Nobody is ever totally prepared for launch into the wonderful world of adulthood. That’s why it seems like every time you turn around, there’s another situation that nobody’s briefed you about.
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone spoke to you honestly about the things you were likely to encounter as a young adult instead of pretending like it will all be smooth sailing?
I’d like to help prepare you for what to expect
Things Your Mom Should Have Told You is a weekly online newsletter that gives you the 411 on navigating young adulthood.
A “subscription box” for assembling your grown-up life
TYMSHTY’s Wisdom Snapshots tell you all the things I wish I knew when I was in your shoes. They cover a range of subjects–everything from Love and Relationships to Career to The Big Picture to Little Life Lessons to How to Get Your Shit Together. You’ll find:
Sensible advice to consider when confronted with dilemmas
Guidance for handling situations that tend to crop up in your 20s
Food for thought about the Big Picture of building a life
All the deets on things you need to know to fend for yourself
To help keep it fun, the Wisdom Snapshots typically feature stories and throwback photos. Just scroll through the Home Page for a sample of the types of topics TYMSHTY covers.
I’m also curating a Books of Wisdom collection for you that addresses topics on the minds of people trying to get their lives together. Instead of wordy book reviews that are tl;dr, the Snippets from the Book of the Month resemble Instagram stories so you can quickly get a sense of whether a book suits you.
I also share Clippings of News You Can Maybe Use–links to articles and websites that can help 20-somethings survive and thrive. Rest assured–I’m keeping an eye out for tidbits of wisdom and information that may help you avoid some of the potholes on the road of life.
Who’s this person who’s going to be telling you things?
When I was in my 20s, I discovered that putting my adult life together wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and that very few life experiences unfolded like I had imagined they would.
Though I was free to pursue any career that I wanted, I still had a hard time finding a fulfilling job that made me feel like all those years of studying hard paid off. Even though I married my best friend after 4 years of dating, newlywed life still featured arguments and adjustments. I postponed having children twice because I had no idea how I was going to juggle having a career and being somebody's mother.
In the end, it all worked out okay. I found my way to a career in marketing that I loved. My husband and I have been happily married for 33 years. I eventually had three daughters and managed to still have a professional life without becoming so stretched and stressed that I missed out on the best parts of being somebody’s mom. (To get better acquainted, follow @joanne_mcq on Instagram.)
An instruction manual for life a week at a time
I feel badly that young people today face even more pressure than I did to try to have it all—even though nobody has ever explained how to pull that off. I’d like to help you be better prepared to navigate the struggles of young adulthood than I was.
My mission is to help you learn the ropes of adulthood and to equip you to build the kind of meaningful life you’ve always wanted. You can expect trustworthy guidance, and with the information delivered a week at a time, there’s less chance of being overwhelmed.
If you’re looking for platitudes or preachy advice, you won’t find it here. I’m not going to tell you what to do; you are the only person qualified to run your life. But if you’re looking for practical wisdom along with a side helping of humor, Things Your Mom Should Have Told You should hit the spot. It’ll be kind of like acquiring an instruction manual for life that you don’t mind reading a week at a time.
In fact, reading Things Your Mom Should Have Told You weekly may help reduce anxiety about adulting.
It’s not just you
You’ve probably already discovered that some aspects of adulthood are confusing or can feel like a huge pain in the ass. Just remember that becoming a happy and competent person with a well-balanced and meaningful life doesn’t happen overnight. Uncertainty and struggles during this stage of life are perfectly normal.
My hope is that reading Things Your Mom Should Have Told You weekly will help make becoming a full-fledged grown-up a little easier for you.
If you subscribe, I’ll see you in your inbox every Tuesday. All I ask is this: If you find the content helpful, please introduce me to your friends.
And BTW, DM me if there’s something you’ve been wondering about that you wish somebody would explain.
