Okay so the clock is ticking. You've been given some dead-line by your parents, school, or yourself to GET OUT THERE and start doing you. The first and foremost thing you have to do is… PLAN. I know, sounds boring right? WELL IT'S NOT. You, for probably the first time in your life, get to plan and figure out what YOUR LIFE is going to look like at least for the next year. If you're not excited about taking control of your own life then please leave. Feel free to stay with dear-old mum and dad for the rest of your life. For the rest of you, let's get started.
So you're out on your own, or are about to be. There are a few key questions you want to start asking yourself. Like, what do you want to do with yourself? What dreams and aspirations do you have? How do you plan on living the rest of your life, or at least the next 10 years of it? Really, where do you want to see yourself in those 10 years, and how are you going to get there? Well most of that I can't tell you. Your dreams and aspirations are just that - yours! But I can help you to get started on a general basis with a set of things that everyone needs.
You're going to need a list. A list of what? Well, get a pen and paper. You will need to list all of the basic necessities it will take to keep you alive and able-bodied. (Notice I didn't say "alive and HAPPY" because this part is just about surviving. Here's a very basic list I came up with when posed with this situation a year ago. (Just so you know, basic is okay to start with. We can always add details later - and we will!)
THINGS I NEED TO SURVIVE:
1) Money
2) Shelter
3) Food
4) Clothing
5) Transportation
6) Health-care
That's it. Just those six things. These are the things you need above anything else. Now let's talk about how you're going to get these things because, hey! YOU are responsible for these things now! I'll go into each of the things above briefly but will have separate posts later going into detail on each of these things.
Number 1. Money. No matter what anybody says, you do, in fact, need money to live. How are you going to get your money? I suggest a reputable and legal way of obtaining some cash. So a job. What kind of job do you want? What kind of job can you get? How much money do you need? How much money can you actually get? How do you budget? All are good questions to start asking yourself.
Number 2. Shelter. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, your physiological needs come first before you can even start to think about anything else. If you slept through psych, that just means that before you can even think about being the best you that you can be, you need to satisfy your needs for food, water, air, and protection from the elements. (Sex is in there too just so you know, but I'm pretty sure you don't need that one explained.) So back to shelter. Where are you going to lay your body down at night? An apartment? Someone's basement? A shelter? And where is it going to be? Close or far away from the nearest city? This neighborhood or that? It's a good idea to start looking around.
Number 3. Food. Just like above, you obviously need food to survive. But how will you get your food? Will you cook at home or dine out? Are you eligible for food-stamps? Are you willing to go to soup-kitchens if you get in a pinch? Food. For the time being, it's eat to live, not live to eat.
Number 4. Clothing. Just like shelter, you need to protect your body from the elements. (And also no, I don't want to see your dangly-bits and love-handles as you decide to join a nudist camp.) Obviously you have some already, (well you should) but eventually you'll need more. Warmer, cooler, less stained, hole-free clothes. Can you afford to shop at brand-name stores? Do you know someone who could get you a job there so you can get a discount? Can you make your own clothes? Should you rely on goodwill for some things? (The answer is yes, but the key here is just to keep all your bits and pieces covered.)
Number 5. Transportation. I can sense it already. Some of you have just gone "Transportation isn't a necessity! I don't need a car!" WELL GUESS WHAT. You actually DO need a way of getting around. How are you supposed to get to that job we talked about earlier?! Do you have a car already? Is there a bus system? Is there a train or subway system? Can you find a coworker to car-pool with? You have places to go and need to be able to get there.
Number 6. Health-care. Like transportation I'm sure I heard a few negative remarks from a few of you but I hold very firmly to the notion that you do need health-care of some sort. Accidents are going to happen, you will get sick, and you will be much happier when you only have to pay a $25 co-pay (If you even have to pay that!) to see the doctor about your cold-that-just-won't-go-away, as opposed to the $200 bill you'd get otherwise. And don't get me started about hospital bills.
So there they are. The six things you need to start thinking about and planning for to get you started. It's okay if you don't have anything finalized yet, I'll cover them all and more in greater detail in separate posts. And after you have those six things squared away, you can start planing the more enjoyable parts of life! (Like entertainment, vacation, and the rest of the things you want to do and have!)
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