How to Be Mature
Develop your interests., Set goals and work towards them., Know when it is okay to be silly., Be respectful of others., Pick mature friends.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Develop your interests.
Lacking dynamic or developed interests or hobbies might contribute to your seeming immature.
Finding something that you enjoy doing and becoming an "expert" at it can make you seem more experienced and mature.
It will also give you something to talk about with others, whether or not they also participate in your hobby.
Try to keep your hobbies active and productive.
It’s a lot of fun to marathon a TV show, but it isn’t necessarily the best use of your time.
This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy movies, TV, and video games, but they shouldn’t be the only things you spend your time on.Hobbies can increase your self-esteem and boost your creativity.
They can also stimulate parts of your brain that make you feel positive and happy.There’s basically no limit to the types of things you can do! Get a camera and learn photography.
Pick up a musical instrument.
Practice a new language.
Learn to beatbox.
Start a live-action roleplaying group.
Just make sure that whatever you choose is something you enjoy doing, or it’ll become a chore rather than a hobby. -
Step 2: Set goals and work towards them.
Part of maturity is being able to assess your current strengths, determine areas that you need to improve, and set goals for the future.
Keep the future in mind and let it inform the choices you are making about your life right.
Once you have set goals that are clear, actionable, and measurable, take action to work towards them.Setting goals can seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! It just takes a little time and planning.
Start by figuring out what you want to improve.
For example, maybe you want to start boosting your resume for college.
This is the basis for your goals.
First you need to think about a few categories:
Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why.
Who.
This is who will be involved in achieving your goals.
Obviously, you are the primary person here.
However, this category could also include a tutor, a volunteer coordinator, or a counselor.
What.
What do you want to achieve? It’s important to be as specific as possible in this step. “Prepare for college” is way too big.
You’ll never get started on a huge vague goal like that.
Instead, choose a few specifics that will help you achieve that bigger goal, like “Do a volunteer activity” and “Participate in an extracurricular activity.” When.
This helps you know when specific parts of your plan have to be done.
Knowing this will help keep you on track.
For example, if you want to volunteer, you need to know if there’s a deadline to apply, when the activities are, and when you’ll be able to do them.
Where.
It’s often helpful to identify where you’ll be working on achieving this goal.
For the volunteering example, you might choose to work at an animal shelter.
How.
In this step you identify how you’ll achieve each stage of your goal.
For example, what is the process for contacting the shelter to volunteer? How will you get to the animal shelter? How will you balance your volunteering with your other responsibilities? You have to think about answers to these types of questions.
Why.
This is probably the most important part, believe it or not.
You’re more likely to achieve a goal when it’s meaningful to you and you can see how it fits in the “big picture.”Figure out why this goal is important.
For example, “I want to volunteer at the animal shelter so that I can make my resume more attractive for pre-vet college programs.” , You do not have to be serious all of the time in order to be mature.
Real maturity is knowing your audience and figuring out when it’s appropriate to be silly and when it’s important to be serious.
It’s good to have different levels of silly so you can scale your actions appropriately.Try setting aside a part of your day that’s just for goofing off.
You need time to blow off steam and get goofy.
Give yourself a little time every day (say, after school) to indulge in wacky hijinks.
Understand that silliness usually isn’t appropriate in formal situations, such as school, church, at work, and especially at funerals.
You’re expected to be paying attention, not pranking people.
Being silly in these situations will usually communicate immaturity.
However, informal situations like hanging out with your friends, or even time with your family, can be a great time to get silly.
It can even help you bond with each other.
Establish some parameters for when it is okay and when it is not okay to play a joke or be silly.
Don’t use mean-spirited or belittling humor or pranks. , We all have to live in the world together.
If you do things to intentionally annoy others, or if you do whatever you want without keeping the feelings of others in mind, people may view you as immature.
Trying to remember the needs and wants of other people around you will help you cultivate a reputation as a mature and respectful individual.
Being respectful of others doesn’t mean you have to let them walk all over you.
It does mean that you need to listen to others and treat them the way you’d like to be treated.
If the other person is rude or unkind to you, don’t respond with unkindness of your own.
Show that you’re the bigger person by walking away. , Your friends will influence your behavior.
Make sure that you're associating with people who will make you a better person, instead of spending time with people who only drag you down. -
Step 3: Know when it is okay to be silly.
