Whether you’re a senior in high school, about to graduate college, or you’ve been in the workforce for a few years, you’re at a turning point in your life that requires a lot of decisions to be made. Our finances, relationships, goals, and attitude are all areas of our lives that can be set up for success when we make the right choices. If you’re currently entering a stage of life that starts with big decisions, check out this list of the 4 decisions every young adult should make post school.
1. Decide to get your finances in order
This one may seem scary and overwhelming, but it’s actually one of the best decisions you can make for yourself at this point in your life. Maybe you’ve been working part-time while in school, or maybe you’ve been living with your parents or paying off student debt. Odds are, your financial situation is at the forefront of your mind. Make the decision to be proactive in working out your finances—starting with a budget and moving forward. Check out these 3 Steps to Financial Success As A Young Adult to get started!
2. Decide who your real friends are
Leaving school potentially means leaving behind a whole world of relationships. It can be hard to think about not seeing your friends every day or having to navigate new relationships at work. But there is good news: this time is a fresh start to decide who you want the influences in your life to be. That guy from your Journalism elective who always copied your work probably isn’t a number you need to keep in your phone. Do an intentional audit of your personal relationships, and decide which people you want to stay in contact with or want to become better friends with this year. Remember that you become most like the people you surround yourself with. Looking at your friendships—who do you want to be like in 5 years?
3. Decide what success looks like
The idea of success looks different to everyone. To some people it might be climbing the corporate ladder, to some it could be starting a family, and to others it could just be pursuing a creative dream to write a novel or record an album. The best way to achieve success is to define it for yourself. When you know what you want, you can go after it with a plan in mind and a better opportunity to make it happen. In life, we’ll never drift into where we want to go—we have to take intentional steps to get there.
4. Decide the posture you’ll hold
You are the only one who can control the way you see the world. “Posture” is just another word for attitude and perception, and sometimes when we’re thrust into situations that we’re not happy with, it can be easy to have an attitude of bitterness and anger. But at this critical point in your life, when you may not have hit those detours yet, you can make a critical decision to have a posture of humility, gratitude, and grace. Try to use that posture to look at every situation that you’ll go through, and remember that you’re not a victim—no matter what happens, you always have control over how you react. You may be surprised how much of an impact your posture can have on you in the future.
Don’t miss the opportunities that you have right now to make decisions that will positively affect your life for the long haul. You have the power to set yourself up for success—take it!