1. Do the dishes... regularly.
I thought about posting a picture of my sink, but I admit I am too ashamed. After a long day at work I usually come home and immediately have to think about cooking dinner, and by the time I'm finished with that it is after 7:00 and I just want to watch Netflix and go to bed early. Doing the dishes is just so much work when you don't have a dishwasher, and it takes away from time that could be better spent watching Mad Men. But being an adult is about being responsible, and that means cleaning your house so it doesn't get infested with bugs and other creatures. So I try to do my dishes every couple of days (before it gets too bad) and I do a deep clean of my small house (as in vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc.) every week or so. Yay, I'm a little bit more grown-up now!
2. Try new things.
After moving halfway across the country, I think I've got this one covered.
But really, being an adult is definitely about putting yourself outside your comfort zone, even if it is just for something small. For example, the CEO of my organization made an antipesti dish for an event we had. It consisted of tomatoes (actual ones, not just sauce), and some green stuff and white saucey stuff and other stuff, all on a cracker. Let's face it, I tried it mostly because I didn't want to say no to my CEO, but I actually did like it (don't tell my mom!).
I think my biggest "new thing" is coffee. I drank coffee occasionally in my life before Wyoming, but there is something about working 40 hours a week that just makes it a necessity. So I finally broke down and bought a coffee maker and now drink it often. Crazy!
3. Budget.
This tip is actually very serious, and it is something I wish I had spent more time on before I jumped into this grown-up world. Having lived in the residence halls all through college, I never paid rent and utilities. I paid one fee each term and that covered everything. I have been fortunate enough for my parents to pay for my cell phone and car insurance, so I really had never had bills before moving out here. Now I pay for rent, gas and electric, internet and part of my cell phone, as well as groceries, gas, etc. Since I get paid at poverty level, it was very necessary for me to learn to budget myself, especially if I want to have enough money to buy a plane ticket home for Christmas. Honestly, I would be quite happy living in a world where money doesn't matter. Unfortunately, life is a little expensive, especially for grown-ups, so budgeting must be done.
4. Set aside time for personal reflection.
Notice I did not say "alone time." At least for me, alone time is time when I am not physically in the presence of another human but I might be online or watching TV or doing something that just involves me being alone. Instead I say reflection. Whether it is in the form of yoga or meditation or going for a walk or just sitting in silence with your eyes closed while calming incense burns, all adults should talk time to just think without distraction. It should be a time to forget about anxiety, let all your stress leave you, and just sit and reflect. Think some positive thoughts every day. I personally try to force myself to wake up early and take time to do this before I start my morning. Reflection can help you stop worrying and be happy, which is exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up.
5. Never grow up.
It seems contradicting, but my last lesson for becoming an adult is to never grow up. My mom always says the number one rule for any activity is to have fun. So have fun! Stay youthful, stay energetic, stay excited. I think this comic from xkcd.com sums it up:
So there you have it. Be responsible, drink coffee, pay bills, meditate and always have fun, and you can be a grown-up, just like me.
