How to Adult - What I've Learned

“How to Adult”…7 Successful Principles Based on My Life Experience

Overview:

I am going to share a few key principles that have served me well to becoming a successful adult from the time I was very young through my current life. First and foremost, being an adult is a huge responsibility which should not be taken lightly. Sometimes it means sacrifice, sometimes if means making the hard decision, sometimes it means working even when you’re tired so you can meet a deadline, but most importantly, it should always mean living a life of integrity. I believe many people do not fully understand these concepts until they have lived through trials and tribulations that shape new opinions of life. Some people get them and others don’t. But, if you’re willing to open your mind and try them, you will be surprised how much better of an adult you will be. Here are the 7 principles I live by to lead a healthy and successful adult life:

Principle 1: Work Ethic

If you want to be a successful adult you need to possess a strong work ethic. If you don’t have one or don’t understand the concept, my work ethic is simple. I go to work daily and do the best I can do, possessing and displaying the best attitude I can and I work as many fruitful hours as needed to get the job done. This doesn’t mean showing up to the job and sitting at your desk for 10 hours a day doing nothing. There are lots of people that do this but that doesn’t give them a good work ethic. Sitting at a desk without putting in work just means they are great at putting on a facade that they are hard workers. Real work ethic is my ability to get the job done and to be the reliable person that my boss and my people depend on. They know I am going to come through on a daily basis and when there are critical times I am needed.

Principle 2: Responsibility

Ahhhhh responsibility. The big word that most people think about when they think of adults. If you think of the word “responsible” and adult pops into your mind, it’s for a reason. By the time you become an adult people expect you to be responsible. This means paying your bills, taking care of people who depend on you, meeting deadlines, showing up on time, maintaining your commitments, keeping promises, keeping your word and most importantly taking ownership for your mistakes, even when it hurts. If you want to nail the adult thing, be responsible. It will not only make your life better in the long run but it will garner respect from those around you and open doors to better opportunities.

Principle 3: Integrity

What do you do when no one is looking? Do you do the right thing, make the right choices or do you tell the little white lie because you did something wrong or wanted to advance and thought no one would notice? All of these questions may come to mind, but living a life of integrity is simple…do the right thing always. If you are prone to fudging the truth, cheating or simply making the wrong decision because you don’t think you will get caught, turn your life around now. I once heard that if you can’t explain your actions on national television then you shouldn’t be doing them when no one is looking. I believe that if you truly want to live a life of integrity you make the hard decisions and do the right thing at all times. When you make a mistake own up to it. Don’t bear false witness to those around you, cheat on your taxes, cheat on your wife/husband or your responsibilities. Be an honest broker in all of your dealings, even when it’s hard and in the long run it will pay dividends. If you want some great life lessons, read the book of Proverbs.

Principle 4: Dependability

Being dependable becomes a heavy burden when you’re learning how to adult. Being dependable means that others can fully count on you to keep your word and to meet your obligations. The higher you get in the echelon of adulthood, the more people will depend on you. You will have a boss or customers that depend on you, you may have kids and a wife or husband that depend on you, you may have parents that depend on you. Bottom line, at some point people will depend on you. A simple piece of advice for being dependable is: keep your word and don’t overstretch yourself. If you can’t meet your obligations don’t obligate yourself. Once you develop a reputation as dependable, people will start coming to you for more responsibility. This is when you know you’re becoming a seasoned adult.

Principle 5: Hold Down A Job

Being an adult means being able to take care of yourself and those that depend on you. If you’re learning how to adult, you definitely need to learn the art of holding down a job. This can either be as an employed person, a self-employed person or as an investor. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you are earning your keep in the world. I have traveled extensively and one thing our country has that most don’t is the opportunity for life, liberty and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. The pursuit means you pursue it; it is not owed to you. If you’re earning your way in this world, and not depending on the government or your parents, you are well on your way to being a responsible, dependable adult.

Principle 6: Pay Your Bills

If you’re adulting you should definitely be paying your bills. Paying your bills shouldn’t even be an option in your life. When you make an agreement with a landlord, utility company, lender, etc your good name goes on that agreement. Your money should be spent in a way that maintains your integrity and dependability so that others can trust you. I always take care of financial obligations as follows.

Taxes
Bills
Tithe/Charity
Savings/Living Expenses

While I am certainly not a financial advisor, utilizing my money in this manner has lent its self to a successful way of maintaining my credibility and a comfortable lifestyle. I have always had excellent credit and always been a top 3% borrower for credit ratings. If you have never managed money before, or are looking at how to manage your money, I would encourage you to seek out a financial planner or a seasoned mentor. Future posts will also talk about financial principles that will help the everyday person. I have learned over the years how to manage and invest on my own but the basis of this principle is simple…once you make a pact with a person you owe money to, you pay them…always and on-time.

Principle 7: Faith

Whether or not you believe that Christ has died for your sins to save you, I still hope that you find these principles useful. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a loving family that brought me to church and taught me the truth that Christ Jesus died for my sins. And while none of us, including myself are perfect, the good news is that we don’t need to be to receive the saving grace of Christ. I try my best to walk with Christ daily and listen to his guidance so that I may be an example to others. I believe that a strong relationship with Christ will help you to become a successful adult. There are many great principles in the bible in both the Old and New Testament. If you want to read them for yourself you can freely search for biblical instruction on http://www.biblegateway.com.

Thanks for reading my 7 Principles on How to Adult based on my experiences in life. I hope this helps, leave comments below and share your ideas with the community.