How to Set Priorities After College

Life after college is no joke. Sure, college was scary at times, with plenty of pressure to keep your nerves frayed at the ends. But when you get into the "real world," you're on your own. You are going to have to take a good solid look at your priorities . First off, you are obviously going to have to make a living. The honeymoon of life, childhood, is over, and no one is going to feel like taking care of you anymore. Aside from making a living and excelling at what you do, you should seriously consider the things that matter to you most in life, and pursue them to the end of the line. It is time to get serious about happiness in the long run.

Instructions

1. Consider the most important things in your life. Is it freedom? Fun? Friends? Family? Or is it something more specific, like collecting stamps that depict flowers, or perfecting your touchdown pass, or studying the history of Roman culture? No matter how general or specific, you should make a priority of focusing on those things which you feel make your life worthwhile.

2. Do some financial math to determine how much money you need to survive after college, how much money you feel like saving over the long haul, and what kind of work you need to be doing to make that kind of money. Be sure the work is something you can do right now, but also strive to expand your knowledge and skill sets so that you can outgrow your current limitations. It does not matter what kind of work you choose, so long as you can support yourself on it and meet your savings goals.

3. Figure out what you would like to do in this lifetime. Some people come up with a list of places they would like to visit or "The Top 50 Things Everyone Should Do Before They Die." If you would prefer something a little more manageable, just come up with a few goals that would require hard work on your part after college. Challenge yourself and think big.

4. Figure out how to accomplish all the little things you need to get done in life after college, and keep striving for improvement in these areas. Someone once said, "It's the little things that count," and they are correct. Especially because it's the little things that seem to take so much work. Don't feel like doing the dishes? Figure out a way to motivate yourself to do them. Afraid to try a more efficient route to work? Get up early and try it. Make it a priority to summon the courage and strength to get the little things done in life.

5. Get to know your own feelings towards your friends, family and significant others. Decide what kinds of sacrifices or compromises you will have to make in order to keep those people in your life after college and to treat them the way you feel you should be treating them. Come to terms with your friends and strive for peace with your enemies, but stand your ground whenever you feel it is necessary.

6. Constantly reassess your priorities after college. If you feel you are not measuring up to your hopes and dreams, either change your behavior or adjust your hopes and dreams to become more realistic.

7. In all cases, strive for sobriety of mind, strength of heart, and lightness of spirit.