“It is these small discoveries and decisions that, in the end, allow you to behave like an adult. It’s developing those good habits; it’s having toast with peanut butter instead of cigarettes for breakfast. It’s not always, or even usually, fun,” Kelly Williams Brown writes in Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps. “But it has perks—personal pride, financial security, and the feeling of accomplishment and control that comes when you just swap in a new toilet paper roll rather than resorting to fast-food napkins.”
Step 10: Be OK with being alone.
You will be with yourself for the rest of your life, so you’d best learn to enjoy your own company.
Step 33: Make your bed, every morning.
It’s worth it, because then no matter what, there is a small, tiny space in the world that you know is orderly… a small testament to control over your universe.
Step 97: Act like you’ve been there before.
Whatever the event or situation, act as though you’ve been there before, not like a small and excitable country mouse. If you act like you belong, people will think you most certainly do.
Step 117: Imagine rude people as jellyfish.
Jellyfish do not respond to reason, they usually don’t respond to kindness, and they will always show up to ruin a fun party if possible. Therefore, your strategy is threefold: Avoid, neutralize, and, in rare circumstances, poke with a stick.
Step 166: Develop a good meeting face.
Meeting face is a curious, interested, yet neutral expression.
Step 195: Ignoring money issues won’t make them go away.
In fact, the opposite will happen.
Step 238: Do not skip oil changes.
This is the very best thing you can do to ensure your car has a long, happy car life…. This counts as something that is worth spending money on.
