Adulting 101: How to Think Outside of the Classroom Infographic

Adulting can be challenging. When you are in the comfort of a classroom, finding solutions to the inevitable personal and professional problems of life is easy, even fun. When you have the opportunity to bounce ideas off a few hundred of your peers, you feel more confident in your decisions. But then life kicks in. You trade the classroom for an office. Suddenly you don’t have the luxury of an hour-long discussion before making a decision—your answer was needed five minutes ago. All of this is part of life. It is forever changing and we must be ready to adapt along with it. Check out the Adulting 101: How to Think Outside of the Classroom Infographic and learn the best tips and tricks for finding yourself in the “real world”. These skills are collectively what allows you to be good at adulting; they are what you need to become the ideal “grown-up”.

Adulting is Important for Your Career

Business & nonprofit leaders report they’re looking for dynamic employees with way more to offer than just book-smarts:

93% say creative thinking, communication skills, & problem solving are more important than a job candidate’s undergraduate major
95% prioritize hiring people who will contribute to an innovative workplace
95% believe it is important to demonstrate ethical integrity, intercultural skills, & a desire to continue learning

Taking “me” time during the work day is crucial to optimal performance.

Time Management: Efficiency Is the New Productivity

Time management skills are an important part of adulting. Here are some helpful tips to get you started down the path to adulting:

Break big projects into small parts
Schedule tasks like you schedule meetings to cut back on procrastination
Prioritize work that needs immediate attention & save less important things for later
Set personal deadlines to keep you focused and moving towards your goal
Digital detoxing helps you stay in the present
Leave your phone out of sight, on silent, & off your person to focus on a hard deadline
Less distraction allows your brain to process & store new information easier
DeskTime productivity app stats showed the highest performing 10% of workers take a 17 minute break away from their computer every 52 minutes
Control the chaos with a little R & R
Experiments show that telecommuters are 13% more productive than office bound colleagues
Allows for a more flexible work/life balance and boosts overall life satisfaction
Stay away from electronic devices that emit blue light before bed to fall asleep more quickly
Reduce stress, lower anxiety, and improve your mood with meditation

Biohacking: Maximize Your Energy & Do Everything Better (Especially Adulting)

Listen to your food
Eat clean, natural foods for a strong body & a clear mind
Consume foods with the right nutrients rather than counting calories
100 calories of grapes > 100 calories of Twinkies
Avoid simple carbohydrates that make your energy crash & snack on foods that satisfy your hunger
Take a hike
Walking in the woods can improve short term memory by 20%
Spending 2 nights in the forest lowers stress hormones in your blood
Sun exposure boosts the body’s Vitamin D supply which regulates over 1,000 genes that control bodily functions, e.g. immune & neuromuscular systems
Don’t skimp on sleep
Sleep deprivation weakens your immune system & leaves you vulnerable to bacteria & viruses
Healthy sleep habits lower your risk of obesity & type 2 diabetes
Sleep gives you the energy to make good decisions throughout the day

Being well-rounded means thinking with your head as well as your heart.

Worldview: Challenge Yourself to Be Proactive & Resilient when Adulting

Practice empathy to strengthen group bonds
Learn the strengths & weaknesses of your colleagues to improve team efficiency
Focus on understanding others to increase attention span & fight distraction
Cultivate compassion to understand the individual causes of high/low performance levels
Persevere through life’s ups & downs
Master the ability to overcome setbacks in all areas of life
Pivot your focus to what’s going according to plan & learn to see failure as an opportunity for growth
Remember that nothing goes your way all the time & the glass is always half full
Communicate like you mean it
Engage with new people & turn small-talk into an artform
Pay attention to nonverbal cues like eye-contact & body language
Frame conversations to ask what you want & get what you need

Not all lessons are taught in school. Are you learning what you need to be a real-life adulting success?

Via: http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/adulting/