In your 20's, you are out of the house and in college, or you're out of college and living on your own. You take on a whole new role of responsibilities and the world is at your fingertips. You don’t have anyone feeding you or doing your laundry. You don’t have anyone reminding you do clean your room or wash your dishes. Your mom isn’t there to tell you your hair looks greasy, and your dad isn’t there to unclog the drain full of your hair. You are 20-something, and you can do this!
1. Cook at least three meals that you can live on.
When you are 20-something, you should be able to supply your own stomach with food. You should be able to cook one meal for breakfast, one meal for lunch and one for dinner. It can be as simple as eggs and toast, a sandwich, something with more fruits / vegetables and protein for dinner.
2. Do your own laundry.
This includes washing it, drying it, folding it and putting it away. Your laundry should not be piling up in a corner because you aren’t washing it. You should not be able to use the fact that you have no clean clothes as an excuse not to go to class because I can bet you that if someone invites you out, then those clothes are being washed. You are on your own, you are a young adult -- do your own dang laundry.
3. Be able to manage your time properly.
You shouldn’t need your mom there to tell you that you need to leave 10 minutes early to get to class on time or that if you try to drive in five o’clock traffic, then you will be sitting in your car for a very long time. You shouldn’t need your mother telling you to do your homework and not watch five episodes of Netflix before you even open your books. You have been living in your body for 20-something years now, so be responsible enough to understand your learning styles.
4. Understand proper hygiene.
Hygiene is different for everyone. For some people, they can go three days without showering and their hair can still be flawless. For others, they can’t go three hours without their hair turning greasy. You should understand your body and the way it works to understand when you need to shower. And if you are active, then shower after every workout.
5. Pick your own friends.
You aren’t in high school anymore. No one cares who has the best purse or which guy can through the football the furthest. You are now at the stage in your life where popularity does not exist, so pick people you like to be around. People who aren’t going to talk crap about you behind your back. These are your friends -- the people who will be in your wedding and the people who will share some of your greatest years with you.
6. Clean your own house.
This includes your room, the kitchen, the living room and the bathroom -- all of the house. You don’t want to have people over and they think you are a disgusting pig who lives in their own stench. This means making your bed or at least not having your comforter off your bed, pulling the hair out of the drain when your shower won’t drain, washing your own dishes, fixing the pillows on the couch. You need to keep a proper house because when you grow up and start a family, it only gets harder.
7. Be able to grocery shop.
This kind of goes with number one, but it is something so much more. You should not be starving, you should be able to offer people food when they come over. You should be able to understand when lettuce goes bad or how to keep bread for over a month. There are simple tricks of the trade that go along with being an adult, so you should be learning these.
8. Have at least one trade you are good at.
It can be something as simple as babysitting or fixing steps. But you need to have a back-up plan to make money if something goes south. A simple way to keep food in the fridge and the electricity on.
9. Manage a budget.
You should be able to create and follow your budget. You know how much you spend on food, utilities and rent. You should not be buying a whole new closet and then not being able to feed yourself. Your rent, utilities and food are the three most important things. These should be your top priority.
10. Be happy with yourself.
You are finally on your own. You don’t have teachers, parents or other students telling you what to do. You are making decisions for yourself. You are strong, independent and have no one to blame but yourself. Yes, there are still people who are in charge of you like your boss and your landlord, but you should be happy with who you are and what you are doing with your life.
