Why Adulting Is Disappointing

For those of us in the “adulting” phase of life, the idea of transitioning has taken on all manner of expectations. But, in reality, it can be far from what many expect and often come with its own set of disappointments.

Here are a few quotes that highlight the disappointment that can come with adulthood:

1. "Adulthood is like looking both ways before you cross the street and then getting hit by an airplane." 

2. "Adulthood is just childhood with deadlines."

3. "The hardest thing about adulting is that there's no manual."

4. "Adulthood is realizing you can't solve all your problems by napping."

5. "The reality of adulthood is settling in. It's not just about fun and freedom anymore. It's about responsibility and work."

6. "Adulthood is the realization that you're not going to magically become an adult one day. You have to work at it every day."

7. "I thought growing up was going to be a constant upward trajectory of happiness and success. I didn't expect it to be filled with so much disappointment."

8. "Adulthood is just a series of disappointments punctuated by the occasional delight."

Let's explore some of the common reasons why adulting is disappointing.

Dissatisfaction with Career Choices

Career choices made early on in adulthood may not always turn out to be our dream job — leaving us feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied. When faced with tough financial times and a competitive market for certain jobs, many are left without much choice but to take whatever job is available—leaving us questioning whether or not our lives should have gone a different direction.

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Unrealistic Expectations

It's easy to get swept up in society’s expectations and ideas that often prove unrealistic or impractical when it comes time for implementation. We tend to have high expectations of ourselves which creates pressures that can result in subconscious frustrations when these concepts fail to materialize as planned.

Unreachable Gap From Successful People

Unlike schools where there are limited grades, the real adult world can see multiple billionaires with wealth that you cannot imagine achieving. Seeing others who seem to have more success, happiness, or fulfillment can lead to feelings of disappointment or inadequacy. 

Responsibility Burden

Adulting comes with responsibilities galore — ever-expanding credit card bills, mortgages or rent payments, car repairs — the list goes on… But don't forget about health insurance premiums, gym memberships, weekly groceries, and utility costs – all tallied up each month can leave us feeling burdened down and exhausted by day’s end!

Lack Of Socialization Opportunities

With careers competing for an increasingly scarce chunk of our quality time, many adults forego socialization activities to find new friends, because it is hard to find any time after work. This isolation from others leaves many yearning for more connecting opportunities that otherwise cannot be fulfilled due to work commitments and family duties occupying what little free time remains.

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Financial Constraints

One major issue facing adults is the growing financial constraints felt due to lack or insufficient wages either in a full-time job or freelance agreement. With most salaries barely covering basic needs let alone lifestyle desires, it can appear impossible to create enough wealth for comfortable living standards leading to settled resentments towards employers who refuse to make necessary salary increases among other issues contributing factors towards an overall feeling of financial distress throughout sectors even amongst higher education qualified professionals.

Boredom

Health Issue With Age

As people age, they are more likely to experience health issues, which can limit their activities and impact their quality of life. Healthcare costs are also going up with inflation and medical costs.

Conclusion

Adulting doesn’t always live up to its glamorized expectations and can leave lasting feelings of disappointment when life falls short of desired ideals yet there are ways around this limbo terrain by modifying aspirations (if needed) while restarting educational training where appropriate accompanied by fruitful employment connections that would provide both growth opportunities inside as well as outside the workplace rather than simply settling on employment precariously offering no career enhancement value whatsoever.