It's been a year and few months since I've started working and living on my own. It was a dream come true when my parents allowed me to experience the advantages and disadvantages of living independently. There are a lot of ups and downs that had gone by but here I am, still smiling and enjoying life. So here are the ten things that I've learned over the past year, hoping you will learn from it too. Enjoy!



1.  Don't decide too quickly.
Gather all possibilities first before making an action.

2. Always save your money no matter how small or big that is.
You will never know when you are going to need it.

3. Prioritize your basic needs like food, water, and electricity.
Make sure to pay your bills on time to avoid future problems.

4. Be resourceful.
Make sure to make most of your resources like food and other stuff that you have. Doing so will help you lessen your expenses.

5. Discipline yourself. 
Yes, no one's watching you and your mother is not there to warn you to sleep early. If you have to turn your gadget off to have a good night rest, then do it. It's fun and enjoyable to exceed your id but you have to know what it will cost if you do things irresponsibly.

6. Always keep an emergency kit for everything.
Buy future medicines that you might need and make sure to pack and organize everything that's important to you. So when an emergency comes, you can just grab those things safely and hassle free.

7. Do your house chores no matter how tired you are.
Isn't it more rewarding to rest and chill after a whole day's work in a clean and nice home?

8. Learn how to cook. 
Eating every day at your favorite fast food is convenient and fast but have you ever thought how inconvenient it would be for your whole week's budget?

9. Always stick to your BUDGET and SCHEDULES. 
That dress you just passed by looks good on you but are you willing to sacrifice your budget for next week just to satisfy your self? You can just adjust your budget next time or you can turn that as a reward when you've done something good.

"Schedules"
Know when you need to visit your doctor for check ups, know when you are going to buy your groceries and learn how to say no to social gatherings when you have to do your laundries.  At the same time, you have to stick to your appointments and know how disgraceful one minute late in the working world that is.

10. Be positive and stay being one.
Criticism is everywhere. The outside world is uncontrollable and sometimes mean. You can always choose what criticism you want to accept and what you will not. You have to be genuinely flexible whilst still being yourself. You have to be strong to be able to enjoy the next day and better yet, to become the best person you can ever be.

No matter what happens, remember to always keep it light. (From Usain Bolt's mother)

Thank you for reading! I hope you'll have a great day today!