Transition to Adulthood has its charm. As a young adult, you tend to experience newer things within and around you. From a change in height to a change in your appearance, you get into the most exciting yet most challenging phase of your life. It is exciting because you have energy and you are youthful, Challenging because this is the time when you have to deal with academics, your career, your love life and a lot more. This becomes even more difficult for young adults because they hardly have the experience to tackle such situations as they have never been in such situations.
This phase needs proper guidance from someone who has learned from the transition. Consider me to be that guide for you, and read this article till the end to know how to Navigate the Transition to Adulthood.
Challenges
Identity Crisis
Many young men struggle with defining who they are, and in knowing their true identity during the transition. Hence, they start imitating different personalities with the hope that they will eventually find themselves in the process. Little did they know that finding oneself requires one to go the extra distance, exploring the newer dimensions of life.
On top of that, there is tremendous societal pressure on young men regarding their careers, relationships, bank balance, and everything that defines one’s status. They have pressure to perform in every aspect of life(and that is acceptable since they have to grow to become stronger and better). This leads to many internal battles that a young man fights which no one knows about. Especially in the era of the Internet and Social Media, where a young man sees everyone’s so-called best moments and feels everyone but he is happy, and this leads to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Remember one thing, Nobody is posting their failures.
Educational and Career Choices
You might have watched certain YouTube videos and read certain blogs regarding how less important the current structure of education is. What opinions do you have about today’s educational institutes can be a great topic of discussion, but firstly, we must accept the fact that the education which is imparted in today’s schools and colleges is running the world we are living in. Can it be improved and enhanced for a better, more efficient and productive learning environment? DEFINITELY. Is it useless? And can some stupid courses promoted by some stupid people replace the basic structure of the education system? NO. NOT AT ALL.
Education plays an important role in our lives. Here’s an article by Forbes which talks about the median lifetime earnings of people by the level of their education: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/10/11/new-study-college-degree-carries-big-earnings-premium-but-other-factors-matter-too/?sh=28101e5935cd
Those with a higher education level have better prospects of making a good earning than those with a lower level of education. So every young person reading this, listen, getting a college degree is not useless provided you know how to improve yourself and learn.
Moreover, choose the path which fulfils your sense of purpose. Although at this transition you might not know which path are you supposed to go, that’s fine. You have all of the directions open, you can choose anything. But know one thing your path might change with time when you grow further and realize that the journey you started with a goal in your mind is leading you towards a new goal, a new purpose which was hidden all this while. So, the idea is to be in the moment and give your best if you have to choose a certain path because of peer pressure or because there is no other way. Your new paths will open up once you unlock your newer dimensions of life, which can happen if you challenge your limits, explore your desires and stick to a good routine.
Otherwise, getting into a wrong path will deviate you from your actual purpose, and your path and make your life worse. Choose wisely, and once chosen, don’t look back. Take the decision and then make it right.
Financial Independence
This is one of the most important aspects of adulthood. One needs to ensure that one has enough resources to sustain. This is going to be the newfound responsibility of managing finances which you must take to secure your future as well as your family’s future. But to attain Financial Independence you must have Financial Literacy(which many people lack by the way). You need to learn to budget your money, it will create a habit of spending within limits and help you control your unnecessary expenditure. Learn to save your money so that you add up more money in your account(or in your piggy bank, whatever you prefer 😉) and have it whenever you need it. Implement long-term financial discipline.
Relationship Dynamics
What can feel better than having healthy relationships with everyone around you and watching everyone being happy? This is something that everyone craves, even the richest and most powerful people on the planet(of course if they have good intentions).
But there is the catch, you may not have good relations with everyone you meet and that’s fine. You don’t have to make friends with everyone you come across, learn to differentiate between people who are worthy and unworthy of your attention, friendship and relationship. Not everyone has good intentions, so have ‘Alerted Trust’ on people you meet in your college, your office, in public places or anywhere else.
You may notice that many people whom you consider your friends, have turned out to be people you can’t even identify, people who have forgotten you out of the blue, and those who were there only to fulfil their selfish motives. Similarly, you’ll see some of your friends who remember each and everything(even if they don’t, they still are your good friends and value your presence). So a piece of advice from my end would be, to choose your friends wisely and don’t hang out with the wrong people who may spoil you in ways you can’t even imagine(you can acquire bad habits, addictions, and whatnot if you are not vigilant). Think, Analyze, and then Act. Don’t do stupid things just because your so-called friends want you to do and if they judge you or make fun of you because you didn’t do ‘that’ stupid thing, you know what you need to do…Leave them.
