We’re all adults here. We understand the value of learning from our mistakes, getting a proper night’s sleep, and not acting right on social media. However, this doesn’t mean we’re perfect. Even the wisest and most mature of adults need some guidance at times. These 5 books by adulting experts are here to help.
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown
Why you need to read it: To find out the basics – what’s required of you now that you’re an adult.
Based on writer Kelly Williams Brown’s blog, ADULTING, which aims to teach followers how to “act like an adult even if you don’t feel like one,” this book of tips spans all the areas of life that change as you become an adult. Brown makes aspects of the “real world” seem manageable from the workplace to the bedroom. You’ll learn what to check for when renting a new apartment, just how much is ok to drink at work functions, how to find – and talk to – a mechanic, mastering your “meeting face,” and more. (Get a sneak preview over at her blog with one of her printable flow charts & doodles.)
Money Rules: Rule Your Money or Your Money Will Rule You by Gail Vaz Oxlade
Why you need to read it: To fix your finances.
Gail dedicates this book to “all the younguns who want some way of figuring out what’s true and what’s a load of bullshit. Here it is, for you, now you know.” Read Gail’s definitive 261 money rules, including “know the difference between good and bad debt,” “a mate is not a prerequisite for homeownership,” ” you must have a will,” and you won’t be able to hide behind any more ignorant excuses.
Finding Your Way in a Wild New World by Martha Beck
Why you need to read it: To get to know your intuition and learn how to use it as a guide.
O Magazine columnist and sociologist Beck combines ancient wisdom and modern science to help you learn how to tap into, and develop, your intuition. She writes about the “technologies of magic” we can use to bring our desires into form. Her stories of the amazing yet totally normal people she’s met in her travels are a reminder that what looks like “magic” is actually a developed skill honed in 4 steps – wordlessness, onenes, imagination, and forming. Too woo-woo? Don’t be put off. This Harvard-grad boss lady is just as skeptical as she is practical in her guidance.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Why you need to read it: To take control of your career.
From the business-savvy mind of Stephen Covey, this self-help book for the thinking-gal hashes out the 7 habits of people who get shit done and do it right the first time. Divided into 3 sections – independence, (moving away from dependence to independence), interdependence (working with others), and continuous improvements, the habits he focuses on include things like being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, etc. Covey cites strategies of some of the most effective people of out time, from Viktor Frankil to Bill Clinton.
The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte
Why you need to read it: To set serious life-goals with soul.
Ideal for creative professionals and entrepreneurial spirits, this book is a truth-seekers guide to goal setting. It contains 16 straight-talking sermons on life, consciousness, money, and everyday liberation from rebel entrepreneur Danielle LaPorte. Inspiring exercises give you a chance to peer into your deepest desires and extract the most valuable actionable. Read this if you want to break out of a rut, get motivated you to take responsibility for your life, and start making your big mark on the world.
