I’ve been through a lot in my young adult life, from not getting into my first-choice college to fighting off health problems to losing weight and training for a marathon. In that time, I’ve learned so many lessons that everyone in this generation needs to hear. If you’re part of Gen Y or Gen Z, here are five things you should remember about “adulting:”
1. Life will kick your butt.
Adult life can be rough, so prepare yourself to face adversity. When you inevitably face hard times, don’t make excuses. Instead, when life pushes against you, hang on, and fight through it. . If life knocks you down, don’t feel sorry for yourself; just get back up and try again. You’re resilient, and in time, you’ll recognize it.
2. The world doesn’t owe you anything.
I know that this is a tired trope, but it’s true. Sadly, many people in our generation think that life owes them everything that they want. But the truth is that if you spend your life expecting good things to fall into your lap, then your life will disappoint you. If you want to lose weight, plan an exercise regimen, diet, and get moving. If you want to buy a house, find a job that will pay you enough to afford it, and save your money. And if you want to find someone special, ask out that person you like! Life will get the ball rolling, but it’s your responsibility to keep it rolling.
3. Clean your room (literally and figuratively!)
Clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson claims that we often want to change the world so badly that we forget to “clean our own rooms first.” Whether this means practicing self-care before you help others or literally vacuuming your room, find a way to put your needs first. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t worry about what’s going on around you, though. Instead, it involves paying attention to your own needs so that you can make bigger changes. So what’s stopping you? Get to cleaning!
4. Aim high.
It’s often better to aim high and come up a little short of your goals than to set extremely low expectations and meet those but not achieve what you really want. If you aim higher than you think you’ll achieve but are unable to achieve your goal, chances are that you still achieved something more. If you don’t carry this mindset through life, you might end up accomplishing very little. So shoot for the stars – it’ll motivate you to carry the torch further!
5. It’s OK not to have all of the answers.
Even though we think that we have all of the answers to life’s burning questions, the world is a complex thing. It is more than OK to accept that you don’t know something than to lie or fake your knowledge. Life is so much better when you take on an attitude of curiosity and discovery instead of clinging to your pride. They say that”A good pilot is always learning,” but no matter your aspirations, keep these wise words in mind.
Being an adult is hard, but this advice should make it a little bit easier. Remember to keep your eye on the prize, but still enjoy life’s simple pleasures. You are in control of the rest of your life and you can make it whatever you want it to be!
Photo by Yanapi Senaud on Unsplash
