Reality Check: You've Got More Going For You Than You Think. Here are 8 things I learned at the DMV

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The World’s Greatest Equalizer: The DMV. The Department of Motor Vehicles. Where souls go to wither and die. Okay, maybe not.

Like police stations and grocery stores (don’t at me if you go to Trader Joes. I can’t afford it yet). The DMV treats everyone exactly the same--just a number in a queue--regarding wait times and customer service. Notorious for being exceedingly slow, I was prepared to have a very long morning at the DMV, especially having pushed off getting a new license for several weeks now.

An Aside for my Future Graduates--two things to think about before heading to the DMV in your new state of residence:

1. You will need to change your license and car registration (You will need your car’s title in some states) when you move to a new place if out of state. You will also need your points of identification and proof of residence (I also needed a mail, or bill or two to validate my lease as proof of res.).

2. You will need to change your address! This is super easy---go online to the US Postal Service address online and pay like two bucks to get that changed BEFORE heading to the DMV.

3. Look up your state’s documentation requirements IN FULL before you go to the DMV. Trust me, it’ll save you some time. Do you want brownie points and a mega time saver? Check your new state of residence’s DMV website for requirements before you leave mom and dad’s house. That way you can ensure that you’re making your move with the right documentation in hand and don’t need to pester a parent or sibling with dropping it off at the postal office for you.

(I’m talking passport, social security card, official birth certificate, car registration card and insurance card, and the old license that you’ll need to surrender).

Anyways, I was sitting at the DMV where you can do nothing more than sit and think while you wait for your number to be called. While the DMV might be a depressing or drab place, however, it made me realize quite a few things, which looking back now, may be quite helpful to a newbie like I am starting out.

One. Spend like you are a broke college kid still and save every penny. I understand that this is your first ‘big girl job’, but you’ll thank me later. One of the biggest misconceptions that I graduated college with was thinking that I would start making money right out of the gate. But, for many companies, hiring a new graduate with no work experience other than internships is a huge financial risk, so it is likely that they’ll pay you accordingly. Right now, you are quite replaceable, the only differentiators that they had to judge you on are your skills, grades and maybe a selection of key differences in experience. Let me tell you from experience, college really has not tested you yet. You’ve got a lot to prove, and this is the time where you’re going to do it.

Two. Budgeting in “fun” is non-negotiable. Life in the ‘real world’ can be extremely hard because you’ve got tons of balls in the air. From graduate school to your eventual side hustles to just living as a responsible adult, there’s a lot to be done. Considering time as money and vice versa, I think that you’ve got to start every week with a plan: What am I going to do for myself for fun, and how much can I spend? I don’t care if it’s any of the following, but you better have one when I come asking: boba on a Thursday ($7), a haircult ($10-15), lunch which is cheaper than dinner ($15), baking a roll of cookie dough ($4). Whatever it is, make a plan for it, and use it as your north star. No matter what happens this week, you’re going to do that for yourself and you’re going to enjoy every second of it.

Three. Take into account how fortunate you really are: This one was huge for me. I really don’t have the time or opportunity to check into just how lucky and privileged that I am on a daily basis. The act of being grateful, or mindful of one’s own situation can really quickly quell the thousands of voices that are ringing in your mind if you’re anything like me. Here’s how I balanced my personal asset sheet:

1. You have (or the opportunity to get) a job that you will receive benefits from and typically a higher salary than median. If there is a chance for upward mobility in your place of work, then you are already sitting with an asset right out of the gate. You may hate what you’re doing or think it’s the hardest thing for you right now, but it’s yours and for darn sure better than unemployment. A job that requires a degree is also not a guarantee and sometimes the grind of college makes us forget that. You’re not entitled to anything in the real world.

2. If you’re at the DMV, it’s pretty likely that you’ve got some form of transportation, insurance, a safe and permanent address, and legal documentation. Every single one of those things is a tremendous privilege to have. I’m not saying you need to feel bad about having any of the above, but hey, you’ve got the ability to own something that some people would die for.

3. Have you gotten a certificate, college, trade or graduate degree? If you can say yes to any of the above, you are currently sitting or walking around with thousands of dollars of value in your head in skills, perspectives and ideas. Don’t think that those skills are only restricted to being successful at your workplace. If you want a change, you’ve got all the tools that you need upstairs to make it happen.

4. Are you young? I’m gonna defer to you the definition of ‘youth’ to you. However, I think that any stage of life is a good one to start considering youth as simply a capacity with which you can take an opportunity from zero and grow it to a hundred. Whatever foundation that you currently have (be it school, internships, a wage job, family support, etc.) is an asset that you can leverage to exponentially grow. Time is your friend. Make the most of it.

5. Are you healthy? Being active and healthy is something that I didn’t see as a privilege until I was working forty hour weeks and coming home exhausted. The lack of movement really caught up to me quickly. It made me realize how much I took the opportunity, ability and time to exercise or move for granted.

6. Do you have opportunity? This can look like any number of things. Access to a library, the internet, food, shelter, or your brain all are chances to improve upon yourself and your situation. Your opportunity is a mindset that can make even the hardest of days worth figuring out.

So, you can write your own ending to what you’re grateful for and the different ways in which you really do have more assets than you think. Simply sitting down and categorizing all the ways in which you might have the privilege to make your situation better can make the world a much more manageable place. You can do this. I believe that you can. So just go and do it. And when the going gets tough, check in and chin up.