I REMEMBER when I turned 20, like it was yesterday. The first thing I wished for me was to stay 20 for the rest of my life.

It’s such a copout, but the first lesson and the most challenging thing you will learn growing up is getting out of your comfort zone.

Why wouldn’t it be? You have everything you need at home. Your parents, security, home-cooked meals, rent-free, you don’t have to wash your clothes, and you don’t have a care in the world.

But that’s the thing; you can’t live off your parent’s generosity and care for the rest of your life. You’ll have to move out eventually.

So here we are. It’s quite a predicament but let’s give it a shot and try to make it as painless as possible – A list of things you need to know when you’re on your own.

1. Learn how to spend on a budget

Successful people only spend what they have earned. And not the other way around. It can be tempting once you receive your first paycheck or credit card.

Lazada and Shoppee beckon, and a multitude of behavior-altering online shopping content.

Stay on a budget. Ask yourself first before purchasing anything whether the item in your online cart is a NEED or a WANT.

I’m sure you’ll figure out which one is essential and what is not. Your teacher taught you Excel. Time to use Excel for your personal budget.

2. Use a scheduler or your calendar app; you’ll thank yourself for it

If you live by the seat of your pants all the time, you might get some good results from time to time, but you’ll learn later that the same approach is the harbinger of chaos. Things pile up.

Responsibilities, bills to pay, projects, to-do lists, car repairs, meetings, hubby quality time, etc. Let’s say that there is a reason why successful people have a checklist, follow a calendar, and, sooner or later, an assistant.

Schedule everything, and your life will get easier.

3. Develop your people skills, learn their names, for starters

I’m not fond of a cliche as much as the next smart-ass in the room, but it’s true; treat people the way you want people to treat you. Respect begets respect, and you can start by remembering someone’s name.

Don’t feel embarrassed if you are as forgetful as Dory, the fish with periodic amnesia in Finding Nemo. Ask the person’s name if you still need to remember after 5 minutes. The effort alone is flattering because you care.

4. Respect people’s time

Please be on time.

Former Transportation Secretary Art Tugade once said that money you can get back, but the time you can’t.

So don’t waste anybody’s time by being late.

5. Be generous with your kind words

I know this successful guy greets almost everyone celebrating their birthday on his Facebook timeline. It doesn’t matter if he’s close to any of them.

He knows that a few seconds of typing HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes a long, long way for that person to feel special.

Say your greetings and salutations to anyone. The guard in your building, the tindera, the grab driver, the policeman, the doorman.

Saying nice things to someone is not about getting something out of it but doing something decent to someone else. By doing so, you are making the world a better place.

For reelz.