Talking about your romantic relationship, when you are transitioning from teenage to adulthood, you don’t know what you want in a relationship(in most cases), mostly young guys just look for ‘Appearance’ and ‘Outside Beauty’, they fail to look for qualities beyond physical and that’s the biggest mistake they make in choosing their partner. I believe in the saying, “You attract what you are”. It’s time you also start believing in this statement. First Build your character before choosing your partner because if you don’t you’ll only look for the type of person that you are. Of course, physical attraction has its place but that alone should not be the deciding factor, you must also look for what else she brings to the table.
Relationships also include boundaries, and you must create your own(especially in a romantic relationship). There must be Principles, Morals and some set of Rules to create a healthy connection. Without communication, there is no relationship. Without respect, there is no love. Without trust, there is no reason to continue.
Mental Health Struggles
You’ll notice that you repeatedly worry about your future, you stay anxious and feel low at times because you always think you could do better. This is a normal feeling that many get during the transition as they start getting aware of themselves and their surroundings. You start observing that you can do what that other guy is doing and thriving, and then you see someone else doing something else which is also well within your capability, this makes you worry more, and question your worth and whatnot. LISTEN TO ME. You need not worry. It’s normal. There will be people who will achieve success before you as well as after you. You just need to focus on your lane, I know it is difficult especially when people around you seem to doing better than you. Fine, let them live(or post their so-called ‘cool’ life on social media) their lives, and you focus on your own. You can get help from professionals to support you and counsel you if you need it. Don’t shy away from any sort of help concerning your mental health.
Your mental health will improve when you feed your brain with the right thoughts, content, and zeal to move forward. Moreover, you need to start doing things, increase your physical movements, and add a fitness routine to your daily life, it helps immensely. Who told you that things will be easy? Why do you even expect things to be easy when you can make yourself strong enough to face the difficulties? Life is not meant to be wasted sitting down and whining about your situation, STAND UP AND FIGHT.
Opportunities
Self-Discovery
See this phase of transition as an opportunity for self-discovery. There is a lot to be unlocked in you and you can do that only by experiencing life and by struggling. You can choose your desired path and experience how far you can go. You can choose to go the cutting edge of anything to experience what a Human Body is capable of. Self-discovery comes from Struggles. Struggles make you better.
Setting Goals
Setting short-term and long-term goals is important. Long-term goals give you the direction and short-term goals give you the magnitude. Your long-term goals set the vision for you meanwhile your short-term goals are like milestones that keep you on track without losing focus, energy or even motivation. Set your Long Term Goals, and write down the ways of achieving them. Write down your Short Term Goals that will help you stay on track and get you to your desired destination. Live a Goal-oriented life.
Building Resilience
Do you know how Resilience is built? How do you become Tougher? The answer lies in facing Challenges and Adversities. Toughness comes from repeatedly going through difficulties in your day-to-day life. Learn that new skill, that new musical instrument or even build something on your own. Of course, it is going to be hard, and obviously, you’ll face setbacks. But you need to learn from your setbacks and use them as stepping stones for personal growth.
See what it is to face challenges because that’s how you are training yourself for your future challenges which require a much smarter, stronger and more resilient version of you. Your family wants a person who can handle any situation. Be the person who can take anything, who can endure anything.
Cultivating Independence
Cultivating Independence starts with taking responsibility for your life. Taking responsibility in your life leads to a sense of empowerment and gives you the purpose of your life. Start doing your laundry, start cleaning your room, arrange your wardrobe, and make your bed every morning. Do these things and you’ll see changes in your personality and mindset. You need to take responsibility for your life and become independent because No one’s coming to save you!
Networking and Mentorship
Networking is a skill that can get you to places you never thought were possible. It can give you support in numerous ways from getting a job to getting a mentor and as they say, “Your Network is your Net Worth“.
Other than Networking, Mentorship is also among the most neglected parts of self-improvement that hardly anyone talks about. You need a mentor who can guide you to the path you want to go on. A mentor can give you the wisdom you need in your conquest and can help you with the motivation you need to move forward. A good mentor can help you build your Empire.
Conclusion
Adulthood is surely amazing and the transition to adulthood is a journey filled with challenges and opportunities. I hope you gained some insights as to what adulthood holds for you. Don’t forget to live your life to the fullest, and have a balance of everything including fitness, academics, career, networking, finances, hobbies and skills. Seek support where needed, and learn from mentors because you need different people to gain newer perspectives. You need to do better in every aspect to be a Better Man.
With this our small talk comes to an end, I hope you’ll find this guide helpful in your journey and become better. You can share your views and opinions in the comments.
Thank You for reading here.
