Life Rule # 1: Keep Your Life Simple

As a young adult (YA) you will face many opportunities and temptations. To know how and when to respond, you need to live by a set of rules or tenets. 
 
During the next few months, I will be sharing 4 essential life rules you should implement now to build a strong foundation for your adult life. Let’s look at this month’s first life rule.  
                                     
Life Rule # 1: Keep Your Life Simple
Let me give you a common example of how many YA complicate their lives needlessly. Say you decide to move out of your parents’ home and rent an apartment with one or more roommates. The obvious advantages are: 
  • that you have your own place, or crib, as some would call it
  • you control you coming in and out of the place
  • you can invite whoever whenever you want
  • decorate your place as much as you want
  • clean or not clean your place as much as you want…you get the point
 
With those great advantages comes responsibilities, the main ones being:
  • paying rent every single month or be evicted 
  • paying utilities, you know the electric/gas, heat, trash/sewer and water you use without much thought at your folks’ place; they must be paid every month as well
  • paying fees for parking, amenities, owning a pet… 
  • buying renter’s insurance in case one of your buddies fall and hit his/her head during a party and/or your beautiful flat screen TV grows legs one day and walks out your apartment 
 
Did you know many YA cannot buy food to adequately feed themselves because they are strapped after paying all those bills?  This level of responsibility starts to create stress and hardship on you early on in life needlessly.  I know there are circumstances that forces you to get your own place even if you are not adequately prepared and I have mentored YA with some of those issues. However, in many cases, making these choices leads to ongoing complications in your life. And when these complications become too much, you start feeling despondent about life and even depress. 
 
I am shouting today from the rooftops…. RESIST & LIVE A SIMPLIFIED LIFE!
                                  
What does it mean to live a simple life?    
First, let me explain what it does not mean. A simple life does not mean you live an average or boring life. It does not mean that you take the path of least resistance and just live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the rest of your life…unless you want to. 
 
Attaining a simple life means not having unnecessary complications, stresses and hardships in your life. I am not talking about the stress you feel while earning your college degree for example. This is understandable because you are pursuing a positive and responsible goal that challenges you. The key in this situation is to learn how to minimize that stress as much as possible but that’s another day’s lesson. 
 
Live a simple life means you go for the stuff that really matters, substance…not fluff. Being grateful for what you have, pursuing & maintaining healthy relationships, earning a degree or skill that leads to stable financial future, buying what you can afford when you can afford it, having a positive outlook on life knowing your today does not mean your tomorrow, give to others unselfishly but sensibly. Do you get what I mean by living a simplified life? 
                                            
How do you keep life simple?
There are certain things you can do to simply your life as a YA. Here are some ways to do so: 
  • First, set your mind to live a simple life and don’t waiver
  • Write down what is really important to you in life
  • Create a plan for your goals and how each will be accomplished clearly articulate or spell out each goal. Make sure to include: 
  • what it takes to get there 
  • a realistic timeframe… which can be in months or years to accomplish
  • write out what the costs are to achieve this goal. Costs does not only mean money but can also be time, energy, relationships       that can be lost, etc.
 
Always get advice about any plan BEFORE you put it into action – a relative, good friend, teacher or pastor. Try to have one or two people in your life who are grounded, meaning they live honorably and do not live in the clouds but will give it to you straight – good or bad. That’s what we do here at Just Do It Afraid. 
 
Not sure about something?  Become a patron to get your questions answered.   We will take the time to respond, cheer with you AND also coach you if you are on the wrong track.
 
Ok…that’s it for this lesson.  
 
Let me hear your thoughts!
 
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