Like, seriously – Adulting 101

Sigh. Adulting. I’m 53, and I thought I had a lot of things figured out. And yet, life still finds ways to trip me up — leaving me blinking, wondering, “Did anyone see what just happened there?”

Surely, someone should have invented a course for this. Not the boring kind where you learn forms and taxes — the real-life curriculum that prepares you for the small, unpredictable chaos that somehow counts as growing up.

Along the way, I’ve tried lots of things — read countless books, gone to therapy, been mentored and coached — and learned a little from each. Some of it actually works. Some of it? Just noise. The trick is figuring out what helps you, and letting the rest drift away.

There is no single “right” way to do life. We all get just one shot, and while we’re here, we have to make it count. Once you realise no one is going to rescue you — there is no escape hatch — that’s when adulting really starts. We learn from one another, sure, and we help each other when we can. But at the end of the day, we have to figure this stuff out ourselves.

So what would a pre-adulting course even look like? Maybe something like this:

• Surviving the basics: From first nights away from home to remembering your car rego and WOF — the little practical things that trip us all up. (Future post: “First Night in Wellington – Life’s Unexpected Lessons”)
• Cooking, chaos & self-preservation: Navigating hot oil, sharp knives, and recipes gone sideways. Bonus points for minor burns and lessons learned. (Future post: “Deep-Fried Hand & Other Cooking Disasters”)
• Money, paperwork & adult emergencies: Balancing accounts, managing bills, juggling deadlines — and occasionally wondering if there’s an easier way. (Future post: “Mostly Fine Budgeting Hacks”)
• Relationships & social survival: Locking yourself out, running out of milk, navigating parties, awkward run-ins, and other small disasters that keep life interesting. (Future post: “Staying Out of the Kitchen at Parties / Social Adulting”)
• Personal growth & reflection: Handling tantrums (adult-style), ego management, and life decisions like kids, dating, or retirement — figuring out what matters to you, not anyone else. (Future post: “Life on Your Own Terms”)

Some things you’ll nail, others you’ll stumble through — and that’s okay. You find your rhythm, enjoy the victories, learn from the rest, and keep going. Mostly fine really is enough.

And don’t forget to laugh. Life doesn’t have to be perfect or so serious. When we stumble, we get back up. When we see someone stumble, we help them to their feet. That, my friends, is adulting at its finest.

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Soundtrack: Talking Heads – This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Because adulting is weird, surprising, sometimes funny, and mostly about finding your place.