As we grow, our lives are constantly evolving, and the transition to adulthood is an especially big jump.
Gaining independence can be scary but beautiful. There will be many changes in the different aspects of your life that you will have to deal with: your social circle, relationships, financial management, schedules, etc.
Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, here’s how you can prepare for it!
Set your life goals
Goal-setting is extremely important as you decide on what’s important to you and what you want to achieve in life. Many make the mistake of just going with the flow and will reach a point where they feel directionless.
By now, you should have a rough idea of what you want in life. Do you want to travel the world? Do you want to lead a simple life with pets? Or are you a family person with family goals?
With your life goals in mind, you can work towards them with stronger motivation. Consider what steps you need to take to reach your goals. What are your saving goals?
Plan out your career
Since you now have an idea of what you want in life, figure out the steps to achieve it. What kind of job will you pursue?
Different people have different priorities when it comes to their careers.
Here are some of the considerations that people have:
- Salary
- Hierarchy
- Supportive working environment/colleagues
- Working with a team/alone
- Doing what they love
- Promotion/getting recognised for their work
- Work-life balance
- Regular/flexible working hours
Which of these do you prioritise in your dream job? Do you have the means to sustain in the job you want?
Manage your time
As you become an adult, you will realise that time is extremely limited and precious. You have so many more commitments to attend to and tasks that you want to accomplish, but the same, little amount of time everyday.
You will then need to strategise and decide what you want to invest your time in. Are you going to spend your rest day playing games? Or are you going to take an online course to learn how to be better at your dream job?
Allocate more time on what matters to you and cut down on things that will not benefit you. However, rest, leisure and spending quality time with your loved ones are important, and you should not cut them out completely.
Rather, reduce the time that you spend idling. Make use of more time to accomplish productive tasks that can lead you to your goals.
Network
A lot of people gain their successes not because of the grades that they achieved in school, but mostly because of their social skills.
Having a wide social circle can provide you with many potential opportunities. Especially in our ‘Little Red Dot’ Singapore, you could easily get linked up. You will never know when your friend can provide you with your dream job opportunity.
To get to know more people, attend more events, work more and volunteer more. If you’re still in school, joining CCAs is a great way to make friends outside of your existing circle.
Manage your finances
As you begin on your journey to financial independence, you will need to take charge of your own money.
Having financial stability is important as it is usually the most crucial aspect in achieving your goals.
There are many ways that you can work towards earning more money: part-time jobs, side hustles, running your own small business, investing, etc.
But don’t forget that when you earn, you also need to learn to save.
Firstly, account for the commitments that you need to pay for e.g. bills, fees, allowance for your parents, etc. Then, set aside savings for rainy days and emergencies, and finally, decide on how much you can spend on treating yourself e.g. shopping, good food, etc.
Saving is important if you don’t want to find yourself stuck in a dire situation in future!
Conclusion
Change is inevitable in life. Adulting might be a confusing phase coupled with feelings of insecurity, but it is a phase that everyone has to go through.
As long as you have plans and are careful about the decisions that you make, you’ll do fine!
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