Why Adulting is a Scam
Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. Adulting is a total scam. It’s like this big, fancy word we use to make ourselves feel better about being terrible at life. I mean, who decided that paying bills and doing laundry was some kind of noble quest? Not me. That’s for damn sure.
I remember when I first moved out of my parents’ place. It was 2008, and I was convinced I had it all figured out. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. I couldn’t even figure out how to work the washing machine. I’m not kidding. I ended up hand-washing my socks in the bathtub. Which, by the way, is a completley terrible idea. My hands were all pruney, and I still had to figure out how to dry them. (I used the oven. Don’t judge me.)
But here’s the thing. I’m not alone. None of us are. We’re all just out here, winging it. Trying to pretend like we know what we’re doing. And honestly? It’s exhausting.
Meet Marcus: The Guy Who Had It All Figured Out
Let me tell you about Marcus. We’ll call him Marcus because his real name is none of your business. Marcus was this guy in my grad school program. He had it all together. He had a budget. He meal prepped. He even had a color-coded filing system for his bills. I hated him.
One day, over coffee at the place on 5th, I asked him, “Marcus, how do you do it? How do you adult so well?” He looked at me, all smug-like, and said, “It’s all about committment, Emily. You gotta stay organized and disciplined.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But here’s the thing. Marcus? He was a fraud.
About three months later, I found out Marcus had been living off ramen and peanut butter sandwiches because he “forgot” to budget for groceries. Turns out, he was just really good at pretending. And honestly? That’s most of us.
The Illusion of Perfection
We’re all just pretending. Pretending we know what we’re doing. Pretending we have it all together. But here’s the secret: nobody does. Nobody has it all figured out. And that’s okay.
I remember talking to my friend Dave about this. Dave’s a colleague named Dave, and he’s basically the king of adulting. Or so I thought. One day, he told me, “Emily, I’ve got news for you. Adulting is just a bunch of stuff we’re expected to do. And honestly, most of it’s kinda pointless.” I was shocked. Dave! The adulting king! Admitting that adulting is pointless!
But he’s right. Think about it. How much of what we do as adults is actually necessary? How much of it is just stuff we’re supposed to do because society says so? Not alot, that’s how much.
The Art of Winging It
So here’s what I’ve learned. Adulting isn’t about having it all together. It’s about winging it. It’s about messing up and trying again. It’s about admitting that you have no idea what you’re doing and doing it anyway.
Take my friend Lisa, for example. Lisa is a hot mess. She’s always late, she loses her keys at least once a week, and she once tried to microwave a can of soup. (Don’t ask.) But you know what? She’s also one of the happiest people I know. Because she doesn’t sweat the small stuff. She just goes with the flow.
And honestly? That’s the secret. The secret to adulting isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being happy. It’s about finding what works for you and rolling with it.
Practical Advice from a Hot Mess
Now, I’m not saying you should go out and microwave a can of soup. (Please don’t.) But I am saying you should cut yourself some slack. You should give yourself permission to be imperfect. To mess up. To try again.
And if you’re really struggling, check out this product comparison review guide. It’s helped me out of more jams than I can count. Literally. I can’t count that high.
So here’s to adulting. Here’s to winging it. Here’s to being a hot mess and loving every minute of it. Because at the end of the day, that’s what life’s all about. Not being perfect. But being you.
And honestly? That’s more than enough.
About the Author
Emily Thompson is a senior magazine editor with 20+ years of experience. She’s also a self-proclaimed hot mess who’s still figuring out how to adult. You can usually find her trying to fold a fitted sheet or attempting to parallel park. She lives in Austin with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, who is judging her every move.
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