Adulting is the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. (Definition from Oxford languages) To me, adulting is about getting exposure to real-life challenges. It hits hard, and there is no doubt about that, whatsoever. This rude awakening of life got me too.
For some reasons, I did not go on with my degree in 2020. I had to find a way to start making money or start living. I had already begun searching during the pandemic, but it seemed more complicated like politricks. With a deprived hope, we got into another year, 2021, and I had to keep trying because you have no option. I was fortunate to land a writing gig, but the trouble does not stop there, whatsoever.
Mind you, this is a job and nothing near the assignments on campus. You have to stay glued to your gadgets for 12 hours and more and pour out your brains into the writing. More so, this is not a one-day thing; each day calls for duty similar or more to what you did the previous day. Long were the days you could sleep till mid-morning, have fun with friends at school, and watch series for a day. A series of sleepless nights, weeks without social engagement, keeping off social media was my new reality.
It was mad pressure, but I could not stop as you needed to earn a living. At times you get burnout and the thought of giving up shadows you. You slowly realize writing is much more complicated and might not be your path. To make matters worse, I could not exactly figure out what my purpose was, and for a while, I suffered an existential crisis.
On the positive side, peer pressure reduces, you get to take charge of your life slowly, and you get to learn how to maneuver. I reached a point where I had to find a way to balance my work-life, one adulting thing I am proud of. So, as you can see, you learn a lot of things. I also learned to fight for my greater good by saying no to things that do not serve me, resting when tired other than giving up, and a whole lot of treating myself better.
So, yeah, adulting is more than finances. It’s also about “character development,” a modern phrase among the young people used to describe being knocked for lacking basic life skills. It is about more responsibility, listening & guarding your emotions, emotional intelligence, taking your relationships seriously, and fighting for your greater good by allowing yourself to grow positively. In a nutshell, it is about overall growth—mentally, psychologically, spiritually. Amidst all these, treat yourself better, with some empathy.
The whole adulting thing is not always about pressure. It’s pretty interesting learning about all these things life holds and being able to walk through it. It is funny how you even sit among your friends and narrate your adulting experiences. Most of the things we learn by ourselves. It is hard at first as you are hit with these unceremonious realities, but at the end of it all, it is worth it and calls for popping a champagne.
- What is Adulting? - January 12, 2022
- 3 Ways to be More with Less in the New Year - January 5, 2022
- How to Know You are on the Right Path - October 27, 2021
