I Failed at Adulthood Last Tuesday

Look, I’m gonna be honest here. I’m not one of those people who has it all together. I mean, I’m 38 years old and I still have to write myself notes to remember to pay bills. Last Tuesday, I found a note I’d written to myself in January that said “Remember to call the dentist, idiot.” I’m not even kidding. That’s my life.

But here’s the thing: I’m learning. We’re all learning. Adulthood isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about the messy, wonderful, sometimes downright frustrating process of figuring it out as you go.

Why Can’t We Just Adult Normally?

I was having coffee with my friend Marcus last week – let’s call him Marcus because his real name is embarrassing and he’d kill me if I used it. He said, “Liz, why can’t we just adult normally? Why does it have to be so hard?”

Which… yeah. Fair enough. But here’s the thing, Marcus. Here’s the thing all of us are learning the hard way. There is no “normal” when it comes to adulthood. We’re all making it up as we go along. Some of us are just better at pretending we know what we’re doing than others.

My Kitchen is a War Zone

Take my kitchen, for example. It’s a disaster. Like, I’m pretty sure there’s a science experiment growing in my sink right now. And the dishes? Oh, the dishes. They’re in a stage five clog up in there somewhere. I don’t even want to know.

But here’s the thing: I made dinner last night. It was burnt on the outside, raw on the inside, and honestly, I’m not sure what kind of meat it was supposed to be. But I made it. And that’s something. (Also, I ordered pizza. Because, you know, balance.)

The Illusion of Perfection

We all have this idea in our heads of what adulthood should look like. Perfect houses, perfect jobs, perfect relationships. But that’s not real life. Real life is messy. Real life is complicated. Real life is a lot of trial and error, and a lot of “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

I remember talking to my colleague, Dave, about this a few months back. He said, “Liz, I feel like I’m failing at everything. My job, my marriage, my life. I can’t keep up.” And I looked at him and said, “Dave, you’re not failing. You’re learning. There’s a difference.”

Online Shopping: My Love-Hate Relationship

Speaking of learning, let’s talk about online shopping. I love it. I hate it. It’s a necessary evil in my life. I mean, who has time to go to the store anymore? But then there’s the whole payment options online shopping guide thing. It’s a maze. A confusing, frustrating maze. But hey, at least I can do it in my pajamas, right?

And don’t even get me started on the whole “wait for delivery” thing. I ordered something on a Tuesday, and it’s supposed to arrive by Friday. It’s now Monday, and I still haven’t seen it. I’m starting to think it’s a myth. A beautiful, wonderful myth.

Relationships: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Relationships are another area where adulthood gets messy. I’m not talking about the romantic stuff – although, yeah, that can be a disaster too. I’m talking about friendships. Family. The people who are supposed to be there for you, no matter what.

I had a falling out with my best friend, Sarah, a few years back. It was ugly. It was painful. But we talked it out. We worked through it. And now? Now we’re stronger than ever. Because that’s what adulthood is about. It’s about learning to communicate. Learning to forgive. Learning to love, even when it’s hard.

The Never-Ending To-Do List

And then there’s the never-ending to-do list. The one that just keeps growing, no matter how much you cross off. The one that makes you feel like you’re drowning in committment and responsibilty. (See what I did there? Spelling errors. It’s a feature, not a bug.)

I have a friend who swears by the “one thing” rule. You know, where you only focus on one thing at a time. I tried it. It didn’t work for me. I’m more of a “write it all down and hope for the best” kind of person. But hey, whatever works, right?

Self-Improvement: The Never-Ending Journey

Self-improvement is another area where adulthood gets messy. We all want to be better. We all want to grow. But it’s not always easy. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes, it’s downright ugly.

I remember when I first started trying to get fit. I was a mess. I couldn’t even do a proper push-up. But I kept at it. I kept trying. And now? Now I can do 20. Okay, maybe 15. But still. Progress is progress.

And that’s the thing about self-improvement. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being better than you were yesterday. It’s about learning. Growing. Evolving. It’s about embracing the mess and the chaos and the beautiful, wonderful journey that is adulthood.

So here’s to the messy, wonderful art of adulting. Here’s to the chaos. Here’s to the journey. May we all learn to stop worrying and love the process.

Because honestly? We’re all in this together. And that’s something to celebrate.

About the Author: Liz Thompson is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the magazine industry. She’s a self-proclaimed expert in the art of adulting (or not adulting, as the case may be). When she’s not writing, she can be found burning dinner, avoiding her to-do list, and online shopping in her pajamas. She lives in a state of controlled chaos with her husband, two kids, and a cat who thinks he’s a dog. (Which, honestly, nobody asked for but here we are.)

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