Rat Race Running

Last Updated on May 31, 2023

I enumerated 12 Adulting Skills from a previous post, which I consider essential for young adults.

However, I realized that there are many more skills that we need to incorporate into our lives to live simpler but fuller life. Here are the next 12:

1. Doing your own grocery.

One important adulting skill is doing your own grocery shopping. This is the next step to establish once you finalized your monthly budget.

By doing your own grocery, you become more conscious of what you’re buying and what you’ll be eating, especially if you know how to cook.

You also realize that being an adult is hard, so you’ll learn to appreciate how your parents provided when you were younger.

An important tip when doing your grocery is to stick to your list (make one if you don’t have one yet) and eat first before going to the grocery store to avoid unplanned and added expenses.

Buying non-perishable items in bulk can also be helpful to save some cash.

2. Making your own doctor appointments.

Making your own doctor appointment can be intimidating, but it is a crucial adulting skill.

Growing up, most of us always have our parents make doctor’s appointments whenever we feel sick, so we never bothered to learn how to do it ourselves.

Suddenly, we became adults and needed to take care of ourselves, make doctor’s appointments, and even to the point of confining ourselves to a hospital without relying on our parents.

It’s a good thing many companies provide HMO cards. In my previous company, the card they offered gives health insurance of as much as P200,000 per sickness per year.

That’s why many of my colleagues learned how to make a doctor’s appointment, particularly since we have an annual physical exam.

During my stay in Metro Manila, I was often sick and had to make many doctor’s appointments. Fortunately, my health card covered all of the costs.

Unfortunately, people who are not provided with an HMO card seldom make doctor’s appointments or even have regular check-ups because of the fear of discovering an underlying illness.

3. Applying for a government ID.

Obtaining a government ID is a crucial adulting skill.

After graduating from college, you’ll most likely need government IDs. Fortunately for courses with board exams, the PRC license is a valid ID.

However, if you don’t have a PRC ID, you can still apply for a postal ID or the national ID, which is the easiest to get. Driver’s license and passport are also necessary IDs to consider.

Your birth certificate is also one of the commonly needed documents when applying to some IDs, so it is crucial to have multiple copies of them.

4. Opening your own bank account.

Adulting will require you to pay for your own expenses and start living more independently, and a crucial part of this is for you to have your own bank account.

But before you can open a savings account, many traditional banks will require at least two IDs. So, it is essential to secure them first.

Depending on which bank you are opening, an account will determine how much you’ll have to deposit as an initial.

Recently, there is also been a rise in the number of digital banks (no physical location) such as CIMB, Tonik, and Maya, which are also as safe and insured as traditional banks. These banks usually pay a higher interest rate compared to conventional banks.

Personally, I have accounts on four bank accounts (2 traditional and 2 digital). Doing this gives other options if ever one of the banks goes offline.

Of the two traditional banks, one is my payroll account, and another is BPI, which I use to transfer funds to my digital bank account.

5. Patience.

There are moments when our patience will be tested. There are also people, events, or ideas that can trigger us more than others. However, these tests are an excellent opportunity to improve our patience.

Without these particular triggers, we won’t have the chance to build up our tolerance toward stressors.

By assessing if the cause of stress is within our control, we can contain our impatience. If not, try to let it go and let God do the work. Though I still lose my cool, I always try to regain my composure by taking a deep breath immediately.

“Patience is a virtue” became a cliche because it is true. Also, patience is one of the characteristics often mentioned in the Bible that we hope to attain.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

6. Avoiding FOMO or Fear of Missing Out.

The Internet and social media changed life as we know it. We now have more access to what’s happening at almost every moment.

We have breaking news, Twitter updates, Facebook posts, Instagram feeds, and so much more. It also notifies us of what is happening in other people’s lives, such as weddings, engagements, and childbirths.

However, these constant updates and notifications often cause the “fear of missing out,” resulting in anxiety.

Many people are now feeling left out by their peers, co-workers, friends, and family members because of the constant “news” of what’s happening about their lives, which are usually only the highlights of their own lives.

So it is essential to understand that God’s timing is perfect. We have to have faith in His plans that everything will eventually fall into place.

7. Quick decision-making.

How often have you experienced indecision on where to eat when going out with your friends, only to end up in a Jollibee or McDo.

This is a common trait of many-slow decision-making, even when the question requires a quick response.

I once had a teammate whose very indecisive. Before dinner, I asked him if he prefers pizza or burgers. He just said that he’s not picky and will eat either.

Then to try and make him select one, I asked again. “You have a burger on the one hand and a slice of pizza on the other. Which one would you put in your mouth first?” He paused for a second and told me that he’s not picky. So I gave up.

There are situations in which we need to give immediate answers, and practicing how to think on our feet will be crucial in adulting.

8. Developing a growth mindset.

Before we can grow our personality, we first need to develop a growth mindset, a crucial skill in adulting.

We need to understand that there are so many things outside of our control, and by accepting this fact, we can react to the things that we have control over.

For example, we don’t have control over the financial capability of which family we were born to. Still, we can adapt and learn to look for opportunities in which we can improve our future. Though the pressure is stronger, finding good mentors will be a great help.

We can stop complaining about the things we cannot change and start acting on the things we can.

9. Calculating risks vs. rewards.

As a stock market trader, it is crucial to know the potential risks and rewards of a particular stock before buying them. At least a 1:3 risk-reward ratio (RRR) is essential to establish to make it worth it.

Applying this principle when coming up with critical life-changing decisions, we can have a clearer picture of what we want to achieve.

When I left the corporate world to shift to the academe, I made a list of pros and cons. I identified the pros and cons of going and staying in the rat race. In the end, there are more pros in leaving the company.

However, the risks and rewards are not absolute. Just like what is said to Proverbs:

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

10. Distinguishing constructive and destructive criticism.

One adulting skill that I mentioned in the first list of 12 is not taking offense quickly. In connection to that, we also need to learn how to distinguish between constructive and destructive criticism.

Criticism has a negative connotation, so it is essential to learn to know the difference between positive and negative criticism.

That is why developing a growth mindset is crucial in our adult life. We need to “see” if a person giving criticism has your best interest in mind or just criticizing you out of spite or insecurity.

11. Leading a group.

As a young professional, there will come a time when you’ll be forced to lead a group or a team. So, when that day comes, you need to be ready.

Unfortunately, many people are not trained to handle a group, especially those not given the opportunity during their school years.

So if you don’t have the experience yet, you may try to join different groups or attend leadership training commonly hosted by most companies and schools.

Though not everyone is called to lead, leading is still a skill that can be learned.

12. Letting go.

People are so afraid to let go. We want to hold on to the things that we put effort, money, and time into.

Unfortunately, sometimes, we need to let go of the things that hinder our growth.

Let go and let God do the work.

Final Thought:

Adulting today is not the same as it was during our parent’s times.

We are now living in a time with more complexity, anxiety, and uncertainty than at any time in recent history.

Maybe, we need to get back to the basics and keep it simple. Determine which are essential and which are not.

Keep the faith, hold on to God’s promises, and move forward. Eventually, everything will fall into place.