13 Lessons I Learned From A Season Of Subletting And Staying In

On roommates, your place and important living decisions:

1. Maintain a strong sense of control over any decision when it comes to how it may impact your core needs in the context of your living situation.

2. Do not relinquish absolute control of your living situation to anyone else other than yourself.

3. Having your own personal space that is truly yours is critical for self-balance, comfort and consistency. Don’t ever lose sight of this. Take the process of finding yourself a place to live seriously and personally.

4. If you can avoid subletting, avoid subletting.

5. Never rent or sublet a place sight unseen.

6. Live with someone of the opposite sex who is not a significant other at some point in your life. You will learn about friendship more than you knew before.

7. Live by yourself at some point in your life. Total independence is empowering.

On socializing:

8. If you still experience FOMO, read the first two words of #12, then come back to #9.

9. If someone wants to leave a group situation, only guilt them into staying if you GENUINELY want them to stay and if that doesn’t work, accept.

10. If you want to leave somewhere, then just leave.

11. If you don’t feel like going out, then don’t go out. If you don’t want another drink, then don’t have another drink.

On dialing in:

12. Grow up. Start taking things seriously. At least have a clear focus. The window for transformation is open now, so lock in. Or don’t, but then accept you’re not going to catch this next wave and will get lapped by people hungrier than you.

13. You are only responsible for you. So do what you want. Trust your gut. And don’t listen to anything else other than your heart.