The Adulting Workbook: The "I Did It!" Approach to Work, Life, and Getting Your Act Together

by Elsie Wild

Whether you’re 22 or 52, learn all the things about adulthood they didn’t teach you at school in this accessible and encouraging workbook.
 
Being an adult is hard. And it’s not just the big things like buying your own home, getting married, having children, or saying goodbye through death or divorce that make us feel like grown-ups—it’s all the necessary little things along the way that nobody celebrates, but that are hard nonetheless. When 63% of Gen Zers and Millennials (representing ages 18 to 42) report not feeling like they were prepared for the responsibility of being an adult and that they're already feeling burned out by adulthood, something has to change.
 
The Adulting Workbook gets it, and is here to help. It's one part habit tracker, one part advice guide, and one part cheerleader , giving you tips and tricks on a variety of adulting subjects . You'll also find  celebratory reward badge icons for adult milestones, such

“I made a shopping list and followed it.”
“I made a phone call.”
“I put on clothes that weren't pajamas.”
“I didn't waste my afternoon scrolling on social media.”
“I worked out.”
“I paid a bill on time.”
“I put the dishes away.”
“I updated my resume.”
"I drank water."

By earning these “I did it!” successes along the way, you’ll feel good about the small steps you take on your path to full-fledged adulthood. Comfortably arranged by topic, you can jump to the chapters that affect you the most, so you can learn just what you need for this moment. Subjects
Within each topic are guided writing prompts to explore why you’re stuck and actionable "Adulting Challenge" exercises to get you moving again. A layflat binding makes the workbook easy to write in and its compact size means you can work on your grown-up skills everywhere you go.

Even if you don’t yet feel like an adult, this guided workbook will help get you on your way.

With so much of our lives and contact going digital, the  Guided Workbooks  offer an intimate way to nurture your connection with yourself and the people around you. 

Other books in the series   Finding Your Authentic Self ,  Stop Overthinking ,  5-Minute Productivity Workbook ,  3-Minute Positivity Workbook ,  52 Weeks to Better Mental Health ,  A Guided Workbook to Unlock and Explore Your Magickal Intuition ,  A Guided Workbook to Understand and Explore the Wisdom of the Universe , and  Finding Your A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook .

192 pages, Paperback

Published December 19, 2023

Reviews

[Lisa Davidson]

This isn't really a self-help book, although there is some good practical advice here. Rather, it's an assessment on where you are in different areas of your life.
There is no magical moment when you suddenly feel like an adult, and this workbook starts out with an assessment of what you think an ideal adult is. There are no wrong answers, but it's a great idea to think about the people you look up to and who had a positive influence on your life so that you can work on having those positive attributes.
Then there are several assessments on different areas of your life, such as health and diet, so you can set goals and decide what your goals are. Goals change over time, but it's easier to work toward a life you love if you can picture it.
I especially loved the advice about careers, where it helps to make a resume and gives advice like how to keep boundaries at work. The information about buying and renting homes was also very useful. There's also great advice on relationships, such as how to make friends as an adult and how to break up with someone, and then at the very end practical information about laundry, insurance, and how to make coffee.
I loved it. Thank you NetGalley

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This workbook doesn't fit the typical self-help genre, though it does offer some practical advice. Rather, it serves as an assessment tool for various aspects of your life.

Acknowledging that there's no magical moment when one suddenly feels like an adult, the workbook opens with an evaluation of your perception of an ideal adult. With no right or wrong answers, this exercise encourages reflection on positive influences from individuals you admire, helping you cultivate those attributes.

Subsequent assessments cover diverse life areas like health, diet, and career, enabling you to set goals and define your aspirations. Recognizing that goals evolve, the workbook empowers you to envision a life you love. Noteworthy sections provide guidance on crafting resumes, maintaining work-life boundaries, and navigating aspects of homeownership. It also imparts valuable insights into relationships, addressing adult friendships, navigating breakups, and concluding with practical tips on daily tasks like laundry, insurance, and coffee-making.

In essence, this workbook, received through NetGalley, is a comprehensive and appreciated resource.

[MarryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of information regarding more aspects of the adult life, but some of them are in my opinion, common sense.
You get to think about the root cause of some issues you might face as an adult while answering the various questions, while learning about how to handle different situations.
It covers health (both physical and mental), finances, jobs, house related stuff and relationships in a fun way, giving various challenges and trackers to help you with this self-growth journey.
All in all, it can be a great book if you are really lost or a fun gift for a young adult, but as I said, some things are either common sense or stuff you'll find really easy with a single search, but there are also some in depth questions (or advice) that make you really think about how you handle life

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Adulting Workbook” by Elsie Wild is full of super useful information. From habit trackers, reflection props, checklists, goals, food trackers, healthy lifestyle info, exercising reflections, mood trackers, selfcare info, finance help, budgets, career goals, home to do’s, help on need to know when buying a home, chores, relationship advice, ideas of how to meet new people, relationship care, and dealing with loneliness this workbook has everything you might need to be an adult. I wished I knew a bunch of this info years earlier and is great for people who have been an adult for “a while” or young adults. 4 out of 5 stars, a must read for every person.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This workbook felt too scattered because it tries being too many things at once; the relationship section felt like a self-help therapy book while the finance section feels more instructional.
There’s also an implicit guilt tripping with checklists re: what’s a baseline for being an adult (e.g. cooking a meal or dressing), ignoring the fact that folks with depression often aren’t able to do tasks like that.

There were some good journal prompts in here, but overall I’d recommend a book that’s tailored to the specific need you have - not a vague sense of “here’s everything every adult should know,” which is highly subjective.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book has loads of tips and ideas for adulting. I think as a kid; we thought adults knew everything and were on top of it. But turns out, they don’t. Adults are trying to figure out life along the way. As a kid, we’re in a hurry to grow up but when we do; we realized it’s not that great since now you don’t have much free time and you’ve got bills to pay.

[Diandra Knutson · Rating 4 out of 5]

They need adulting classes in high school and this should be a required book! It’s cute. Basic concept but I love the questions and spreadsheets. I will be buying a journal to be able to write and answer. Really cute concept that can definitely be helpful in the end.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This workbook would be suitable to use in a senior high school class. It feels very much like a text book and not the type of book a young adult would read and work through for fun.

*Temporary e-copy received in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! The layout, the questions, and the different activities are perfect. If you ever wondered how to be an adultier adult, this is the workbook for you.
I am working on some of the questions, and have some clear cut goals that I am working toward this year.

Loved it!

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific workbook. I think it would be great for a new adult and a seasoned one like myself. This isn’t a sit down and work your way straight through. Take your time and work through. Really appreciate the work.

[Lauren Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Loved being able to look through this book ahead of time. I’m looking forward to buying a hard copy of it when it is published. Great workbook.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an activity book on how to be a proper adult. From paying your bills to getting your priorities straight, it has all the tips to make you a successful adult.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a workbook, this is a very good resource for those who aren’t sure they are adulting. With assessments and checklists and tips, it also contains reminders that our adulting journeys are all different. I think this would with well with some additional resources.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy. Publish date December 19, 2023.