I think some of the stress of being an adult is the lingering question of whether or not you do it well. It’s a question we ask ourselves daily whether we realize it or not. It is how many of us gauge how our day is going to go. We wake up with all intensive purposes of being successful at something during the day. We want to make ourselves proud and others to cheer alongside the journey! Adulting can be like walking through a haunted house. There is no clear direction as to what’s going to pop out at you: an unexpected bill, a sudden illness, an unplanned event. However, as the apparitions appear, you continue on the path to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We could all stand for some correction here or there. After all, being too hard on ourselves is a for sure way to “adult” even worse. However, there are those people that we all wish would cut out the excuses, adult a little harder and run through the haunted house with us so we can all laugh and talk about it at the end! That’s the whole point of adulting. It’s not to get through thing unscathed. It’s simply to survive and succeed at something.
I was sitting in the hair salon talking to my stylist about some people I’d like to improve upon their adulting, and I kept telling her, “They don’t pay their bills on time.” Not literally, but figuratively speaking. She was in tears laughing and yelling where did you come up with this phrase. So here goes: I evaluate the way someone deals with situations. Accordingly, I question how they could possibly be adulting. We all know its hard out here, and if you can’t handle multiple things at the same time, perhaps its time you make some lifestyle modifications. The goal is not to strive for perfection, but to strive for something! Earn your credibility. Earn the trust that you can adult well!
When my paycheck hit the bank last Friday at 12 am CST, I had it all figured out how it would be spent. I even typed it in my monthly spreadsheet entitled “Married Bills”. As soon as I was off work, I ventured into a cute high fashion boutique. As I grazed through the racks thinking about saving money! My best friend called and interrupted these thoughts. Thank God! After a simple “wyd?”, I confessed I was shopping and shouldn’t be. She said, “Girl you’re good! You adult well. Don’t you.” It’s like the angels sang and I could take a deep breath and live a little more!
Lesson learned: Ask somebody, you love if you are adulting well. It’s hard to tell if you’re doing it right if no one’s ever told you you’re doing it wrong or could do it a little better.
Here’s are some decent checkpoints to help you decipher if you are adulting well.
- Your bills are paid on time.
- Your house is semi-clean.
- You exercise at least a couple of times a week.
- You have or are striving for a steady source of income.
- You can multitask.
- You allow yourself to forget some things.
- You show up on time.
- You allow yourself to be a careless kid!
- You commit yourself to doing a good deed every once in a while.
- You treat yourself.
- You go without something you think you need every once in a while.
- You communicate with family and friends and coworkers in a timely fashion.
- You know when it’s time to rest.
- You aren’t afraid to have difficult conversations.
- You aren’t afraid to critique yourself.
- You set goals and achieve them.
- You’ve established a rhythm to your life that you like.
- You have self-control.
- You attend happy hour or brunch with your friends!
- You take your health seriously.
These are not guidelines in which to live. They are suggestions on how to improve living your best life and becoming the best you!
