Planning Ahead: Let's Start Adulting

It's crazy when you stop and think how fast time really flies. Two years ago, I graduated from St. John's University and I entered the real "adult" world. This "adult world" has its ups and downs, and it can be tricky. Sure you have your independence but it also comes with great responsibility.

Hence why the term adulting was created. To make it simple enough adulting is being a responsible and functioning adult. I've had my fair share of struggles when it comes to adulting, but you live and you learn.

The first goal anyone has after graduating college is to get a job in their dream field. However, it does not really work like that anymore, unless you're super lucky. So a lot of times, you'll get a job that has nothing to do with your field and feel stuck. But the most important thing is to never give up on your dreams. Take some time to constantly search and apply for a job in your field or something that you're interested in. It may take some time, but things always work out as long as you persevere.

After all those years in school, it is nice to take a little time off, but don't let laziness take over. It is important to be productive. If you want to continue on with your education and get a higher degree, then do it. It is always harder to go back to school after you've stopped for a long period of time. If you're done with your degrees and you just want to relax, take some time off, travel if you can, or even pick up a hobby. It'll keep you from going stir crazy.

One of the things that kept me sane during the early stages of adulting was getting organized. Organizing your living space, or where ever you'll spend most of your time will help make your life a little easier. An organized space leads to an organized mind. Also, get a planner to help keep track of everything you do and everything that you need to get done. A planner or even a journal is great to have to collect your thoughts and organize your mind.

It's important to take care of your mind, but also your body. Establish healthy eating and lifestyle habits now! Sure it may be easier to go out and grab some take out, but that is costly and not the healthiest option. Cut the junk food, I know it's hard, but try to cook or at least get some of those microwaveable meals if you're not the best chef. Learning to cook is a great skill and a much needed skill to have. Also do not forget to add some time for exercise. I know after a long day of work the last thing you want to do is go to the gym, but try to take a daily walk. It will be a great way to get some fresh air and burn some calories. If you're not a big fan of walking in your neighborhood, whenever you run an errand or go somewhere, park far away and get some cardio in. As long as you're eating healthy and moving around you should be fine!

One of the major worries an adult has usually comes from the financial area. Are you making/saving money? Can you pay your bills? Do you have money for food? Should you get a credit card? The questions go on and on, but what we do know is that managing your finances can be a bit stressful. Of course you should set budgets for your spending and have a savings account. I always liked to deposit one paycheck into my checking account and then my next paycheck would go in my savings. That way I was saving at least some of my money. When it comes to credit cards, I do not know much, but luckily there are resources like the Credit Card Insider. Here you can learn all about credit and all kinds of credit cards out there! It is a super handy website to check out.

The sad thing is once you start interviewing and working at a grown up job, you can't wear jeans and your favorite v-neck. You have to dress like a real professional adult. So why not start building your professional wardrobe? You do not have to go out and buy everything at once. Get a few key pieces like collared shirts, work pants, skirts, dresses, cardigans, flats, and maybe a blazer, to start off with and mix and match. Look when these items are on sale or whenever your favorite store is having a sale. Personally, I love LOFT for professional clothes, but they can be expensive. Check out if there are any outlets near you. Or even try stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx or even Ross for some great quality discounted items.

The most important advice I could give you about adulting, is to just focus on you! Don't worry about what anyone else is doing, worry about you. Also do not compare yourself to others. Of course we all know someone who seems like they're doing everything right and we can't help but feel like we're doing everything wrong. But it is important to remember that success is not always what you see and things take time. You'll get to where you want to be eventually.

On my graduation cap, I took inspiration from one of my favorite Disney movies, Tangled. It said, "Go Find Your New Dream" and if you've seen the movie, you know that Rapunzel had one dream to see the lanterns in the sky. And once she did that she went on to find a new dream. As life goes on, we grow up and become adults. Becoming an adult can be stressful, but we should never lose track of following our dreams. And once we accomplish our dreams, we should be like Rapunzel and go on and find a new dream.

Until Next Time.