Adulting is hard; the big ‘real’ world is scary. Not knowing what you want to with your future is totally ok though! But while you’re finding your way, you can still take a few steps to help better prepare for the inevitable time when you do get that ‘big person’ job!
Wear real clothes.
It can be so easy to wear sweat pants and sweatshirts to class every day– trust me. I am rarely caught in anything besides a T-shirt, leggings and the same Converse. However, getting yourself used to dressing up even once a week, not only will help you become more creative and get in a professional mind set when it comes to dressing for the day, but it will probably help you achieve more through out your day-dress for success. I mean it worked for Blair Waldorf– girl got her shit done!
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Be everywhere 10 minutes early.
This is a great habit to get into especially for when you get that big J-O-B! This gives you the opportunity to make a great first impression, but also to prepare for things that come up unexpected; such as traffic or even spilling your coffee all over you. At the very least, it will give the opportunity to be less rushed and more relaxed for whatever tasks lie ahead!
Read the paper at least once a day (or AT LEAST a week).
Alright dad, you were right on this one. Especially after working in the real world for a summer as a political technologies intern, I saw how important it was to actually know what is going on. Sure, some people will find your small talk on The Bachelorette entertaining, however being able to talk about intellectual topics and current events will go a long way. Subscribe to a news magazine or even get them daily in your inbox with Skimm (my personal fave). Everything is actually concise and they tell you exactly what you need to know!
Make one new dish a week, challenge yourself!
There are a few staples that everyone should know how to make; cereal doesn’t count. At some point living by takeout meal will not only become boring but expensive both with your wallet and probably your waste line. Learn how to make a few simple dishes, chicken is always super easy, and how to even just steam some vegetables. Hint: seasonings go a long way to make the same thing taste different every time you make it!
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Don’t sleep until noon every Saturday.
Ahhh the weekends, usually used for cyclical recovering from the week and the night before, and getting in that beauty rest to be able to do the night out all over again. You don’t have to sacrifice your nights out, but try to get yourself out of bed a little earlier. It will help you get more out of day and at the very least, even if you end up accomplishing very little, it will probably make you feel less terrible about any poor decision from the night before.
Make your bed every morning.
I feel very hypocritical about this one because I never do it (but really should). At the very least, you have started your day with a completed task– which is pretty great way to start your day! Also it will make your room less chaotic and cluttered, in turn making it is easier for you to focus.
Find a hobby that is really just for you.
Don’t make it career centered, or just binge watching Netflix, but something that you can look forward to as a break from work life but gets you moving and out there, maybe even meeting new people. It can be knitting, skiing or even reading to the elderly. Find something that you genuinely enjoy that helps you remember the simple pleasures in life.
Clean Up Your Email & Social Media.
The one tip that every school counselor and your mom and dad has told you over and over, but they’re right. Get rid of all the old emails. Unsubscribe from all the clothing sites and pop culture that you signed up for in high school. It is only more clutter in your life and will overwhelm you when you start to get important emails that you cant find in that mess of distracting ones! Also, the big social media cleanup. It is unrealistic to get rid of pieces of your personality that you have shared online, because after all that kind of defeats the purpose of it. But maybe get rid of the pics of you doing keg stands?