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The problem with adulting: How to be better at life.

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  • How do you not have debt?
  • How do you workout everyday?
  • How do you eat healthy?
  • How do you take care of your skin?
  • How are you always dressed so nicely?
  • Why don’t you have an addiction?
  • Why do you not drink?
  • How do you get up so early?
  • How do you get enough sleep? 

These are all questions I receive regularly when I go out and meet new people, or catch up with old friends. People do not have standards anymore and are easily defeated at things that should be simple. All of these questions are about simple things, though they are not easy.

How do I know? Because people don’t do them. Nobody said everything is supposed to make you feel good. You’re not supposed to be happy and ‘on’ all the time. That by definition is psychotic. Life is not supposed to be easy. Stay until the very end. Give this a like so more people can shape up. Smash that like button & subscribe – it’s totally free. 

  • How do you not have debt? I don’t spend on frivolous things and save.
  • How do you workout everyday? I wake up and run until my body hurts.
  • How do you eat healthy? I go to the market, buy cheap vegetables and shove them in my face. 
  • How do you take care of your skin? I sleep, eat, wash, and exercise well. 
  • How are you always dressed so nicely? I put on clean clothes.
  • Why don’t you have an addiction? I have a strong mind and do things in moderation.
  • Why do you not drink? It ages, dehydrates, and depresses you. 
  • How do you get up so early? I set my bodily alarm and get up no matter what. 
  • How do you get enough sleep? I work out and eat right to make sure I get enough sleep.

Things are simple if you make them. I’ll get into more on how to simplify your life. People always ask, ‘how do you do this?’ I simply do it. 

You should be a master of who you are and everything you touch, because this is the only control you have in your life. You can control what you eat. You can control how well you are dressed. You can control how much you spend, how to react to others, when and how to work out, and how consistent you are. Yet people don’t do this and millennials even created a word for this: adulting. 

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This word is noncommittal, weak, lazy, and frivolous. Pretty much everything to describe Western culture today. People are so casual, letting things slide all the time. There are no standards. Everything is a spectrum, because nobody has the backbone to stand up for something. People say, ‘Oh just this once’ or ‘It’s only a few dollars.’ Next thing you know you’re drowning in debt and you never show up on time. Being ten minutes late turns to being 20 minutes late. Stop being so comfortable and make something of yourself. 

People don’t have standards these days, because they don’t want to commit to something. Coming home later and later from work eventually turns into not even seeing your family in the evening. Did you know that the average American spends 37 minutes a day with their loved ones? That’s insane. People do not have their lives together. 

Paying your bills on time. Working out everyday. Putting clean clothes on. Making sure you and your family eat fresh food is not hard to do. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Getting a head of lettuce is really cheap. Wash it, cut it. Eat it. You can even put some olive oil and pepper. Nothing crazy. Also, the more imperfect things are, the better, because you have a fun story and memory. 

 
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You’re supposed to do all these things. It shouldn’t be a thing called adulting. You’re expected to do these things as you would breathing in any other generation before Gen Y. 

Here’s how to fix all this and make your life easier, because I’m not just going to sit here and rant. 

  • Create a lifestyle full of small habits that make your life better. 
  • Make these things attractive & easy to do. 
  • Actually do these things. 

I’m going to divulge how to do all of this with different examples. This way you are organised and keep it simple. 

Creating a lifestyle of small habits is easy. I need to put that into your head first, so you know you can do it. When you have goals, no matter how small, you feel accomplished when you reach them. Create a to do list of things you want to make better in your life. This is a form of a habit tracker. It’s more about the journey this way breaking your lifestyle down to check a box off each day. Visually it’s stunning, so it makes you not want to miss a day. 

For instance, if you want to dress better, have your outfit planned and ready for the next day. If you want to eat healthier, make a list of things you want to eat, get that grocery list, and meal prep those items for the next few days. If you want to have better posture, the moment you find yourself slouching, correct yourself in real time. You want to save money, put a little bit away each day. It adds up and makes a big difference in your life in an emergency when you need it. Want to be kinder? Say please and thank you more. Smile more. Speak softly. Want to be stronger? Lift the biggest weight you can carry. Life is in the details. Everything is practice little by little. 

the problem with adulting

Next, make these things easy and attractive to do. The more you practice, the easier it becomes. For example, if you want to work out more, get cute workout gear and clothes. I have a really comfortable yoga mat linked below, with bala bangle weights in some of my favourite colours, stylish workout outfits, a playlist or audiobook ready, and even a pink treadmill. This way it makes my home gym more my personality and feels like it’s tailored to me. It says I am the one who has control over these things. 

I also have a weekly planner that is cute and makes me want to check things off. I have the a designer coffee maker I can find so I want to host everyone and make coffee every morning and get up early to serve my family coffees. I style my home office to be as efficient as possible by having the things I need for the day ready to go with the apps on my desktop front and centre in my focal point of view when I sit down, my to do list and supplies I need within reach, and easily get to work at my most productive. 

The final thing is to actually do these things. You can have all this knowledge in the world, but do nothing with it, you might as well not have this knowledge. I know someone who has a really high graduate degree, but he plays video games all day and constantly asks his dad for money instead of getting a job or making something of himself. He doesn’t even live at home and his apartment is paid for. 

the problem with adulting

It’s so easy to fall into a trap of not doing anything that helps you grow, but you’ll feel so good when you do them. Remember that feeling. Take photos or videos of your progress each day. It compounds and adds up. 

I’m going to give you a bonus one: STOP MAKING EXCUSES. People are always full of them. I’ve been told so many times that, ‘Gia, you’re too harsh.’ I’m not too harsh. You’re too soft. There is a time to be soft, and having high expectations of yourself, because you know you can do better is not the time to bend and make excuses for why you are not doing your best. 

You should be good at everything you touch, giving all of your effort all the time, because you are worth it. You should be able to look back and know you gave it your all. You do not want to have regrets. You do not want to wonder how great your life could have been. You want to be conscientious. Why would you not give yourself the chance to live a better life? You have that in your control if you actually tried. 

Note that my skin isn’t perfect. My workout schedule isn’t as consistent as I wish it was. My home is as organised as I desire it to be. Nothing is going to be impeccable all the time, but striving for a better version of what you have where you can control your situation is the most powerful thing you can do to say you gave life your all.

Thank you so much for taking time to read the end of this post. I hope you find some inspiration in this and feel free to share with your friends as a free way to help my blog grow. Your support is endlessly appreciated. 

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Gia G. Dixon
Gia G. Dixon

I’m Gia G. Dixon, an etiquette consultant certified under Royal Charter of King Charles III. Here is my guide to elegant style, high quality living, and little things that make your daily life glamorous.

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