What I’ve Learned in One Year of Adulthood

In the most Gen Z, 23-year-old girl way… I’ll be grabbing my oversized coffee mug, fuzzy checkered blanket, and sitting by my decked out gold Christmas tree to write to you about my first year of adulthood. 

My motto for 2023 was new beginnings. And did that motto sure live up to its name. Stay tuned for my 2024 motto at the end. Or just skip to the end if you’re interested because this is a loooong one. 

Year one in the wild world of adulthood was definitely more surviving than thriving, but I think I got the hang of a few things towards the end. It did have some great moments. 

Surviving ➡️ Thriving

Hello to the chaotic (yet exhilarating) world of adulthood, where the art of time management becomes a crucial skill. As a 23-year-old navigating the waters of responsibilities, social commitments, and self-care, finding the right balance was a challenge.

However, it's been all about mastering the delicate dance of time management. 

Now I have definitely not “mastered” the art of time management. Lord knows I could try harder. But I thought, “Why not share the good, the bad, and what has helped me through this phase with my friend, the internet?!” 

So here is what I’ve been doing in my first year of adulthood that has helped me go from surviving to (kinda) thriving. 

My Planner and How I Use It:

Buying a planner was seriously a life saver. After graduating I didn’t think I was going to need one for my personal life. I thought my calendar would do the trick, but boy was I wrong. 

After the planner, it’s time to prioritize tasks. Setting priorities before making a plan was key to my first year.

Once you decide what takes priority, start time blocking. It’s a powerful technique that not only gives you time to work on what you need to work on, but also makes your self-discipline stronger. It makes you stick to your books. The key part? Put. Your. Phone. On. Silent. If someone REALLY needs to reach you, they will find a way. Take that hour to clean your apartment. Take the hour to meal prep. Take the hour for your self-care. You deserve it. 

Speaking of that Self-Care… It’s Non-Negotiable:

Self-care isn't selfish – it's essential. It can be hard to take time for yourself when you like being the person that is others first call. But if they don't know what's going on behind your doors, it's okay to decline their call and get back to them later.

Schedule your Netflix binge sessions, splurge on a spa day, treat yourself to that fancy avocado toast. It can be even as small (and free) as reading that book you’ve been putting off, a long bath, and praying (or meditating if that’s your thing). 

Now don’t let this be an excuse for your shopping spree or your excessive naps, if you let it go wild, it will only make you feel worse. It won't be self-care anymore. 

You can’t conquer the adult world on an empty cup of coffee and no self-love. 

Learning to Say No:

This is definitely my biggest challenge. 

There will be temptation to overcommit. You don't have to say yes to every invitation or request that comes your way. It's perfectly okay to decline if it interferes with your other priorities (or if you just need some downtime.)

I’ve definitely been turning down more invitations recently for downtime. It’s been, refreshing. When I first moved, I thought keeping myself super busy would keep myself from feeling homesick. I thought that if I went out and made plans I would get to know more people (and just San Antonio altogether) quicker. 

Turns out, it’s okay to take some time for yourself to relax. (It’s also okay to “feel” your homesickness, more to come on that in a blog very soon.) 

Maintain a Work-Life Balance:

Set clear boundaries with yourself between your professional and personal life. When you're off the clock, be off the clock. Resist the urge to check emails or engage in work-related tasks. It’ll help avoid overworking and feeling burnt out. 

This was especially hard when I got my job right out of school. I was ambitious and excited, so I wanted to prove that I can take on the responsibilities. Not to say that you can’t be ambitious and excited, but you want to be careful of burnout earlyyyy into your career. Not to mention your first job.

Learn from Your Experiences:

As obvious as we think this is, everyone could use a reminder. 

Every day brings new lessons. Reflect on your experiences and adjust your approaches. If you want different outcomes, then do things differently. What worked yesterday might not work today, so stay flexible and open to change.

As strange as it seems, certainty can cause anxiety. If you have all these expectations and hard, solid timelines, imagine how hard it is when one little thing disrupts your life. You have to dig yourself out of the hole and try not to feel disappointed about yourself. 

Looking at 2024 + My Motto: 

I WISH we could learn how to adult in just one year, but that just isn’t how life works. It’ll take us, well, our whole lives to understand the best way to adult.  

Remember that it's okay to make mistakes along the way. They're valuable learning opportunities. With dedication, practice, and a dash of self-compassion, you will find your way and make the most of your adult life. 

So, take a deep breath, and embrace the adventure. 

That’s the perfect segue into my motto, my goal, my reminder, for 2024. It’s kind of a two-parter… don’t chase perfection, embrace opportunity.

Don’t chase a plan. Don’t chase a solid timeline. Don’t chase acceptance from people who you really don’t need. Don’t chase (what you think is) happiness. Embrace the mistakes you make. Embrace the big and small wins. Embrace each step you take that brings new opportunities. 

Aaaand voila. 2023 was a new beginning. 2024 will be for embracing. Embracing all that 2024 has to bring. Maybe that’s too cheesy? Eh, I don’t really care. Anyway, if you made it this far I wish you an amazing 2024. I’ll see you in the new year ✨