How to adult

Here’s the truth, there’s no single moment at which you’ve officially become an adult. It’s a series of events that, added up, lead you to realize you’ve crossed the chasm between carefree youthfulness and more accountable maturity — and it can happen at any age.

Some are early birds to it, maybe, due to difficult life circumstances while others can be late bloomers.

Being an adult is hard and different for everyone. Some are dealing with early parenthood, while others are already collecting debt, there’s no one size fits all guide. This guide is just my perspective.

Taste things and life – This is one of the fastest ways to gain self-awareness of who you are. To try new things and experiences. You may realize that dream job you’ve always wanted is not for you. Try traveling, different food, work in different industries, seize the day, including the opportunities along the way.

Try and build a business, if it fails, try again! It is better to know that you’ve done something than to regret it for the rest of your life.

Trying things will enable you to learn to embrace failure and change as it comes.

Consciously craft your career path – Trying things doesn’t have to be expensive. You want to learn about a business or a skill, seek a mentor, pitch yourself and the value you can provide for them and maybe even work for free. You will get a wealth of experience. But of course, don’t forget to be practical, as you are investing in yourself, find ways to feed yourself too.

If you have a goal or dream, put a cost to that, you’d be surprised at how magically it becomes achievable. Then figure out a way to get there. No craft is too small when crafting the career of your dreams.

Make a money map – One of the first things everyone has to do as they begin adulting is plotting out a money plan. This is also one of the most dreaded tasks, but it doesn’t have to be. If hearing the word “budget” gets you about as excited as the idea of poking your eye out, consider this.

The more you understand the flow of your money, the better the chance you have of controlling that flow. Control your expenses and once your goal is crystal clear, this will make you spend less time on useless stuff and focus your resources into making that goal or dream a reality.

List your financial priorities just like you would destinations on a map. Don’t forget to include in the map the set-up of an emergency fund, insurance and some micro investments here and there too.

Build Habits – A habit is a behavior that is repeated regularly and becomes routine over time. It can be automatic (checking your phone) or deliberate (studying every day to teach yourself a new language). The first step is to understand the “why” and “how”.

What is your why? Every habit has a purpose. What is your goal and why does this habit matter to you?

What is your how? The behavior you need to practice is your how. It’s the small action that, repeated regularly, will get you to your goal.

You can find more lists online, but it is ultimately habits that determine the success and failure of your adulting ways.

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Desraeli

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Vernon Joseph Go is an RFP®–Registered Financial Planner | Licensed Real Estate Broker | Content Creator | Podcast-on-the-go Producer & Host