I feel like a big part of adulting is learning how to be more productive in boring ways, like stacking errands on the same day, cooking multiple portions at once (only if they taste good stored for a few days!), calling friends while you take care of chores, micro-cleaning your space so you never have to do a full on refresh, etc. like as much hate productivity gurus get, unless you adopt a good set of low maintenance habits, you’re not gonna have enough time for the stuff that matters!
💯 absolutely agree, I’m glad I got on the productivity train early on because these things take yearsss to nail down and there’s always more to learn as we have increasing responsibilities
Yes, this is huge! Errand stacking with things you enjoy (listening to podcasts, calling friends & family, etc) attach accomplishing the errands with a sense of enjoyment, which make it easier and easier to do the errands. This has been a helpful learning for me as a figure out adulting
Wow what a thoughtful way to break this all down. So true about the difference between interests and hobbies being the difference between consumption and creation. Loved reading this
I make time to read, write, and learn new skills! I love taking online classes--I find it so fulfilling. I love spending time dancing, singing, and with friends. Great article! I also want to really enjoy as much of each day as I can <3
Love this piece, Jay. Writing my own piece on making the most of my 20s as well. I’ve found it quite difficult to not have it be too long of a post with too many sidetrack narratives. Thus, how being in your 20s can feel!
Your visual of the pyramid is a first to see. How are you checking with yourself that you are approaching the pyramid from the right direction? Or perhaps grading each section of the pyramid on a routine basis?
Yes, I absolutely feel that! So much we're figuring out each day, and ever more to figure out ahead of us.
Re: keeping up with this framework -- rather than viewing it linearly, I see each as an ingredient for crafting a full life. To make sure I don't neglect any aspect, I set annual goals and do monthly check-ins about how I'm doing, what's working/not, etc. in a Notion table. Now that I've found a relatively good groove, I've 'converted' some goals into reminders and dropped my check-in frequencies to quarterly. Hope that answers your question!
love this framework jay and i’m actually really glad to see how you’ve split up hobbies and interests. i’ve personally thought of it as consumption and production and how we need to have an intentional mix of both to be happy and well-rounded :) some things also don’t quite coincide e.g. can’t have a “hobby” in high fashion because im not a designer or have the budget for a hermes-clad wardrobe. a ton of adult is making the space, both time-wise and mentally, for the things that matter to us. thanks for sharing :)))
Thanks so much for the read and sharing your thoughts & insights!! 100% agree, balance is key ofc but what’s less obvious is what that means for each person’s unique personality and circumstances
- reading this piece has made me a little more conscious to the fact that I really am just being idle and letting life pass me by. I’ve been taking steps to create more urgency but I have so much more to do!
What a lovely post!! I've never thought of the difference between hobbies and interests. Also, until the sentence "...I hope I never have to retire..." I was thinking like "Why do we need to hate the work instead of finding something delightful in it?" but you've already mentioned :) Perhaps you can write a whole article about it so that we can find some valuable insights!
thanks so much Yunus!! yess finding that ideal occupation is definitely something I’m still trying to figure out, hopefully with time and intention it’ll unfold soon enough :)
I feel like a big part of adulting is learning how to be more productive in boring ways, like stacking errands on the same day, cooking multiple portions at once (only if they taste good stored for a few days!), calling friends while you take care of chores, micro-cleaning your space so you never have to do a full on refresh, etc. like as much hate productivity gurus get, unless you adopt a good set of low maintenance habits, you’re not gonna have enough time for the stuff that matters!
💯 absolutely agree, I’m glad I got on the productivity train early on because these things take yearsss to nail down and there’s always more to learn as we have increasing responsibilities
Yes, this is huge! Errand stacking with things you enjoy (listening to podcasts, calling friends & family, etc) attach accomplishing the errands with a sense of enjoyment, which make it easier and easier to do the errands. This has been a helpful learning for me as a figure out adulting
Wow what a thoughtful way to break this all down. So true about the difference between interests and hobbies being the difference between consumption and creation. Loved reading this
Thank you so much Eimear!! I’m really glad this framework makes sense outside my brain too hahaha
loved this! heavy on being more efficient with exercise and cooking so i can focus more of my time and energy on other pursuits.
