When I was little, I assumed becoming a grown up was something that happened overnight. That one day, I would go to sleep stuffed animals in tow, loving to procrastinate and buying unnecessary things – and wake up with a budget tailored to my needs and a closet full of a practical, yet slim, wardrobe, and a fully complete to do list. Of course, that is not the case.

I’m not at all saying I’m a bonafide grown up. In fact, I almost wrote this post with a Disney movie playing in the background, but my older, more mature side swayed me towards Harry Potter. I am saying that some of these things have started happening, and they may be happening to you, too. Be not afraid.

There may come a time when your desire to feel 100% the next day is more attractive than the idea of going out to the bar and acting a fool. Oh, the humanity! This one may be a hard pill to swallow, but it is oh so true, especially after a long work week. (That’s such a grown up thing to say.) Not to say a night out with your friends isn’t a good option. It definitely is. But, there are also times when avoiding a hangover is the better option. And those times become more plentiful after each passing year.

You genuinely care about your health. Gone are the days where you could binge on fast food and instead feel like you had eaten a kale and chia seed delight. I recently got McDonald’s for lunch after not working out the night before and wanted to slide under my desk and take a nap immediately. I felt like death and could picture my arteries crying tears swollen with bad decisions. It’s time to realize that you’re given one place to live during your time here, so you better take care of it. Binge eating on your favorite guilty pleasure is still okay here and there, but that’s why we workout, right? Welp, at least that’s a major reason why I do.

Friendships take the shape of quality over quantity. There comes a time when you realize that the quality of your friends is far more important than the quantity. Superficial friendships can be made, but they aren’t the ones that last. Cut the dead weight. If you’re giving 90 and they’re hardly giving 10, it’s time to move on. You don’t have time to waste on friends like that anymore. Instead, take the time to celebrate the good ones you have. It may be difficult at the time, but you’ll be happier in the end.

You begin saving not just for things, but for the sake of saving. One of the best parts of having a childhood allowance was that you could practice your saving skills. At that time, they typically look something like this: saving process -> hit goal -> buy something that depleted said savings -> repeat. Now the model looks much different. We save for the feeling of security, and to know that if we want to make a big purchase or take that trip we’ve been talking about, we can. It’s not nearly as fun as saving and spending and repeating, but it does seem to make more sense.

When out shopping and you see a dress or tie, the thought “that would be nice for a wedding” has entered your mind a time or two. This has been happening more times than I’m willing to admit, namely because if I admit it, then you might think I have a shopping addiction. The most recent occurrence happened at Zara, when I walked past a beautiful, blue dress. As much as I wanted to try it on, the first thought that entered my mind was “I don’t need to be spending money on that; it’s not like I have a wedding to go to this month.” I promptly laughed at myself (but I still look at the dress online regularly and bask in its Kate Middleton-ness) and walked away.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make healthy decisions today so I can gorge on a burger and fries later tonight. #compromise