How to Adult: The Easy(ish) Upsized Way
Are you fresh out of college and you’re wondering how you’ll handle the pressure of keeping up with the demands of the adult world. Or are you on your way up the corporate ladder and still in the midst of figuring things out? Or maybe you're just a girl who can't seem to figure out "how to adult"?
In trudging the fun, but sometimes unhelpful terrain of adults, we tend to forget that it’s okay not to have everything figured out.
Wherever you are at this point, we girls have to stick together. We have some tips to dish out when it comes to maintaining that glitz and unruffled personality you are close to pulling off.
COMPROMISE
You did not get your dream job. You still haven’t saved enough to travel abroad and put #travelgoals to use. You’re crushing hard on someone and he doesn’t even know you exist. These are just some of the problems you think encapsulate your daily life. You’ve been usually told not to settle, and we wholeheartedly agree.
Sometimes, however, we have to pause and do things that we haven’t dreamed of, but might just lead us to what we want. Love, they say, is not something one should ever compromise on, but how do we know that our dream guy is someone worth spending time? What if we are someone else’s dream woman (cause sure you are)? What if this shitty job isn't actually so shitty at all and actually becomes your stepping stone to a better opportunity because of all the things you learn from it? That’s one of the best things about compromise.
We get to explore. We get to find out more about ourselves and what we truly want. And most importantly, the right amount of compromise prepares you for the more wonderful things coming your way.
COMPARTMENTALIZE
Be it literal or figurative.
You think your officemate hates you. There’s this odd feeling you have that your girl friends don't like your guy. You can’t find the right outfit, because you haven’t fixed your closet. If you’re getting really serious about adulting, then compartmentalization is the key.
Do not let personal relationships interfere with your job or professional growth or the other way around. Overlap between your personal relationships are okay if the parties concerned are great with each other, but if not, then you might have to make an effort wherein the situation won’t be overwhelming for the people concerned. Also try your luck in cleaning up your stuff - you might find treasures under that mess.
CONFIDENCE AND CONTENTMENT
Whether you’ve got a cool job, or you’re about to, emanate self-confidence. Whether you’ve got the best boyfriend in the world, or you’re rocking the single life, grab contentment. It’s not always about being in an ideal place, sometimes, it’s about having an ideal mindset. This sage advice put it the best. “Fake it, till you make it.”
At this point in your life, always welcome opportunity in and be confident in taking leaps of faith. If you find yourself unable to accomplish a certain task after accepting a big opportunity, don't fret. Trust that you're a fast-learner who can always figure things out.
But at the same time, take things one step at a time. Just because your news feed is full of your friends doing a lot of travel or getting engaged doesn't mean you should too. Their path is different from yours. Focus on yourself and just do you.
COMPOSE Yourself
In case things are not working out, and you feel that everything is falling apart, being calm helps you deal with the aftermath. A clear head is the best asset in a problem-ridden situation. After all, worries have a way of easing out of our lives when we do not freak out or bury our head in the sand.
Never act on impulse and let your emotions take over your decision making. Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed over a new experience and that's okay. Take a step back, breathe, then face the challenge head on. Failures are part of "adulting". Embrace it. You'll have more of it along the way and hopefully good ones which you can take a lesson from.
In trudging the fun, but sometimes unhelpful terrain of adulthood, we tend to forget that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. Love hurts. Careers fluctuate. Personal relationships end. Life is messy - but these are what usually the things that make life not boring.
*Post photo from hercampus.com
