How to Know when You Are Grown Up

Adulthood doesn't magically arrive with a number. The day you reach 18 or 21 isn't a day that arrives equipped with the manual for adulthood. Indeed, in current times, adolescence tends to be extending itself through some people's 20s and 30s, with adult children ("adultolescents") not leaving home and choosing to adopt working styles that allow for the least responsibility and not being "tied down". Yet, there comes a day when growing up is either essential or simply creeps up on you. Knowing that you've reached that point is often an issue of acceptance and learning to change your ways to both outwardly and inwardly adopt more mature behaviors.

In general, being grown up indicates that you’ve evolved into a new stage in your life where you take your career, life and future more seriously, or at the very least, you have more concern for your future needs and are no longer as easily persuaded by shallow thrills and aimless meandering. If "adultolescence" has been your thing for a while, but you feel the stirrings of maturity, use this article to check whether you're ready for the next stage of life's growth.

EditSteps

1. 1
   You actually think about the future. Consider your perception of time. When you're a kid, your mindset is in the here and now. Maybe you think about what's going to happen tomorrow, or next week, or even this summer. But, you know you're a grownup when you think seriously about what things will be like 5 or 10 years from now, and take action to influence your future life. This manifests itself in a few different ways:
   • You look for a relationship partner who's as much compatible as he or she is exciting. When you're young and immature, it's all about the chemistry and fireworks. When it's stops being fun, before long, it just stops. As you get older, you start to learn from your past relationships, and you become more selective. And when you hit bumps in the road, you actually try to work through it, rather than argue at the top of your lungs and end the relationship with drama.
   • You invest in a retirement fund. You're officially a grown-up when you own stocks. Even if you don't know how many you have, how much they're worth, or even what stocks are exactly, you're still putting on your big boy pants and putting your money into something that will hopefully blossom in the distant future.
2. 2
   You're trying to lose weight. Examine your waistline - do you remember being able to eat or drink whatever you want and staying lean no matter what? If those days are behind you, and you're trying to reverse the slowing of your metabolism, you're probably a grownup. You don't see kids counting calories or weighing themselves. While the desire to impress other people with your appearance is not exclusive to adults, the pursuit of health and fitness is very "grownup" because it requires a degree of conscientiousness and self-control that kids simply aren't interested in (and have no need for).
3. 3
   You start appreciating the finer things in life. Think about how your tastes have changed. What did you like 10 or 20 years ago, that you don't like anymore? What do you enjoy now that you hated when you were a kid? Some signs that you are growing up:
   • You think the music teenagers and college students are listening to is awful...Notnearly as awesome as the music that came out when you were a teen or a college student.
   • You like wine.
   • You prefer well-cooked meals over fast food (at least sometimes).
   • You like movies and TV shows that you would've thought were boring in the past.
   • You've actually said something is "too sweet".
   • You take the time to decorate your home, instead of just slapping up posters.
4. 4
   You reminisce about "the good times". Ask yourself: Is life better now than it was 10 years ago? If the answer is no, and you can think of several reasons why, you're probably a grownup. As people get older, we tend to romanticize the distant past and yearn for times gone by. Ironically, it's more than likely that the time you are in now is an era you will yearn for 10 or 20 years down the line. This is probably one of the aspects of being a grownup that you're better off without. Appreciate what you have now and stop expecting it to be as joyful as a time that no longer exists.
5. 5
   You're content with less sleep. Recall a time when sleeping for 10 hours straight was a treat. If now it's impossible, you're probably growing up. Science has shown that older people need less sleep.^[1] In addition, the more responsibilities you have, the less time you have to sleep, so it works out quite well. You know you're growing up when you wake up before your alarm clock goes off and think to yourself, "Nice! I have extra time to..."
6. 6
   You love staying home. Compare your current self to your past self. Was there a time when you wanted to go out as much as possible, and now you enjoy staying home? As you get older and feel the pull of responsibility, you start to see your home as a refuge, rather than a prison. If you find yourself turning down opportunities to go out (opportunities that you would've jumped on in the past), you're officially a grownup.

EditTips

• Another tell-tale sign of growing up is how you refer to people. For example, you stop calling people “dude” or “man” and you consider it polite to use people's first name as a form of acknowledging them for who they really are. Indeed, you don't even mind referring to people by their title or even Sir or Madam!
• Aging is another sign of growing up, although some people enter older age kicking and screaming. Having to wear glasses to watch TV or drive can be a big wake-up call for some, while those gray hairs aren't exactly screaming youth!
• Keeping the house tidier is another sign of growing up. There comes a Eureka moment when you realize that a little regular cleaning here and there, and cleaning as you go, is a lot more efficacious and pleasant than the three monthly curse-filled nuclear clean and dust-laden living for the remaining time.

EditWarnings

• Being grown up also means that you can still have fun and be silly. Don’t take yourself too seriously. In fact, the adult who is able to see the world through childlike eyes will never lose a sense of wonder and awe. Just don't confuse this with childishness.