If you’re anything like me, you have this crippling fear of failing in the adult world. Taxes? Calling Mom. Cooking? Calling Mom? Boy drama? Calling Mom, and maybe Dad too. In other words, I don’t trust myself. I’m always looking the “adult-ier adult”, the person who has more life experience or even just looks slightly less scared than me. But, recently, I’ve been trying to break myself of this fear, or perhaps the better word is insecurity. So, I’ve been trying to find small ways to get on top of things, and, to my delighted surprise, I found that I was already well on my way to dealing with actual adult problems! That said, here are a few of those things I noticed that I’m pretty sure you guys do too without even thinking about it.
1. If I don’t know, I can find out
Because we’re just so used to finding the answers to a lot of our questions and curiosities with Google, I think we’ve underestimated just how healthy an adult skill it can be. After all, adults aren’t people who know everything; they’re simply people who know how to either fill important gaps in their knowledge or find ways to work around them. I know personally that even just in the last couple of years, I’ve become a master of learning from Google and its many helpful features. I’ve picked up everything from resume know-how to recipes to hair care tips, all with just a little searching. So, don’t undervalue your skill for finding out what you don’t already know and assimilating that info quickly.
2. I can budget my energy
There’s a lot of talk about budgeting money and time when entering the adult world, but budgeting energy is often just as important. Learning what times of day you are most alert and/or creative is knowledge that can change your life. Plan the order of how and when you are going to tackle certain tasks based on their difficulty, possibility to increase frustration, or just whichever you know will add to your energy reserves rather than sap from them.
3. I can take steps to take care of myself
I’m pretty sure most of my generation has a much heathier understanding of self-care than any generation before us. That’s not to say we’re all self-care wizards who actually keep up with our twelve step face routines and daily meditations, but I think we at least have a better awareness of what humans need to stay healthier in both body and mind. Whether all you’re doing is just setting a steady bedtime or making sure you drink enough water or taking your vitamins or medications on time, be encouraged that you’re already on the road to adulthood.
4. I can live peacefully with other people
For those of us with siblings, we already know what it’s like to live with people around our age, but, don’t worry only children, that does not really prepare for living with an unrelated roommate. That is an experience that can only be gained by going through it and coming out just slightly scarred on the other side. The dynamics of a roommate relationships are extremely different from the dynamics of siblings or family in general. Family often has years of built up history and roles that people pretty much stay in. Roommate relationships are, or at least should be, built on a much more even foundation, and no one really has any authority over anyone else. That is where such important skills as communication, compromise, and consideration really come into play. So, if you’re celebrating a healthy relationship with your roomie, you’re already employing some pretty important adulting skills.
5. I can make my own choices
This is simultaneously the easiest and most difficult one. It’s also the scariest one. You’re making your own choices now. You are, and don’t fool yourself into thinking you aren’t. Whether you’re choosing to not make choices, or choosing to let others make choices for you, you’re still making choices. So, if you can’t avoid making choices and you already make them on a daily basis, you’re already feeling the double-edged sword of pretty much complete autonomy. Welcome to adulthood! You’ll be presented with decision after decision, and, like it or not, getting good at seeing choices and making good ones is one of the best preparations for adulthood.
And there you have it. Hopefully, I’ve encouraged you all at least a little. To be honest, I felt a bit encouraged myself just writing this. No one is denying that adult life is hard, but I think that, like most things, it is achieved by small, healthy steps. So, keep on stepping!
Image Credit: Cover, 1.