Adulting 101: How to Think Outside of the Classroom

Updated on April 19, 2021

Inside & outside of the workplace, we often take for granted the most important life skills we need to become the ideal "grown-up". These skills are collectively what allow you to be good at adulting.

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Adulting is Important for Your Career

Business & nonprofit leaders report they're looking for dynamic employees with way more to offer than just book-smarts:

  • 93% say creative thinking, communication skills, & problem solving are more important than a job candidate's undergraduate major

  • 95% prioritize hiring people who will contribute to an innovative workplace

  • 95% believe it is important to demonstrate ethical integrity, intercultural skills, & a desire to continue learning

Taking "me" time during the work day is crucial to optimal performance.

Time Management: Efficiency Is the New Productivity

Time management skills are an important part of adulting. Here are some helpful tips to get you started down the path to adulting:

  • Break big projects into small parts

  • Schedule tasks like you schedule meetings to cut back on procrastination

  • Prioritize work that needs immediate attention & save less important things for later

  • Set personal deadlines to keep you focused and moving towards your goal

  • Digital detoxing helps you stay in the present

  • Leave your phone out of sight, on silent, & off your person to focus on a hard deadline

  • Less distraction allows your brain to process & store new information easier

  • DeskTime productivity app stats showed the highest performing 10% of workers take a 17 minute break away from their computer every 52 minutes

  • Control the chaos with a little R & R

  • Experiments show that telecommuters are 13% more productive than office bound colleagues

  • Allows for a more flexible work/life balance and boosts overall life satisfaction

  • Stay away from electronic devices that emit blue light before bed to fall asleep more quickly

  • Reduce stress, lower anxiety, and improve your mood with meditation

To #AdultHard you need to apply critical thinking skills beyond the 9-5 grind.

Biohacking: Maximize Your Energy & Do Everything Better (Especially Adulting)

  • Listen to your food

  • Eat clean, natural foods for a strong body & a clear mind

  • Consume foods with the right nutrients rather than counting calories

  • 100 calories of grapes > 100 calories of Twinkies

  • Avoid simple carbohydrates that make your energy crash & snack on foods that satisfy your hunger

  • Take a hike

  • Walking in the woods can improve short term memory by 20%

  • Spending 2 nights in the forest lowers stress hormones in your blood

  • Sun exposure boosts the body's Vitamin D supply which regulates over 1,000 genes that control bodily functions, e.g. immune & neuromuscular systems

  • Don't skimp on sleep

  • Sleep deprivation weakens your immune system & leaves you vulnerable to bacteria & viruses

  • Healthy sleep habits lower your risk of obesity & type 2 diabetes

  • Sleep gives you the energy to make good decisions throughout the day

Being well-rounded means thinking with your head as well as your heart.

Worldview: Challenge Yourself to Be Proactive & Resilient when Adulting

  • Practice empathy to strengthen group bonds

  • Learn the strengths & weaknesses of your colleagues to improve team efficiency

  • Focus on understanding others to increase attention span & fight distraction

  • Cultivate compassion to understand the individual causes of high/low performance levels

  • Persevere through life's ups & downs

  • Master the ability to overcome setbacks in all areas of life

  • Pivot your focus to what's going according to plan & learn to see failure as an opportunity for growth

  • Remember that nothing goes your way all the time & the glass is always half full

  • Communicate like you mean it

  • Engage with new people & turn small-talk into an artform

  • Pay attention to nonverbal cues like eye-contact & body language

  • Frame conversations to ask what you want & get what you need

Not all lessons are taught in school. Are you learning what you need to be a real-life adulting success?

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