All of a sudden, you entered the world of being a grown-up. It's time to take charge. No longer are you going to let your past habits get in your way of living life. Part of this grown-up deal is breaking some of your habits; 15 of them to be precise.
1. Hitting snooze
Maybe you mastered the two-minute shower in order to gain a bit more shut-eye, but your wet hair at work isn't impressing anybody. Set your alarm for the time you need to get up, without including the 40-minute snooze cushion.
2. Ice cream lunches
Vanilla topped with chocolate and peanuts used to be considered an impressive meal. But now your grown-up self needs something more than sugar to get you through the day. Cut the habit of grabbing what's quick and easy, and fuel your body with something valuable.
3. Mooching
Sleeping on couches, always allowing friends to pay and borrowing Mom and Dad's Visa is now called mooching, and is so not cool. Get your own place, pay for your own stuff and maybe host a dinner party to show off your grown-upness.
4. Dressing forever young
It's time to update your wardrobe and finally know the definition of business casual. Though you may shop at Forever21, you are actually not going to be 21 forever. Invest in some closet staples that you can dress up or dress down for any situation.
5. Crazy late nights
No more 1 a.m. hang-out texts. Socialize at a decent hour, and your weekends will be spent doing something productive, rather than needing to sleep until noon.
6. Bad hair habits
Purple hair may have been awesome for a concert a few summers ago, but the grown-up world expects a more professional approach. Don't let this erase your approach to fashion; bold lipsticks and manicures can assert your chic and trendy self, while still being age appropriate.
7. Saying yes to yoga pants
Exercise is a great habit to keep (or pick up) at this, or any, stage in life, but gone are the days of wearing yoga pants to every event, errand or evening out. Keep the exercise wear for actual exercising.
8. Texting instead of talking
Despite the ease of technology, there are still some situations that demand an actual conversation. When e-mailing, keep the texting lingo out of it.
9. Social media
You really don't need to be posting about every little thing you do on social media. When you have a night out with a friend, or get tickets to that really awesome event, spend time experiencing the event instead of trying to sneak in pictures or recordings just to post online.
10. Random refrigerator nights
"Dinner" consisting of leftover take out, a piece of toast and a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter desperately needs an update. Learn to cook a couple of staple meals — you may impress yourself as you discover your cooking skills.
11. Procrastinating
Even if you basically majored in the art of procrastinating, break the habit sooner rather than later. Being on top of deadlines will get you much further in life than last-second finishes.
12. Excuses, excuses
Adulthood is the age of taking responsibility. It looks childish to always have an excuse for everything. Be honest, don't lie and don't make excuses.
13. No-fuss finances
It's true that paying bills is way more boring than spending your paycheck on the season's latest trends, but bad credit and late fees are even worse. Use an app to tailor your budget to your needs (and wants), and do your best to live within your means.
14. Avoiding fears
It seems easy to put things off until you are "older." Quit this habit and really let yourself experience life. You are the only one stopping yourself from taking fencing lessons, after all.
15. Being passive-aggressive
Unlike messy roommates from your past, coworkers won't take kindly to passive-aggressive notes left around the workplace. Side-stepping issues won't earn you any respect. Appropriately confront issues that need to be confronted.
Banishing these habits leaves room for great things like independence, self-confidence and being able to cook a dinner that didn't come out of a box. Bravo, and welcome to the grown-up world.
