You need to live alone at least once. Here’s why.

Allison’s Experience of Living Alone

After three years of saving, Allison moves from her parents’ home to her own apartment in Chicago. She reflects that living alone is about more than getting a new place: it means taking responsibility for your routines, choices, and wellbeing, and learning who you are without others setting the structure for you.

Key Takeaways and Tips

• Take responsibility for yourself. Living alone makes you responsible for basics like eating, sleeping, working, and keeping up with chores. Though this can feel daunting, it can also build confidence and independence.
• Build routines instead of waiting for motivation. Motivation often comes after you start. Small, consistent systems can create stability during a major transition.
• Make learning a daily habit. Allison recommends setting aside 10–15 minutes each day to learn something new or develop a skill.
• Expect to discover your habits and standards. Having your own space may reveal how you like to organize and clean, and make you more aware of how you spend your time, energy, and money.
• Treat loneliness as normal. Loneliness doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. Notice what the feeling may be telling you, sit with it rather than immediately avoiding it, and reach out when you want deeper connection. Living alone can also make you more intentional about friendships and family relationships.
• Make decisions for your own life. Allison describes learning to trust her instincts, handle unsolicited opinions, and stop delaying a goal to avoid disappointing others. She also notes that people move at different paces, so comparing timelines can be misleading.
• Don’t expect a new home to fix old habits. A move can give you space and responsibility to work on yourself, but change still takes effort.
• Design your home to support your goals, not just to look good. For example:
  • Make the kitchen inviting and organized if you want to cook more.
  • Keep exercise equipment visible if you want to work out.
  • Avoid putting a TV in the bedroom if better sleep is a priority.
  • Arrange comfortable places for the activities you want to do.
• Consider living alone if it’s financially possible. Allison recommends trying it at least once, saying the experience helped her take risks and feel more self-aware and capable.

Vlog Details

The vlog shows Allison settling into her apartment, eating avocado toast, planning a visit to family, and adjusting her schedule between the city and the suburbs. She mentions that snow changes her return plans.

• Locations: Chicago, Allison’s city apartment, and her family home in the suburbs
• Sponsor: Skillshare. Allison mentions taking a class about ikigai and finding purpose.
• Speaker: Allison Baek