From College to the Office: A Perspective on Adulting
It’s been three months since I graduated college and moved 2,000 miles away to begin my first job. Excitement outweighed nervousness, but the inevitable change brought discomfort. Far from the people I love and a world comfortably navigated, I ventured into a new season of life popularly referred to as “adulting.” Here is what I’ve learned so far:
Don’t be afraid to connect with new people.
AT&T recently saw a spike in my phone usage. More calls home, texts shared, and feeds scrolled. I longed for community that didn’t exist in my new home, so I leaned on relationships already built. Staying in touch with people who I know, and who know me, is important. But in a new place, it can’t be everything.
Building a new community in your new home is important. But how do you do that?
Join company sports teams, church groups, a local professional organization for your industry, or your local alumni chapter
Search online for communities in your area doing things you like to do. Facebook and Meetup are good starting points
Ask for an introduction to your friends’ friends— they are some of the easiest people to quickly become comfortable with
Be patient— new friendships don’t form overnight
Prepare for the roads ahead.
As young professionals, in all likelihood, we have a 40+ year career ahead of us. I don’t know about you, but as I get older, life seems to get more and more complicated. But it’s all relative. Juggling a new job, making friends, and taking care of myself pales in comparison to when the wedding bells ring, the babies cry, or when the boss gives you bad news about your job.
So while life is still relatively simple, I’m aiming to continually prepare myself for the road ahead. This is what I’m doing:
Reading something at least 30 minutes everyday (mostly books and online articles)
Building healthy personal habits (moving my body, going to bed on time, budgeting my finances for the long-term, and getting involved at church)
Purposefully spending my time. Example: I don’t have a TV right now so that I spend my time intentionally. I’m aiming to spend time doing things that I value most (long-term goals) over things I want now (TV)
Enjoy this season now instead of longing for what’s passed or what’s next.
To be content is to want what you already have. In our season of life, it can be difficult to be content. You long for days gone by, but hope for the days to come. But what ever happened to being content with today?
I figure it’s mostly an attitude switch we must make— instead of being a victim of life’s circumstances, become a champion of life’s opportunities. What can you champion?
Champion your relationship status. Single, married, or somewhere in between, your relationship status shouldn't ever hinder who you are; it should only enable you to grow. Single? Focus on becoming the person that your future significant other wants to be with. Dating? Enjoy the simplicity and excitement of falling in love, but be sure to focus on preparing for the long-term. Married? Choose to to love (action) your spouse even when the love (feeling) lessens; you’ll grow immensely from this choice.
Champion your city. Who knows how long you’ll be in your city? You might be moving again soon. So while you’re here, make the most of your city. Try new restaurants, become a fan of the local sports teams, and just become a tourist in your own city. You never know how long you’ll be in one place, so maximize the time you have while you have it. Netflix can wait.
Champion your work. When asked about how to have a successful career, my grandfather likes to say, “Work hard and keep your nose clean.” In other words, be the best at what you do and don’t get caught up in shenanigans— good things are sure to follow.
Champion yourself. With so many destructive temptations and distractions, we must learn to lead ourselves well before we are entrusted with leading families and companies. Good choices we make today aren’t always fun, but they certainly give us the most long-term value.
Work insanely hard.
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t work my booty off for a degree and then move that booty to a new city only to be okay at what I do. With energy, drive, and big dreams for the future, now is the time to put in the work. The only time to slack is when you’re messaging people (although you should really check out Zoom). If we put in the work now, it will pay dividends in the future. Tips on how to work insanely hard?
Be the first in and last out; put in the time
Connect with the winners, and pick their brains; practice their best practices
Choose your attitude when things don’t go your way; be a thermostat, not a thermometer
Have some grit
When all else fails, fake it ‘till you make it
The bottom line: While transitionary, this is a season of life to be enjoyed. If we purposefully spend our time and focus on what’s truly important, adulting won’t be so bad after all.
