What is adulting, you ask? The Urban Dictionary defines it for us. Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups.
Why discuss adulting? Knowledge is power. Learning about various aspect of life as we approach “grown up things and hold responsibilities” is powerful.
Let’s take a look at a few “adulting activities” that are easy to dismiss in our day to day living. These activities may “trip us up” in the case of emergency.
- personal documentation at home: PIN’s for banking, debt cards, smartphones, tablets, residence security access, cars – who has access to these in case of emergency?
- personal bill paying: Online access is common for most of us. Without snail mail, does anyone know who you pay in your daily life?
- does anyone know who you contact on a regular basis (home and work) if something suddenly happens to you?
- in case of a natural disaster (fire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake), do you have access to important information to resume your day to day life?
- who “speaks for you” if there is a medical emergency?
- if something happened to you, have you documented back-up plans for your life and those who depend on you?
Life events happen at any age. Planning and organizing for our lives involves knowing what we do on a daily basis and dedicating time to establishing ways that work for YOU when you begin to document, discuss and provide access to others. While this sounds easy, it’s often not simple.
Think of budgeting – do you remember the 1st time you realized that money in/money out involved skills of cash creation, cash management and cash investment? You mean that when I pay with a credit card and it isn’t paid in full each month, they charge interest? You mean that when I make the choice between going out with friends or paying for utilities or gas that month, I may come up short for the month? Argh, adulting is not always fun or simple.
How can we make this simple?
- Education is key. Knowledge IS power. Life planning invites you to take a look at the cause and effect theory before you find yourself in situations you hadn’t considered
- Approach life planning decisions and actions in small chunks
- Get some help – learning with someone is more fun
- On-going reviews along the way allow you to “tweak” plans as your life evolves
- Adopting an attitude of “give to get” goes a long way – a little bit now goes a long way
Whether you are 21 or 90, adulting is an on-going activity in life! We invite you to join us to make living a priority, organize what you have / what you do and protect yourself, now and into the future.
We ask the question, are you, your family members, employees and company ready for anything life hands them? Advanced planning at home and work serves people in measurable and profound ways.
The Living Planner supports proactive resources and quality one-on-one comprehensive individual/family and business planning. Contact us to learn more about how we work with individuals, business owners and employees via Email or online @ The Living Planner