5 Effective Ways for Men to Grow Up
By: Michael Reynoso
Tags: World, Leadership, Self, Mindfulness, Religion

5 Effective Ways for Men to Grow Up

Take responsibility for what you do, not putting blame on others

Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

Gentlemen, have your parents ever told you to “be a man and grow up?”

We all heard this saying before, haven’t we?

Whenever our parents tell us to grow up, that means putting away childish things and be responsible for our lives. The first step to adulthood is growing up.

A lot of people seem to think that being a man is just about being tough. But there is more to it than people thought. It’s really about maturity, self-reliance, and being secure in who you are. In other words, being a man means no longer being a child.

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us struggle with some aspect of leaving our childhood behind. Nevertheless, adulthood is a journey. Being willing to work on your own journey shows that you are ready.

If you are ready to take the next step in adulthood, there are 5 effective ways for you to become a man.

Are you ready to embark on your journey to adulthood? If so, continue reading.

1. Define Yourself and Your Values

Before you enter adulthood, you have to first command respect from people. Commanding respect is understanding what you have to offer. If you assume you aren’t going to contribute anything, most people won’t bother look beyond it.

Instead, people will look for others who values themselves and is worth looking at. Your strengths may not be obvious to you, but they are needed.

When it comes to defining ourselves and values, we tend to ignore our strengths and weaknesses. If you want more clarity on what your strengths and weaknesses are, think about the accomplishments you are proud of.

Then ask yourself what traits that helped you during your journey. If you are unsure about it, ask someone who knows you well and whom you trust.

Don’t dismiss anything you have accomplished. When you know what you’re about, you can build an identity that you communicate with your personal style and the first impressions you make. If you focus on what you uniquely bring to the table and what’s most important to you, it will show.

A final note on this: define yourself by what you are, not people’s perception of you.

Just remember that the power is yours to decide to rise above them.

2. Learn Life Skills

You are a grown man.

Your father is not here to fix things that you break. Your mother is not here to clean up your messes. It is up to you to learn how and apply what you were taught. In order for you to become a man, you need some basic skills.

Being prepared for whatever life may throw at you is a key marker of maturity.

First, start by learning how to be prepared for emergencies. Take a first aid or survival class. Get CPR certified and help your family plan what to do in the event of a natural disaster.

Even if you never use what you learn, you will feel better about yourself knowing that you can take charge when there is danger. Of course, every problem you encounter won’t be easy.

In order for you to handle anything that life comes at you, you will need patience and work ethic. When you wake up in the morning, always find time to fellowship with God.

If you are a busy person, you can take an hour or two and meditate on God’s word. By doing this, you will be equipped to handle what life throws at you. Don’t let the troubles of life keep you down.

Develop a relationship with Him and be mission minded. If you are at home, at the very least, clean your bedroom. Always keep your home organized and make sure to do your laundry without someone telling you to do it.

If you can’t take care of the little things we have, how can you handle bigger things.

3. Be Reliable, Be Accountable

Here is a basic principle that every man should pay attention to:

A grown man should be able to take responsibility for problems that come up in his life.

That means following through on what needs to be done and not making excuses.

Taking ownership of wrongdoing and not blaming others out of guilt and shame. Above all else, be on time. Be smart about your own time and show others that you value theirs.

If punctuality doesn’t come naturally to you, commit to finding a system that works. You have plenty of options. However, don’t take advantage of them because you have all the time in the world.

Instead, you have to rely on yourself before others can rely on you. If you can’t do that, you’re going to be overwhelmed.

Simplify and organize your life.

Think carefully about where you tend to drop the ball and focus on confronting and fixing those problems.

You don’t have to be perfect, and you needn’t expect an overnight transformation. Hold yourself accountable and stay focused on small but steady and continuous improvement. Those around you will notice.

4. Be the Bigger Man

Conflict is part of life. People will disagree with you. Some will disrespect you. A few may even hurt you. But no matter how you’re wronged, one thing is certain: how you handle it is up to you.

An important part of learning to be a man is learning to pick your battles. Some people may annoy you but always you’re your own business. Don’t get involved into things that doesn’t concern you. You don’t have to talk all the time.

Just by listening can save you from getting in trouble. There are some people who will try to attack your character. Ignore them. For some, you’ll have to stand up to them. When you meet them, you’ll be glad you didn’t waste your energy on smaller problems.

Once you apply these basic principles, you can stand your ground and be strong without being angry and reactive. Also, you can be understanding without being spineless.

It is your responsibility (and within your power) to decide who to fight and the type of people you should walk away from.

5. Take Action, Take Initiative

When it comes to your goals and life aspirations, the only factor you can really control is yourself. When you are faced with overwhelming odds, that may not feel like too much power.

In reality, it is quite a lot. By you having the ability to control yourself incredibly powerful. It is always your decision to act like a man. You can always choose not to be a victim!

Be honest with yourself about what you want out of life and what it will take to achieve your goals.

If you have made choices you regret, understand that while you can’t go back, you can only go forward.

It is also important to take initiative and assess things differently. Take charge of your life and not expect anything in return.

TAKE ACTION, gentlemen. Don’t just wait for your goals to materialize on their own. Part of being a man is honestly evaluating what you want out of your life.

Go after it with everything you’ve got!