Adulting 101 Book 1: #Wisdom4Life

by Josh Burnette, Pete Hardesty

Overview

Adulting (verb): To do grown-up things and have responsibilities such as a working full time, paying rent, or owning a car.

Basic life skills go mostly untaught in classrooms, so graduates are on their own to figure out how to live successfully in the world. Without any guidance, where do you start? Adulting 101 is a clever, practical, and timely guide to show how to:

• Find a job and be wildly successful at work
• Buy the items you need as an adult (apartment, car, insurance)
• Set goals, prioritize, and get work done
• Communicate professionally and effectively
• Save and invest wisely
• Navigate personal and professional relationships
• Avoid the common mistakes of being out on your own
• And much, much more

This book will give you what you need to succeed and make a real impact, inspiring you to change the world and be the person you were meant to be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781424556373
Publisher:	BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
Publication date:	03/26/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	794,943
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

JOSH BURNETTE is a husband, dad, business owner, and author who currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, he started working for Chick-fil-A as a team member when he was barely old enough to see over the counter. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from James Madison University in 2009 (Go Dukes!). Throughout college, he served as a Young Life leader for a local high school, and his passion for mentoring young people began. After graduating, he went to work fulltime for a Young Life camp in Buena Vista, Colorado. He decided to come back to Chick-fil-A to combine his loves for business and working with young people. He served as the owner/operator of a mall restaurant for two years and currently leads a free-standing restaurant employing over one hundred people in Little Rock. Josh is a certified speaker with SCORRE workshops and recently enjoyed the opportunity to be the keynote speaker for Verizon Wireless. In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling, volunteering on several boards in the community, and snowboarding. Josh is married and has two children.

PETE HARDESTY currently serves as the Young Life college divisional coordinator in the Eastern Division. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area from the friendly city of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Pete grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Virginia where he was pre-med with the emphasis on “pre.” He then joined the staff of Young Life in Virginia Beach, where he served for seven years before moving to Harrisonburg in 2004. After being the area director for Young Life in Harrisonburg for eight years, Pete transitioned to start Young Life College at James Madison University in 2012. Pete loves being around college students even though they make him feel old. He crammed his three years of grad school into seventeen and finally received his Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2014. A passion for the Middle East has inspired Pete to lead Holy Land trips for the last ten years, with a focus on serving Palestinian kids in the West Bank. He is a frequent international keynote speaker with experience in such places as Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and places all over the US, speaking to groups as big as four thousand. He is a speaker coach with SCORRE workshops and loves helping people become excellent communicators. Pete has been working with young people for twenty-five years. They are still his favorite. He loves people and creating environments where they can thrive and achieve their potential. His two nieces are the apple of his eye.

JOSH BURNETTE was on staff with Young Life at Frontier Ranch in Colorado before joining Chick-fil-A in 2011. In 2012 Josh was selected to operate a restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he now resides with his wife and daughter.

PETE HARDESTY is on staff with Young Life and is currently the Young Life college director at James Madison University and the divisional coordinator for the eastern and greater New York divisions. Pete makes his home in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Introduction You Can Change the World 1

Part 1 You Make a Difference

1 #TheHearseAndTheUHaul 6

Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul? Your personal mission statement should begin with the end in mind. Find out what really matters in life and why.

2 #LeavingAWake 12

Your life matters! Your actions leave ripple effects on every person you interact with. Learn how to maximize that opportunity for impact.

Part 2 Get a Job

3 #PurpleHairInterview 17

Many people interview, but only one gets the job. Stand out from your peers by getting inside the mind of an interviewer and learning how to succeed.

4 #BeProfessional 24

Does being on time really matter? What if I just want to "be myself" and wear what I want? Does e-mail etiquette actually impact my career? Rise above your peers by learning how to engage in the work place

5 #LeadOrDie 30

Want to be wildly successful at work? The secret is, it's not about you! The top leadership tips and tricks to succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

Part 3 Relationships

6 #ChemistryCompetence 39

Relationships require emotional intelligence. Learn how to grow this crucial skill for work and at home.

7 #ItsComplicated 44

Dive into the hard questions about dating, marriage, and sex. What gives you the best opportunity for happiness in marriage? What do you need to know before you commit?

Part 4 I Want to Be Rick

8 #C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me) 60

Systematic steps that anyone can follow to become a millionaire. Yes, you! You can do it. Discover an abundance mentality with your finances and never be broke again.

9 #BudgetingBasics 68

This chapter teaches the foundational principles needed to become wealthy. It all begins with creating a budget. But how?

10 #LittleHinges 73

Find out the single most effective way to grow your money. Learn the best ways to save what you earn. This will change your life.

11 #StillEatingRamenAt70 84

Investing can feel overwhelming and complicated. Here it is broken down into a few simple steps to follow when you are young. You can get started today!

Part 5 How to Not Lose at the Game of Money

12 #NeverPayTheSticker 92

Buying a car is often the largest purchase for a young adult. Avoid mistakes that will cost you for years to come.

13 #GetAnApartment 100

What are the differences between buying an apartment and a house? Which one should you buy, or should you rent? learn about the major differences and costs associated with both.

14 #AdultsNeedInsurance 107

There is insurance for everything. What type (s) do you need? From where? This chapter gives a high-level overview of what to get and what to avoid.

15 #INeedCredit 117

Everyone has a credit score, but do you understand it? Get to know how your credit score is calculated and how to have the best score possible.

Part 6 Time Management

16 #BigRocks 124

Time management. Priorities. How to get more done in less time. Maximize each day and be less stressed doing it.

