You know how someone can give you a guide or list to prepare yourself for something? This is my example of essentials to make adulting a little bit easier.

An up-to-date calendar

Whether it’s on your phone, a physical diary, a calendar on your wall or your laptop. Having an up-to-date calendar is a life changer as an adult. Obviously as a child, you didn’t really need one, because the people raising you, were managing your social commitments and life calendar. I guess in secondary school we had a diary/planner, but that was to keep an eye on homework deadlines, rather than maintain our life schedule. That official life schedule really starts at 18, whether you go to university/college or go straight into work. All of a sudden, time management is not just about prioritising work tasks, but also keeping up with health check-ups, social engagements, and general upkeep and maintenance of yourself.

Whether it be on a device or a a physical diary. Keeping track of time is necessary as an adult. Trust me, the memory becomes worse because of all the additional things we have to think about daily.

A general life routine

I know this can be interpreted as having the exact same patterns every hour of the day, but for the general life part of adulting, it’s ensuring there are basic things being attended to, with minimal thinking energy from yourself.

This is a cleaning routine, ideally weekly. You do not need to do a deep clean, but ensuring the bathroom is cleaned at least once a week, bedding is changed bi-weekly (they say do weekly, but that is overkill on my washing machine). Laundry, so you have clothes for the next week, and some vacuuming and light dusting of surfaces.

On top of the weekly routines, there are daily routines. Such as a morning routine, workout schedule. Scheduling associated to hobbies and classes you take part in, and minor clean up tasks like the dishes.

Having a general life routine will make life so much easier. Because once it becomes routine, it’s harder to forget. Like setting laundry days as Saturdays, means your brain will remember to always do it. And even if for some reason your Saturday is too busy or you’re away, your brain will remember to prioritise the laundry either on the Friday (so it’s already done) or the next available day, if it’s convenient.

Hobbies

They may seem like meaningless activities, compared to watching tv or gaming (or worse, scrolling), but hobbies are essential. I’m sure in some places you can even find hobbies that align to watching tv (movie nights) or gaming (gaming cafes). Hobbies are helpful for the social aspect of adulting, and maintain/building connections. They also get you out the house, active (in some cases) and can contribute to a sense of purpose.

There are people out there who think their sense of purpose in life is to be employed, and I’m happy for them, until the job makes them so sick, they can’t go to work. What happens then? They freak out since they have lost their purpose, and that doesn’t help their recovery either. Having a purpose unrelated to the day job is a great way to relax, and bring some decent meaning to life.

Can’t go wrong with a cheeky hike

(Actually you can, but that’s not as catchy)

A budget spreadsheet

I know it sounds awful, but budgeting doesn’t always have to be a pain. I made a post about this a couple months ago, and I do have a simple budget template, for someone who wants to be more aware of where their money is going.

Finances are a major part of adulting, so having a grasp of them or understanding, will make things a lot easier. Having a budget is a great tool to navigate turbulent times, like we are in right now. The cost of living is pretty rough, but you can see how rough it is, and plan accordingly with the budget. It doesn’t have to limit you, nor can you become a millionaire through budgeting, but you can be smarter with your money with a budget.

In Summary

I’m sure there are plenty of things that you would think are essential to your adulting life, which is very fair and true. This post was about the bare minimum an adult needs just to make life, that little bit easier.

TL;DR

There are essentials to adulting, but this post is the bare minimum stuff, to ensure your adulting journey is a little bit easier, and you can catch a break sometimes.
Have a calendar – Time keeping is not just a flex on your CV.
A general life routine – Laundry, dishes and basic cleaning never ends when you’re adult. The sooner you get that habit in you, the easier it will be to plan around it.
Hobbies – So essential to get outside, have some life purpose and connect with people. Being an adult can be very lonely, and that’s not good for any human.
A budget spreadsheet – keeping an eye on those finances, will take a lot of the mental stress caused by money away, and wouldn’t that make adulting that little bit easier? (Check out this post for my Simple Budget template, which is free)

Essentials to help make navigating adulting easier