Being an adult is knowing how to manage all by yourself.
It’s ironic that what makes adulthood appealing is the very thing that makes it just as unlikeable. The independence you are afforded as an adult can make your entire existence remarkable; and if handled badly, can make every living day a misery. The foundation of our existence is cause and effect. The effects of the things we do, or don’t do show up in our lives.
Being an adult is first and foremost, understanding that you are responsible for your life. It does not quite mean, you are on your own, but it does mean, you are in the driver’s seat. Jesus is not coming down to take the wheel because He’s already handed us a GPS device (side eye).
To be a successful adult, you must have the required knowledge to handle adulthood. So, here are a few tenets that can help you manage your life successfully.
-
You Get to Choose Your Own Path.
-
You Can’t Run Their Race, You Can Only Run Yours.
-
Decide What’s Meaningful to You.
-
Find a Way to Make Money and Live Within Your Means.
-
Be a constant Learner.
-
Be Courageous.
-
Remember to Play After Every Storm.
You Get to Choose Your Own Path:
Recently, I came across this quote by Oprah Winfrey: “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.” This, for me, sums up what “managing your life” is all about. Regardless, of your background, if you are living free, you can write your own story. I know that a lot of people are afraid to choose the kind of life they really want because of certain expectations from family, friends, and society at large. However, you can’t make all of your life decisions based on what people would say; you can never find fulfilment that way. Whether your fear is imagined or real, work towards living as wholeheartedly as you can. You start by creating a vision for your life. And then you let that vision guide you.
You Can’t Run their Race, You Can Only Run Yours:
I think about how people look down on other people because they earn more than them. This fear of being looked down upon is the reason many of us compare ourselves to others. Maybe it’s all part of our human psychology, but this fundamental truth remains: “You cannot run their race, you can only run yours.” Meanwhile, the “run” in this quote is a metaphor for hard work. So, if you want to live a good life, you have to decide that hard work is going to be a part of your life.
Decide What’s Meaningful to You:
Make your life meaningful. Whether you choose to connect to some higher purpose or not, it’s important to give your life a sense of direction. Go for things that make you happy and excited. And I’ve learned that so many things can bring us joy; be open to enjoying those things. Make room for the seemingly mundane things because “you may never know how significant a moment is until it becomes a memory.”
Find a Way to Make Money and Live Within Your Means.
Money plays such an important role in our lives. Don’t even try to downplay the value of money. Money gives you options. Or as Trevor Noah pointed out, “The richer you are, the more choices you have.” So, decide that you are going to make money whether by having a job or running a business.
To make money, you must have skills because having money is really about selling those skills to people in a marketplace. A university degree gives you both technical and soft skills you can leverage, but you can also make money as an entrepreneur. The first step to being a successful entrepreneur is knowing MOST of the skills you need to succeed in a particular line of business.
Also, whatever line of work you do, always do your best.
Be a constant Learner:
Read books. Learn something new every day. Take a free online course. Learners are leaders. Learning is important because it’s the foundation of improvement. “When you know better, you do better.” Self-reflection is also important. Always reflect on the choices you make, so that you can make better ones in the future
Be Courageous:
The key is taking action. If two roads diverged in a wood, it’s more important for you to choose one; whether it is the one less travelled or not. The world does open up for the courageous. Also, surround yourself with the right people. Your network matters.
Remember to Play After Every Storm:
After every feat or victory, have a moment of reflection. Acknowledge the fact you’ve achieved something. Pause and take that moment in because you cannot live your life always working towards the next thing. “Remember to play after every storm” has become one of the tenets for my life. I think about this quote a lot because I know that our time on earth is brief. So, it’s important to take a minute to appreciate our lives. The fact that we are alive. I found this quote from the book, Unaccustomed Earth so apt:
A human being could be alive for years and years, thinking and breathing and eating, full of a million worries and feelings and thoughts, taking up space in the world, and then, in an instant, become absent, invisible.