Or cleaning cutting boards, knives, etc. used for prep while food is getting cooked (cuz cleaning up after cooking is such a chore too)
HA, totally agree
thanks jeffreyy 🤗 exactlyy, forgot to add this but using an instant pot is def a hack
I make time to read, write, and learn new skills! I love taking online classes--I find it so fulfilling. I love spending time dancing, singing, and with friends. Great article! I also want to really enjoy as much of each day as I can <3
Sounds like a lot of quality time with friends and yourself, love that for you! Learning random new skills is always such a fun pastime☺️
Did it. Still doing it decades later ..
YES YES YES GREAT ARTICLE And totally relatable. Heres a piece i wrote that encompasses my experience
https://open.substack.com/pub/madisonkain/p/the-feminine-urge-to-fight-plaths?r=5s5kko&utm_medium=ios
I just turned 20 yesterday! And I’m putting this in my bookmarks — such a beautiful work to ponder on. 🥲💫
Ah, 20 feels so long ago at 25! Thank you so much, means a lot <33
Love this piece, Jay. Writing my own piece on making the most of my 20s as well. I’ve found it quite difficult to not have it be too long of a post with too many sidetrack narratives. Thus, how being in your 20s can feel!
Your visual of the pyramid is a first to see. How are you checking with yourself that you are approaching the pyramid from the right direction? Or perhaps grading each section of the pyramid on a routine basis?
Yes, I absolutely feel that! So much we're figuring out each day, and ever more to figure out ahead of us.
Re: keeping up with this framework -- rather than viewing it linearly, I see each as an ingredient for crafting a full life. To make sure I don't neglect any aspect, I set annual goals and do monthly check-ins about how I'm doing, what's working/not, etc. in a Notion table. Now that I've found a relatively good groove, I've 'converted' some goals into reminders and dropped my check-in frequencies to quarterly. Hope that answers your question!
This is excellent! Well worth a blog post itself as I feel many people get stuck continuously checking in on annual goals.
Mm thank you for the suggestion, maybe I’ll add it as a future post idea :)
I appreciate that – it definitely made me reflect 🌸
Such a master piece !!!
thank you so much!!
love this framework jay and i’m actually really glad to see how you’ve split up hobbies and interests. i’ve personally thought of it as consumption and production and how we need to have an intentional mix of both to be happy and well-rounded :) some things also don’t quite coincide e.g. can’t have a “hobby” in high fashion because im not a designer or have the budget for a hermes-clad wardrobe. a ton of adult is making the space, both time-wise and mentally, for the things that matter to us. thanks for sharing :)))
Thanks so much for the read and sharing your thoughts & insights!! 100% agree, balance is key ofc but what’s less obvious is what that means for each person’s unique personality and circumstances
- reading this piece has made me a little more conscious to the fact that I really am just being idle and letting life pass me by. I’ve been taking steps to create more urgency but I have so much more to do!
So glad the piece was able to inspire some action, super excited for your journey!!
What a lovely post!! I've never thought of the difference between hobbies and interests. Also, until the sentence "...I hope I never have to retire..." I was thinking like "Why do we need to hate the work instead of finding something delightful in it?" but you've already mentioned :) Perhaps you can write a whole article about it so that we can find some valuable insights!
thanks so much Yunus!! yess finding that ideal occupation is definitely something I’m still trying to figure out, hopefully with time and intention it’ll unfold soon enough :)
Such a good read. Breaking it down so beautifully. Thank you for writing this
Thank you for reading!!
Absolutely in love with this! Your words, your take, everything. Just what I needed to hear <3
Thank you so much, means a lot!!🥹
Yes yes yes!!!