoyed were stocked in the pantry.
I NEVER thought about what it took to make all this happen–the planning, grocery shopping, finances, prep and cooking time.
So often my young adult clients come in freaking out about one aspect of adulting or another–bills, living alone, career choices, etc. My answer 9 times out of 10 is “yeah, it kinda sucks sometimes, doesn’t it?”
The client often looks at me bewildered, assuming I’d give some sage advice about how to “adult” better, or they assume I would say something like, “don’t worry, it will get better.”
But the truth is, adulting (for the vast majority of us) isn’t easy. There are bills to pay, relationships to work on, jobs with long hours and insane pressures, kids to take care of, mortgages, schedules and routines to make–and that’s just to name a few.
Heck! Being an adult can be EXHAUSTING!
There is no right or wrong way to be an adult, and finding out how to make things work for you can take time. Below are a few tips to help transitioning to adulthood easier.
4 Tips for Becoming an Adult
- Talk to your parents or a trusted adult about finances. Balancing a checkbook, avoiding credit card debt and applying for loans (to name a few) are most likely all new undertakings. Having an adult who has dealt with finances walk you through what you need to know can be helpful.
- Make some sort of agenda or calendar that is easily accessible. Balancing interviews, meetings and your social calendar can become overwhelming if you don’t have it written down and well planned out.
- Make a budget (see tip #1). Getting finances in order is one of the most important steps to independence!
- Don’t get down when things don’t go according to plan. Life is unpredictable. Part of adulting is not letting the bumps in the road knock you down but rather learning to adjust with the changes life brings.
Authored by: Tracey Weiss