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Step 4: Be respectful of others.
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Step 5: Pick mature friends.
Detailed Guide
Lacking dynamic or developed interests or hobbies might contribute to your seeming immature.
Finding something that you enjoy doing and becoming an "expert" at it can make you seem more experienced and mature.
It will also give you something to talk about with others, whether or not they also participate in your hobby.
Try to keep your hobbies active and productive.
It’s a lot of fun to marathon a TV show, but it isn’t necessarily the best use of your time.
This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy movies, TV, and video games, but they shouldn’t be the only things you spend your time on.Hobbies can increase your self-esteem and boost your creativity.
They can also stimulate parts of your brain that make you feel positive and happy.There’s basically no limit to the types of things you can do! Get a camera and learn photography.
Pick up a musical instrument.
Practice a new language.
Learn to beatbox.
Start a live-action roleplaying group.
Just make sure that whatever you choose is something you enjoy doing, or it’ll become a chore rather than a hobby.
Part of maturity is being able to assess your current strengths, determine areas that you need to improve, and set goals for the future.
Keep the future in mind and let it inform the choices you are making about your life right.
Once you have set goals that are clear, actionable, and measurable, take action to work towards them.Setting goals can seem overwhelming, but don’t worry! It just takes a little time and planning.
Start by figuring out what you want to improve.
For example, maybe you want to start boosting your resume for college.
This is the basis for your goals.
First you need to think about a few categories:
Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why.
Who.
This is who will be involved in achieving your goals.
Obviously, you are the primary person here.
However, this category could also include a tutor, a volunteer coordinator, or a counselor.
What.
What do you want to achieve? It’s important to be as specific as possible in this step. “Prepare for college” is way too big.
You’ll never get started on a huge vague goal like that.
Instead, choose a few specifics that will help you achieve that bigger goal, like “Do a volunteer activity” and “Participate in an extracurricular activity.” When.
This helps you know when specific parts of your plan have to be done.
Knowing this will help keep you on track.
For example, if you want to volunteer, you need to know if there’s a deadline to apply, when the activities are, and when you’ll be able to do them.
Where.
It’s often helpful to identify where you’ll be working on achieving this goal.
For the volunteering example, you might choose to work at an animal shelter.
How.
In this step you identify how you’ll achieve each stage of your goal.
For example, what is the process for contacting the shelter to volunteer? How will you get to the animal shelter? How will you balance your volunteering with your other responsibilities? You have to think about answers to these types of questions.
Why.
This is probably the most important part, believe it or not.
You’re more likely to achieve a goal when it’s meaningful to you and you can see how it fits in the “big picture.”Figure out why this goal is important.
For example, “I want to volunteer at the animal shelter so that I can make my resume more attractive for pre-vet college programs.” , You do not have to be serious all of the time in order to be mature.
Real maturity is knowing your audience and figuring out when it’s appropriate to be silly and when it’s important to be serious.
It’s good to have different levels of silly so you can scale your actions appropriately.Try setting aside a part of your day that’s just for goofing off.
You need time to blow off steam and get goofy.
Give yourself a little time every day (say, after school) to indulge in wacky hijinks.
Understand that silliness usually isn’t appropriate in formal situations, such as school, church, at work, and especially at funerals.
You’re expected to be paying attention, not pranking people.
Being silly in these situations will usually communicate immaturity.
However, informal situations like hanging out with your friends, or even time with your family, can be a great time to get silly.
It can even help you bond with each other.
Establish some parameters for when it is okay and when it is not okay to play a joke or be silly.
Don’t use mean-spirited or belittling humor or pranks. , We all have to live in the world together.
If you do things to intentionally annoy others, or if you do whatever you want without keeping the feelings of others in mind, people may view you as immature.
Trying to remember the needs and wants of other people around you will help you cultivate a reputation as a mature and respectful individual.
Being respectful of others doesn’t mean you have to let them walk all over you.
It does mean that you need to listen to others and treat them the way you’d like to be treated.
If the other person is rude or unkind to you, don’t respond with unkindness of your own.
Show that you’re the bigger person by walking away. , Your friends will influence your behavior.
Make sure that you're associating with people who will make you a better person, instead of spending time with people who only drag you down.
About the Author
Julie James
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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