Adulting stickers are tiny merit badges for the everyday things grown-ups are supposed to do anyway, like showering, paying a bill or cooking dinner. The free sheet in this post has 55 of them plus 5 blanks, each one a little camp-patch style sticker sized for Avery 5195 labels. I made them for my low days, when the small stuff takes everything I’ve got, and also because I thought they’d be cute.
Heads up: one link in this post is an affiliate link, so I earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. It’s for the labels the sheet is sized for. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why would a grown adult want a badge for brushing their teeth?
Because some days, brushing your teeth is the win. I’m a person who wrongly ties my value to how productive I am, and I know it. So on the days I’m burnt out, not feeling well or just down, I like to celebrate the tiny wins, and it helps me feel like I still did something. A little reward like a badge is also how I get a new habit to stick, which I wrote about in why I can’t stick to a new habit until I turn it into a game.
I definitely have those days, and I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about them. Knowing it doesn’t always stop the feeling, though, so a little sticker on the page helps me see the day wasn’t empty. I wrote more about the guilt side of this in how to rest without guilt when you’re spiraling.
“Brushed my teeth” is the badge that makes me laugh, because I hope we’re all doing that regardless. But I know on the bad days even that can feel like a chore. And on a burnt-out day, if I cook dinner, you better believe I need a badge.
Yes, this is a little silly, and part of it is supposed to be. It’s also relatable, especially if you live with a chronic illness or you’ve had a stretch of hard days, where getting out of bed and taking your meds is trophy worthy. I also just thought they were fun. If you want to see which parts of a hard day drain you, I built Energy Battery so you can log your energy through the day. It’s free to track.
What’s on the free adulting sticker sheet?
One letter-size page holds 60 stickers: 55 adulting badges and 5 blank ones with a star and a writing line. Each badge has a stitched border, a tiny icon and a soft sage, blush or gold edge, so the sheet looks like a page of camp patches.
| Kind of win | Badges on the sheet |
|---|---|
| Taking care of you (13) | Showered, Brushed my teeth, Washed my face, Got dressed, Drank water, Ate a real meal, Ate a vegetable, Took my meds, Took a nap, Stretched, Went for a walk, Went outside, Went to bed on time |
| Around the house (13) | Cooked dinner, Did the dishes, Did a load of laundry, Took out the trash, Made the bed, Changed the sheets, Vacuumed, Cleaned the bathroom, Put things away, Wiped the counters, Cleaned out the fridge, Watered the plants, Fed the pets |
| Errands and admin (16) | Made the phone call, Answered the email, Opened the mail, Paid a bill, Made the appointment, Filled out the form, Returned the thing, Went to the post office, Went grocery shopping, Filled up the gas, Picked up the prescription, Checked my bank account, Canceled a subscription, Renewed it on time, Found the receipt, Charged my phone |
| People (8) | Texted back, Called a loved one, Sent the birthday text, Wrote a thank-you, Said no, Asked for help, Showed up, Didn’t cancel |
| Hard-day wins (5) | Cried and kept going, Took a break, Logged off, Didn’t doom scroll, Read a page |
If “Made the phone call” is the badge you keep not earning, my phone call prep sheet breaks the call into small steps before you dial.
How do I use adulting stickers in a planner?
Put a badge on the day you earned it. They’re the perfect size for a planner, because one fits right on a day’s page without taking up too much space, so there’s still room for whatever else you write there.
There’s no rule about when. Sometimes I put one on right after I do the thing, and sometimes I go back before bed and add whatever I got done. A page with three little badges on it is easier to look at than a blank one on a day I thought I did nothing. If you like seeing it over a whole week, my weekly check-in for weeks you feel like you did nothing is a good match for these.
The 5 blank badges are for the wins I didn’t think to put on the sheet. I haven’t filled one in yet. I’m saving them for something I’m proud of because I really didn’t feel like doing it, and I’ll know it when it happens.
How do I print the adulting stickers?
Print the sheet on Avery 5195 labels or on plain full-sheet sticker paper. Each sticker is 1-3/4 inches wide and 2/3 of an inch tall, and the dashed lines match Avery’s 5195 template. Check your printer first, though. Avery makes 5195 labels for laser printers, so if you’ve got an inkjet, grab Avery 8195 instead. Avery lists it as the same template, made for inkjets. I printed a test sheet on my own 5195 labels, and the badges lined up and came out clean.
| Print on | What you do after printing | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Avery 5195 labels (laser) or 8195 (inkjet) | Peel each badge off, no cutting | Clean edges with the least work |
| Full-sheet sticker paper | Cut along the dashed lines | Using paper you already have |
- Download the PDF and open it.
- In your print settings, pick Actual Size or 100%, not “fit to page,” so the badges line up with the labels.
- Print one copy on plain paper first and hold it up to a label sheet to check the fit.
- Print on your Avery 5195 labels or on sticker paper.
- Peel or cut, and put the first one on today.
I used the same label size for my printable affirmation stickers, so one pack of labels covers both sheets.
Today’s practice
Give yourself your first three badges
- Download the sheet and print it on labels or sticker paper.
- Look back at today and find three things you did, even if one of them was brushing your teeth.
- Peel off those three badges and put them on today’s page in your planner.
- Keep the sheet next to your planner, so the next one is easy to grab.
- Save the blanks for something you did when you didn’t feel like it.
Frequently asked questions
Are adulting stickers silly?
A little, and that’s part of the fun. They’re also a real way to notice the small things you got done on a hard day, when it’s easy to feel like you did nothing at all.
What size are the adulting stickers?
Each sticker is 1-3/4 inches wide and 2/3 of an inch tall. That’s the size of an Avery 5195 return address label, and 60 of them fit on one letter-size sheet.
Can I print the stickers on regular sticker paper?
Yes. Print the sheet at Actual Size on full-sheet sticker paper and cut along the dashed lines. Label sheets save you the cutting.
Is it okay to celebrate something as small as brushing your teeth?
Yes. On a burnt-out day, a sick day or a down day, the basics take real effort, and giving yourself credit for them is kinder than ending the day feeling like you did nothing.
What are the blank badges for?
The 5 blank badges are for wins you want to name yourself. Each one has a little star and a writing line for a pen or fineliner.
Which labels work with an inkjet printer?
Avery 8195. It uses the same template as 5195, which Avery makes for laser printers, so the badges line up the same way. Print at Actual Size either way.
Where I am with this
Adulting stickers give you a small, cute way to count the everyday wins, especially on the days when those wins took everything you had. Download the sheet, find three things you did today and give yourself the badges.
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