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 nobody’s briefed you about.
You want to create a life that has it all, but nobody’s explained how to make that happen. Worse yet, everyone seems to act like adulting should be a breeze and shouldn’t involve struggles if you’re doing it right.
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 started Things Your Mom Should Have Told You to help fill in the gaps about what people should know about tackling life in their 20s. Along the way, I discovered that 20-somethings aren’t the only ones looking for practical wisdom about everything that comes along with adulthood.
In fact, I’ve come to realize that for most people, figuring out how to navigate life is a lifelong quest. So no matter what age you are, I’m happy if you find useful knowledge and wisdom in this “instruction manual for life” delivered a week at a time.
A “What to Expect While Navigating Young Adulthood”
Things Your Mom Should Have Told You is kind of like a “subscription box” for assembling your grown-up life. It provides practical guidance on everything from love and relationships to careers to getting your shit together.
In Things Your Mom Should Have Told You, you’ll find:
Sensible wisdom to consider when confronted with dilemmas
Guidance for handling situations that tend to crop up in adulthood
Food for thought about the Big Picture of building a life
All the deets on things you need to know to fend for yourself
I enjoy illustrating posts with grainy throwback photos (no AI images here) and funny captions. I believe humor is one of the most valuable tools anybody can carry in life’s little toolbox. Since it’s so handy for reducing troublesome things to a manageable size, I like to sprinkle it around whenever I can.
I also believe in the power of stories. They say that humans learn best through stories because we are hardwired to find in them what may be most applicable to our own situations (maybe that’s why Jesus told parables all the time). Most people love a good story. I hope you’ll find some of those here.
No one person has all the wisdom you need, so it’s important to me that Things Your Mom Should Have Told You includes voices other than mine. That’s why I’m curating a Books of Wisdom collection for you. Instead of TL;DR book reviews, I share snippets from the book in Instagram-like panels to make it easy for you to sample the content and decide whether a book suits you.
I also gather Clippings of News You Can Maybe Use–links to articles and information that may help you avoid some of the potholes on the road of life.
If you’re looking for platitudes or preachy advice, you won’t find it here. But if you’re looking for practical wisdom with a dash of humor, Things Your Mom Should Have Told You should hit the spot.
Who’s this person 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 I wanted, I still had a hard time finding a fulfilling job that made me feel all those years of studying had 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 35 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. (Follow me on Instagram, where I celebrate Throwback Thursday every week, to learn more of my backstory.)
I feel bad that young people today face more pressure than ever to try to have it all. I hope to help you be better prepared to navigate the struggles of adulthood than I was.
It’s not just you
Some aspects of adulthood are confusing or can feel like a huge pain in the ass. Uncertainty and struggles are normal. Learning the ropes of adulthood and building the meaningful life you’ve always wanted takes time
My hope is that reading Things Your Mom Should Have Told You weekly will help reduce anxiety about adulting. If you subscribe, I’ll see you in your inbox every Tuesday.
My one ask: If you find TYMSHTY helpful, please tell someone else about it.
And BTW, DM me (Joanne_McHugh@msn. com) if there’s something you wish your mom (or somebody) had told you. Maybe we can sort it out and save somebody else some trouble.
