Adulting 101

Think about the first time you bought something truly on your own, something that was a real household necessity. Maybe it was a plunger. You stand in the aisle of a giant home improvement store, faced with a dozen different kinds, from the simple bell-shaped classic to accordion-style contraptions that look like they could launch a small satellite. There are no instructions. No one ever taught you the difference. You just grab one, pay for it, and hope for the best. That small, slightly absurd moment of confusion and self-doubt is a snapshot of early adulthood. Suddenly, you're expected to know how to do a thousand things—from filing taxes and changing a tire to building deep friendships and navigating spiritual questions—that were never covered in a classroom.

This feeling of being handed a box of tools without a blueprint is what drove Josh Burnette and Pete Hardesty to create this book. For years, as part of their work with students and young professionals in ministry, they saw a generation of smart, capable people who were acing their exams but felt completely lost in the basics of life. They were experts in theory but novices in practice. Burnette and Hardesty realized the problem wasn't a lack of information, but a lack of intentional preparation. They started gathering the most common questions and anxieties they heard, compiling the practical wisdom and spiritual foundations that so many were missing. "Adulting 101" became their answer—a collection of essential life skills born from countless conversations with people standing in the aisle, just trying to figure out which plunger to buy.

Module 1: Design Your Life with the End in Mind

The book opens with a powerful premise. Before you can build a successful life, you must define what success means to you. This is about designing a life that aligns with your deepest values.

The authors challenge you to imagine your own funeral. Who will be there? What will they say about you? This exercise forces you to look beyond the immediate pressures of work and daily life. It clarifies what truly matters. The authors share the story of a mentor whose funeral drew people from around the world. His legacy was in the lives he touched. This brings us to a critical insight. Your legacy is built on your impact on people, not your collection of possessions. You can't take your material wealth with you. Your influence, however, endures.

This leads to the next step. To live intentionally, you must craft a personal mission statement to guide your decisions. This is a personal compass. A mission statement helps you say "no" to distractions and "yes" to opportunities that align with your purpose. The authors quote Laurie Beth Jones: "You are either living your mission, or you are living someone else’s." Without a clear mission, you risk being controlled by others' expectations. To get started, they suggest asking yourself deep questions. What issues are you passionate about? If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? Tools like StrengthsFinder or the Enneagram can also help you identify your core strengths and passions.

Ultimately, this entire process is about avoiding future regrets. The authors reference a study of nursing home residents who shared their biggest life regrets. The top regrets included not living a life true to oneself, working too much, and neglecting friendships. The good news? These regrets are preventable. You can avoid common end-of-life regrets by living intentionally now. This means making conscious choices today. Prioritize the "big rocks" in your life—your health, your relationships, your personal growth. Don't let your calendar be filled with urgent but unimportant tasks. As the authors advise, start by "doing the first right thing each day." These small, consistent actions build a life of purpose and fulfillment.