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What adult life change in yourself are you proudest of?
I'll start. I used to be late for freaking everything. This sucked because (a) I missed a lot of stuff and (b) a lot of people think failure to be punctual is some kind of statement on their lack of worth or something, even when it deeply is not. Now I tend to be pretty on time for stuff and I'm really pleased I was able to overcome a natural propensity for tardiness, even though it was a lot harder for me than the average person I think.
I'm proud I went back to school. I graduated high school at 16 and tried going to college soon after, it didn't really work for me. I spent the next 7 years working on movies (being broke) and working various mall jobs. Christmas eve of 07' I got a sign thrown at my leg by a customer ... I knew I needed a change!
I found a cosmetology school I really liked and enrolled. Now I'm 3 months away from graduation, about 4 months away from moving some place much more sunny, and the first student to complete the [I]dean's list[I] at that location :)
Movies will always be in my blood ... but I now have something I can always fall back on. My confidence has risen too and that's the best gift one can give to one's self.
I'm proud I finally learned to dress and do my hair, so I look somewhat respectable.
Kind of a double edged sword, but when I learned to hold down a job. That was about a decade ago, and it led to me being very work obsessed. But don't worry, I got over it :)
Finally learning to manage my budget and save!!!!
I use to always be broke within few days of getting paid. But now... I'm saving on average of $200 a month out of roughly $1000 I get per month.
May not be a big accomplish, but I look at it this way, in the future if I make 50K a year then I will probably be able to live on only 30K and save 20K a year or so. This could be a big profit to me in long run.
Actually, that rocks! Being the oldest in a big (irish/mexican) family, I had to take care of kids and budget grocery money at a young age. I learned very young and cannot count how many times I was saved by the few bucks a month I always set aside.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deadly Envy
Now, my only debt is the house. No student loans, credit cards and the 2 yr old car is paid off. Seriously, your kicking ass being able to save 20%.
That's nice to hear :) It is very inspiring that someone else do this. I rarely meet anyone who isnt in some sort of huge debts. So it is nice to hear such thing from someone else who have been there and learned from it.Quote:
Originally Posted by theUnclean
I remember the day when I'd goes without eating for two or three days before next paycheck :1orglaugh
I think the biggest reason people are in debt and have hard time with money management is because they try to keep up with the Jones (always need up to date television, cars, etc...) and don't look at what they really want.
Exactly! Fuck what other people have, I know what I need/want.Quote:
Originally Posted by Deadly Envy
I think mine is just "being a grown up" in general.
Since I left my parents' house back in the summer of '03 I've paid every bill, solved every problem, gotten every job, etc. as my own man. I've never asked for money, I've never had to go live back home. I'm a completely autonomous unit; which, at least among most of the people I grew up with or met that are my age is rare.
I'm also proud of the relationship I still have with my parents. They are hands down the best friends I will ever have and we hook up a couple times a month just to hang out and go to a beer tasting or just grab some pizza and shoot the shit.
I'm proud of the basics.
* Teaching myself to eat a balanced diet, very few breakthroughs of massive over eating due to some kind of personal/physical imbalance.
* Having occasional success in using yoga/meditation to calm my frazzles.
* Being the person that bad stuff USED to happen to.
* Playing house decently. If I could manage a full time job and the house-girlfriend/artist/depressive bit I could be a bit more impressed with myself.
* Remembering to wash cloths, and rarely making my whites pink.
Blah. Seems so pitiful in writing. lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockwulf
My parents and I are close too. It's funny how the moment I moved out, they became my best friends :)
Sadly, I haven't made any real changes in my life other than job choice. I joined th army, but that's it. I still consider myself a 22 year old kid, and sadly enough I am less mature now than when I was 17 or 18 working two jobs to make rent on a shitty apartment and trying to finish high school.
Learning to be a man and not a boy in man's clothing.
Scheduling things out where I start getting ready to leave almost three hours before I have to be anywhere so that I don't end up late. Hell most of the time I'm almost an hour early for appointments.
I've always been really domestic, but I did get over my fear of the stove. I don't know why but when I was much younger, the kitchen was my mother's domain, not mine. when I first moved in with my ex, he had all the culinary skills and when I finally got sick of pasta I taught myself to cook and bake.
I've learned to drop the "panic" for "crisis mode" which allows me to handle the situation without freaking out till it's over and there's time for freaking out. Which I consider a major achievement since the first emergency situation I was ever in, I blacked out.
I've gotten quite the reign in on my temper, too. I was so proud that I had more poise and civility than the last guy who fired me. Five years ago anybody that talked to me like that got my tiny fists wedged between their ribs. This is no longer the case. Hell I didn't even break my old landlord's nose, and you know he was asking for it.
~K
Raising a child, hands-down; the most liberating and self-revealing learning experience anyone who's ever BEEN a child can possibly hope to engage in! In being Matthew's father, I suddenly understood my own parents so much better than ever before, and I figured I understood them pretty well to begin with. Hearing my father's advice coming out in my speech, feeling my mother's concerns in my own heart, and comparing Matthew's behavioral patterns to my own when I was his age, all taught me more about myself than I've ever gleaned in a single learning experience before.
learning how to handle making a lot of money and saving it, instead of spending it on stupid stuff that I really don't need, or going out too much. also learning not to take that money for granted; to appreciate it. to not make stupid decisions like "I'm going out to really expensive sushi tonight even though my cell bill is due in 2 days... i'll just go to work and make it tomorrow night" when really my job is not predictable. there were so many times that I did that and then had a bad night. I'm proud to say that today, I not only have a savings account, there's a nice little egg in there. I've never owned a car, and my goal is to have my first car be a new car that is paid in full up front since it certainlt took me long enough to get one. I suppose there were good reasons for that though; the universe has a way of looking out for me like that.
I've resisted the urge to move every year or so and am now content to stay in one place for a long time
To be honest, I make an effort to avoid any life changes that might be marked as 'adult'.
well, just so your not suprised, the knees are usually the first to go:D
I think the big one for me is probably learning to deal with my temper.
learning to be my own person, accepting my faults, acknowledging my darkness, and being strong when i needed to.
other than that, i'm still a kid. i don't feel like being a grown-up, dammit.