People are so unique that it is nearly impossible to make comparisons. We set out on our respective journeys, hitting milestones and goals different from each other’s desired paths. There are no two people in the world with the same situation, surroundings, mindset, and lifestyle. However, we all hit similar levels at some point in our lives. We progress from infancy to childhood, from young adults to middle-aged, from seniors to retirement.
There are also similar milestones we all achieve between those points. Among them is independence, wherein we set out on a quest to be responsible for ourselves. Over time, we will reach stability. However, it can be challenging to get to that level without hard work. People need to accomplish several things before calling their lives stable. Here are a few that might be part of your quest for stability.
Financial Security
If something can dictate your life’s progress, it will be your finances. The world is an expensive place to live in, much less survive. Everything necessary for life requires purchases, from the food you eat to the bed you sleep in daily. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to say you are in a stable situation when you barely make ends meet. As a result, financial security will be the first step towards that point in life.
It is not just about survival. To call yourself stable, you must ensure that securing the essentials will not be a problem. Those things include food, water, shelter, clothing, and many more. They are financial responsibilities that will eat up your income. If you want to be stable, financial security will be your goal. Creating a budget to manage all your expenses will be necessary.
Building emergency funds and maintaining multiple sources of income also ensure that unexpected expenses will not be a problem. It might take a while before you master financial management, but it can lead you to security. Once you are financially stable, the rest of your life’s pursuit of stability will follow.
Growing Career Trajectory
Your career is the one thing directly tied to financial stability. Most people do their best to attain a high-paying job as primary income. Unfortunately, the world grows more costly every year. People collect more responsibilities as they age. Most start a family, while others find themselves closer to their other dreams. Unfortunately, nearly every new goal in life comes with expenses. As a result, people must find ways to grow their income.
Setting yourself up for a promotion could factor into your life’s stability. It will increase your income, ensuring you can keep up with the demands of your responsibilities. If job promotions aren’t available, getting a raise might be an alternative. However, it all boils down to your current job. Taking risks becomes an ideal option if you feel stuck in your career. You need to ask yourself if your current career situation will sustain you for the next ten years. If the answer is no, you might not be at that level of stability yet.
A Long-term Home
Before we reach stability, we often encounter a level of independence. This situation is where young adults move out of their parent’s house and make decisions for themselves. They are now responsible for their lives, starting with finding a home. Unfortunately, student loan debts and entry-level jobs mean you might have to look for a cheap boarding room instead of a house.
Fortunately, your efforts to manage your finances and improve your career can help you reach stability to the point of securing a long-term home. The goal is a massive responsibility that can put you into deep financial trouble when done wrong. As a result, planning and preparation for the home purchase become critical. You might want to secure residential land that’s on sale before building a home for a more financially manageable situation. If you feel you are ready for that, stability is an inch closer.
Realistic Life Planning
Young adults often laugh at the thought of a daily routine. Most people want their life to be exciting and unpredictable, enjoying life at its most chaotic experience. However, it will not take long before you realise the consequences of it. Some of your decisions might put you in financial trouble, physical danger, or strained relationships. As you try to eliminate unpredictability in your life, anticipation starts to replace it.
You’ll start making plans and routines that help you expect your actions and activities in the future, ranging from a day to the next five years. It works in every situation. It could be for simple household maintenance checklists to significant life chapters like marriage and family. If those plans start to feel more than hopes and aspirations, you might be closer to stability than you think.
It is unfair for us to work so hard to achieve stability in life, especially when feeling like others managed to do so at an earlier age. However, it doesn’t mean we won’t get there. Stability is closer to an inevitable level in life than it is as a goal, even if it means you have to lower your expectations.
