List #11: 30 Signs I am Most Definitely an Adult

30 Lists of 30 to Celebrate my 30th Birthday

Photo by Suzi Kim on Unsplash

The What & Why Behind This Project:

This year I turn 30. And my gosh, I have been thinking about it a lot. I don’t know if it’s the pandemic, or the fact that this milestone is loaded with many societal expectations, but my mind has inundated me with reflections and memories from the past, with questions arising about my life choices and lesson learnt, about my expectations of being a human and about my desires for the future. And this combined with pandemic reflections has meant there has been a lot on my mind….🤔

I started writing a series of questions and lists of all the elements I wanted to capture and articulate. There were a lot, unsurprisingly; 30 years is a long time really! So I gave up on the 1 list idea that I normally write (30 reflections/lessons turning 30) and decided to write 30 lists.

30 Lists of 30, for my 30th Birthday.

Who are these lists for, you might wonder? I started writing reflections many years ago to get to know myself better. And when I shared these raw and real accounts with friends I discovered that what I wrote about my individual journey, touched upon something universally human. Beyond the masks and labels we wear is a messy, beautifully complex life, with highs and lows. And more similar to others than we might think.

So I share them in the hope that you too might feel something — intrigue, joy, resonance or maybe even difference — as you reflect on what it means to be a human. I recognise that my experiences are my own, that some come from a place of privilege and that they may not all be relatable or interesting to you. I know I can’t please everyone, so take what you can…(and let me know what lands!).

So, Back to Lists…

The Why Behind List #11: 30 Signs I am Most Definitely an Adult

I always wondered at what age we become an adult. Is it 18, 21, 25?… At each milestone I could see more and more that I had so much more to learn. I still feel like that but I’ve also noticed how much my day-to-day behaviours and decisions reflect a shift in the direction of ‘adulting’.

List #10: 30 Signs I am Most Definitely an Adult

1. Owning (or part owning) a car feels cool until you get the ever-increasing list of repair charges after every MOT.
2. When it comes to being social, most of my ‘play dates’ are focused around having dinner.
3. I now know that the dishwasher needs salt and rinse aid to function.
4. One of my superpowers now includes an ability to navigate tight-turnarounds from airport check-in to the gate.
5. I’m more likely to visit my GP than go clubbing.
6. I batch cook x2 meals every week and freeze them in plastic containers so always have something ready.
7. I have a box of birthday etc. cards ready to send for any occasion.
8. I’m still wearing clothes I bought 10 years ago.
9. Last week I learnt about and bought a ‘Rose Clear’ insecticide for my roses that I now own. I also now have plants that require me to keep them alive.
10. I feel a little resistant to the idea of moving home, simply because of how many books I have accumulated.
11. The things I am saving up for right now are a coffee machine and a foot stall!
12. I know the pain of not having hot water, heating or internet and spending hours on the phone of spending hours of the day trying to get through to the right department to convince them to come.
13. When I see parents and their children, I feel excited about the idea of having children. And…I’m super conscious of my biological clock.
14. I have a lot less tolerance for living with people who are messy and dirty.
15. When it comes to late night parties, I prioritise going home and to sleep more and more.
16. I rarely drink alcohol, at least not during weekdays.
17. I have an accountant.
18. 99% of my post is bills.
19. I’ve learnt to say no to socials when FOMO would otherwise be the only reason I attend.
20. I’m now past the age I thought I would be married. And my Facebook and Instagram feed are 80% engagement and wedding pictures.
21. I call my Mum every week to ensure that she is okay and well. I’m realizing that my parents won’t be around forever.
22. I do pilates and yoga to relieve the nagging pain and tightness in my shoulder which I have some level of anxiety about.
23. I track my expenditure (by categories on an Excel spreadsheet each week and annually).
24. Which tells me…I spend more on good coffee than I probably should.
25. The last time I drank Coca Cola is 12+ months ago. I’ve highly decreased my fizzy drinks and sugar intake and I eat a lot more vegetables.
26. I’ve had a pregnancy scare and taken a test at least once. Each time comes with a refresh of the question ‘at what age and conditions I would go ahead with it?’
27. Before climbing a tree, I think about all the ways I could break my body if I fall.
28. Dating has somewhat become a chore.
29. I realise my choices do impact other people and I am responsible for others.
30. I’ve realised the naivety of my past decisions (see 30 risks I took and what I learnt) — I was naively optimistic when starting a company.

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Your support will help me fund my PhD starting in October 2021 at the School of Design Engineering, Imperial College, London. The subject: Human Connection & Conversation Design. This research lab > interactionfoundry.com

Want To Read More Lists?

I’m publishing one list every day in August (and will add the hyperlinks below).30 Reasons Why I’m Writing 30 Lists of 30

1. 30 Questions I’m Living Right Now
2. 30 Ways To Have An Awesome Conversation
3. 30 Risks I Took & What I Learnt
4. 30 Ways to Create and Cultivate Community
5. 30 Questions I Reflect on Every Saturday Morning
6. 30 Essential Items I Pack Backpacking
7. 30 Skills We Need But Don’t Teach
8. 30 Things I Wasn’t That Grateful For But Am Now
9. 30 Reflective Questions that Lead to Fascinating Conversations
10. 30 Signs I am Most Definitely an Adult
11. 30 Beliefs I Changed about Myself & Life
12. 30 Games I’m Playing in Life
13. 30 Confusing Messages I’ve Internalised About Who To Be & How to Live
14. 30 Ways I’m Totally Imperfect
15. 30 Considerations for Designing Meaningful Human Connection Experiences
16. 30 Mundane Experiences That Can Actually Be Quite Magical
17. 30 Words To Describe Elements of My Pandemic Experience
18. 30 Things I’ve Learnt About Human Behaviour That Show Up Everywhere
19. 30 Words I Love
20. 30 Parts of Me
21. 30 Principles I Live By
22. 30 Lessons from 5 Years of Entrepreneurship and Creating
23. 30 Health, Productivity, Creativity and Happiness Optimisation Experiments I’ve Explored And The Life Hacks that Resulted From Them
24. 30 Things I am Proud of (Achieving) Before 30
25. 30 Experiences (& Goals) For the Next 10-ish Years
26. 30 Things I Need To Let Go As I Move Forward Into The Next Chapter
27. 30 Journal Entries from the Last 20 Years
28. 30 Lists That Didn’t Make it to the 30 Lists
29. 30 Reflections Writing 30 Lists of 30

Follow me on Medium to read them.

Still Curious?!

💬 Watch my TEDx talk: Talking to Strangers: Having a Meaningful Conversation

📖 Read about some of my work recently published in Entrepreneur.com How to Become a Master at Talking to Strangers

✍️ Stay connected through Conversations With Georgie: The Home of My Thoughts as a Life-Long Learner. Curious. Deep. Exploratory. Real and Raw.

📧 Contact Me: Georgie@Triggerconversations.co.uk