As someone who spends the majority of his professional life reviewing policies and procedures for every nook and cranny of the business world, it seems rather peculiar that no such volume exists for the greatest endeavor of them all, adulthood. This eventual destination, or state of being, into which we are all dragged kicking and screaming, has me truly believing that no one in their right mind would voluntarily sign up for such an existence.

Despite demonstrating great capabilities as evidenced by our technological advances, which, if you look back as far as a mere decade or two ago, have progressed in leaps and bounds to a level of almost science-fictional proportions, we as humans still have a hard time accepting the responsibility of dreaded adulthood.

Some form of science recently stated that adulthood really kicks in when we hit our 30s. However, I find that a difficult notion to subscribe to, hence I’ll take it upon myself to give a few ideas on how-to-adult, for the everyday person.

It starts with maintenance. This word is all encompassing, it starts off with the spare tire in the back of your car, that single safety net that no one pays any attention to, but one would desperately need when faced with a calamity of puncture-ific proportions. If you think of it, the average risk a person should accept is 25%, as you regularly drive on four tires, but only carry one spare in case of emergency. I had the misfortune of discovering just how lopsided that risk assessment really is.

It started with a flat tire after a long vacation, nothing serious. The closest tire shop had no air, which had me rolling up my sleeves and changing said tire myself. To my chagrin, the spare was also slightly deflated. It got me moving for a while, almost to the point where I felt confident to speed up, and just as I was 2 KM away from my destination, disaster struck. I started seeing bits of black rubber flying off the road, and realized that the tire’s unraveling was imminent. Pulling over to the side, I changed the tire back to the originally deflated one, which managed to get me where I had to go, to get it inflated. You can’t make this stuff up. 

The moral of the story is quite clear. First, we need to focus on maintenance. Just because something appears full, it does not necessarily mean that it is. Just as we should regularly inflate the four tires of our vehicles after 2,500 KM, we also need the metaphorical spare in life, despite it being unseen. For, if that lifeline is deflated, chances are you will find yourself in a similar sticky situation (really sticky, it was 40 degrees Celsius and here I was changing my second tire in only 30 or so odd minutes).

Second, do not take things for granted. Just because the deflated tire got us moving, that does not mean it will sustain you for the whole journey. Reparation is key. For anything in life, be it something as trivial as a tire, or as complex as a relationship.

Third, calmness is key. When something bad happens, pull over to the side, breathe and assess the situation. No amount of ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’ will undo what has been done, so sit up straight and take ownership of the situation.

Fourth, do not be afraid to ask for help, even when it appears unexpectedly. As my second flat had me on the wrong side of the 4th ring road, a passing police car pulled up. My first thought was, I am going to get a ticket. The officer in question was most helpful, even getting down to help me change the tire (despite my outward appearance of being able to hold my own). Afterwards, he drove behind me until I got to a side-street, then went on his merry way, a hero in my eyes; a regular act in his own. The only fine he gave me was my feeling after the encounter.

Adulthood, much like plans, is the bi-product of our every-day decisions. It happens when we look ourselves in the mirror and finally accept that we are the safety net. If we do not plan properly, no one shall do so in our stead. If we forget to pay a bill, problems will arise.

If a simple act such as making your bed in the morning can instill discipline, so too can focusing on the preventive maintenance in our lives with the hopes of it helping us become adultier adults.  And on that note, welcome back after the summer holidays everyone, the adjustment to reality has been very real. But, we’ve got this! 

Like the Rubik’s Cube, Ayman Nassar is multi-colored in his interests, from running to organizing races, stand- up comedy and internal audit, plus a little writing on the side. You can find him on YouTube or follow him on Instagram @LordAymz. Photo by adrian on Unsplash.