Have you ever wanted a guide to becoming an adult? Or more of an adult? Or even just a few hints at how one might accomplish this idealized form of being? I used to think that it was just me, too. That was until I read a review on “Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps” by Kelly Williams Brown. Apparently so many other people wanted this guide that the very brilliant and hilarious Kelly Williams Brown made an entire book just for them. I ran to BnN right away and picked up a copy (actually I brought a book my brother got me for Christmas and did an exchange because he and my sister got me the same novel, thanks G!).
The chapters are divided into easy to follow sections, with quick and effective tips on how to live your best adult version of you. Also they are extremely funny and entertaining. After reading the book, I can officially say that my favorite phrase is now “failure-flakes”, which describes the black flecks that fall below your eyes from cheap mascara. Never have I ever read anything so true.
Many chapters cover usual adult life, finding an apartment, learning to cook, love and family. However, what I loved most was that she also covered topics near and dear to this blog’s heart: mental health, budgeting, saving money, and starting a career. I love this book, and highly recommend it to everyone, whether they think they are already an adult or not. I also recommend getting a hard copy for yourself and keep notes along it’s margins, there is a lot to learn from it’s comedic pages!
Here are my top 5 favorite tips from this fabulous guide to “Adulting”.
1.”Accept that you are not special” and “Appreciate those who disagree with step 1”
This section covers how there are some people who love you and think you are the greatest thing since sliced bread, (ie: your parents, friends, significant others, etc.) but there is an entire rest of the world that doesn’t even notice when you have failure-flakes all over your face. This piece really reminded me to appreciate those around me and to always be ready to cheer them on, as they would do for me. Life might start out as disappointing, but that’s ok and it is temporary. You are not a failure.
2. “Remember that the outside world only sees your outermost layer”
I’ve read this book several times, and at the corner of this page I wrote “I feel like this will be an important chapter for me… -22 year old Me” Yes mam, several years later and I still have to remind myself! This section is all about faking it till you make it. Not to be deceitful, or untruthful, but more to just train yourself and maintain a professional appearance. If you fake being cheerful and customer-servicey, you are in-fact BEING cheerful and customer-servicey. If in your head you actually want to punch them, well, at least you didn’t.
3. “Send a thank-you note”
What? What does something my mom forced us to do after every birthday party have to do with Sugar and Savings? In this chapter, Williams Brown talks about sending a thank you note after a party, or after someone has done something nice for you. She literally gives you a template on page 76. I will never forget the moment when my incredibly grown-up friend, Jamie, told me she writes thank you notes to everyone for anything. I looked at her in awe… and confusion. Why would you WANT to do that? Well because, Ms. Adult-in-training, it isn’t about YOU! As I said earlier, I need to remind myself to be a cheerleader to the ones I love, that includes showing them appreciation when they do something kind or just because they exist. Thank you lovely human, for existing.
ALSO, because I WILL tie it back to Sugar and Savings, you should write thank you notes to those who help you in your career life too. Whether after an interview or just coffee with a mentor, thank them for taking the time to meet with you, because they didn’t have to and it definitely helped. Which brings me to-
4. Steps 136- 138 or “How to Network”
No one knows how to effectively network these days. I’ll get random friend requests from people in my “women’s entrepreneurs group” on Facebook and that’s it! No talking, no follow up, just a request from a stranger. What a waste of energy! Williams Brown’s steps are as follows: “136: Ask for a business card when the conversation is winding to a close”, “137: Follow up with people you meet” (excellent place for a thank you note in my opinion!), and “138: Ask those people out for coffee”. People love to talk about themselves and you never know what you could learn from someone who is in the position you might like to have someday!
5. “Think of shopping like drinking”
And then there was the money chapter. This is included in my top 5 tips because I had to come to terms with a terrible retail-therapy habit. Shopping with my mom or friends made me feel happy, and if I had a bad day a trip to Target was magical. It’s not always an easy habit to notice, you don’t run around drunk from shopping, but it can still pile up and be detrimental when trying to stick to a budget. Apps like Wish make it allllll too easy to just get “a few things”, and with their small price tags it makes a hard to notice problem even easier to ignore.
There you have it! If you haven’t already got it up on the tab next to this one, here is my personal link to the book on Amazon:*
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Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed this review of “Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps” by Kelly Williams Brown.
Until next time, wishing you all Sugar and Savings,
Taylor