17 #SMARTGoals 134

Successful people create goals. Don't be left behind. Learn how to not only set goals but achieve them.

Part 7 Foundations

18 #TheTopButton 139

How to live your life to the fullest. The most Important chapter in this entire book. Don't miss it!

19 #YouKnowYouAreAnAdultWhen 146

A compilation of life wisdom/advice from years of getting it wrong and occasionally getting it right. You will leave this chapter better off than you started it. *Ignore at your own risk.

Appendix 1 How to Crush College 157

A systematic plan to do exceedingly well in college - tips for studying, making friends, interacting with professors, and more.

Appendix 2 Life after College: How to Enter the Real World-Month 1 166

How to successfully launch after leaving school. Welcome to the real world!

Notes 170

Acknowledgments 174

About the Authors 177

Editorial Reviews

Adulting 101 is a must-read book for anyone, whether you are just entering the “real world” or have been in it for decades. The timeless principles shared by Josh and Pete will have you referencing the book for years to come.
- Andy Stanley, author, communicator, and founder of North Point Ministries

I love meeting young leaders who are eager to change the world. In their new book, Adulting 101, Josh Burnette and Pete Hardesty provide a much needed, practical guide for the next generation of world changers. Their inside out approach to personal change will inspire readers to cultivate a growth mindset essential for success in life.
- Dan T. Cathy, Chairman and CEO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.


It seems that some of the practical things an aspiring adult needs to know, like how to create a personal budget, interview for a job, or even take out a loan to buy a car are left to the “learn as you go” educational model. Josh Burnette and Pete Hardesty are out to change that with this fantastic and insightful new book, Adulting 101. It is a great book and a useful resource for anyone trying to figure out some of the basics of being on their own.
- Governor Mike Huckabee, best-selling author and political commentator

In Adulting 101, Josh Burnette and Pete Hardesty share practical, accessible, and authentic wisdom to help students navigate the transition from college to their lives as independent adults. This is a resource young adults can return to over and over again for advice.
- Jonathan R. Alger, President, James Madison University


Adulting 101 is a practical guide for one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. Josh and Pete have captured decades of experience and written a book every young person should read. Read it and apply what you learn. You’ll get a ten-year head start on adulthood!
- Mark Miller, best-selling author and speaker

I wish every young person would read this book! Whoever does and takes it to heart will be much more likely to lead a successful life. Warning: Pete and Josh have packed so much great advice and wisdom into this book—you will need to refer to it often to realize the full benefit.
- James M. Herr, Chairman, Herr Foods, Inc.


Adulting 101 is a hole-in-one! I wish I had this essential guide for adult life before I started competing on the tour. This book will help you build a world-class career and become personally fulfilled. If you are in your twenties, read this book! It is a game-changer. Adulting 101 should top the reading list for any graduate, parent, college student, or anyone working with adolescents.
- Brittany Lincicome, LPGA champion, @Brittany1golf

Pete and Josh know high school and college students very well, and they’ve written a book that tackles dozens of topics important to becoming an adult. I’m very impressed and encourage those who are “adulting” to read what these authors have written.
- Denny Rydberg, President Emeritus, Young Life


Adulting 101 is a practical and engaging guide on how to live an intentional life that leaves the world a better place than you knew it before. It’s both pragmatic and visionary and will help set young adults on a trajectory to live an extraordinary life.
- Ellie Holcomb, Dove Award-winning singer and songwriter

Are you between sixteen and twenty-nine years old? If so, Adulting 101 is a must-read—engaging and powerfully practical. If you follow the principles provided on its pages, you will increase your chances of being successful by 1,000 percent or even more. This is the book I wish someone had given me at that important age!
- Michael Licona, PhD, Associate Professor of Theology, Houston Baptist University


Adulting 101 is real talk. Learn from it. You’ll be glad you did. Apply its advice and you will be killing it, especially with what is most important in life. Maximum impact begins on a solid foundation, which you’ll find in this book.
- Mark Cathy, Chick-fil-A Inc., Operator Support and Cathy family member

Where was this when I started “adulting”? Pete and Josh lay out a road map for navigating life. Adulting 101 should be required reading for every twenty-something, but it may be just as valuable for seasoned adults who need a refresher on some of life’s important truths. It’s like a life manual in your pocket.
- Dave Alpern, President, Joe Gibbs Racing


Pete and Josh really know the relevant issues for college graduates, and they tackle each of these with wisdom clearly borne from years of experience. I’m going to recommend this book to my students and to my own children. 
- Lee Coppock, PhD, Professor of Economics, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Economics Department, University of Virginia

Adulting 101 is a great resource for young people who are getting started in the real world. This book will help you launch into adulthood successfully, and it is relevant for every stage of life because it is principle-based. I believe Adulting 101 will be and should be read repeatedly, even by those in their “later” years.
- Ron Blue, author and Ronald Blue & Co. founder


As a leader in the US Army for the past twenty years, I have dedicated my life to transforming teenagers into the future leaders of our country. Adulting 101 contains very practical advice and vignettes to help our teenagers make a successful transition from our homes and into the world. I plan to use what I learned from Adulting 101 with my two teenagers.
- Col. Eric Lopez, US Army Ranger

Whatever you are currently experiencing in the crazy transitions of life, there is something in this book for you. This book has been a tremendous help transitioning to life on my own. You are not alone, and you can thrive. #LiveYourBestLife with #Adulting101.
- Jess Demayo, recent college graduate

From the Publisher