by Carly Cardellino and Charles Manning

Having to make homemade piña coladas isn’t the end of the world. Ask your friends for help and don’t stress over decorations — all anyone wants are the homemade piña coladas. Parties are meant to be fun, so enjoy the planning as much as the actual party.

1. When your boss says he/she is satisfied with your work but you just know it could be better. 

Wouldn’t you rather be thinking about something other than work? Sometimes good really is good.

2. When you’re at dinner with a big group of friends and the bill comes. 

Don’t be that person who orders a salad and tap water, and then makes everyone go Dutch on the bill because you’re feeling strapped for cash. A group dinner is a treat, so treat yourself to an awesome meal and split the bill evenly.

3. When something totally amazing comes up last-minute, but you’ve got other plans. 

Screw your already-made plans. If your friend has backstage passes to the Beyoncé show and wants to give one to YOU, just go. You’ll make it up to the person you had to cancel on later with a SURFBOARD T-shirt.

4. When you’re single, out at a bar, not meeting anyone, and you think you’re going to be alone forever.

You’re not going to end up alone and, quite frankly, you’ve probably been ignoring your friends, who are all having a blast. Go dance with them and cheer up!

5. When you’re home for Thanksgiving (or at any family gathering). 

You might want to wring everyone’s neck, but this is your family — you only get one and you’ll only get so many holidays together. These are the moments to actually appreciate, especially if you live out of town and only see them three or four times a year.

6. When you’re on a first date and you REALLY want it to work out.  

Stop worrying about whether or not you’ll reproduce with this person, whether or not there will be a second date, etc. You can’t tell in an hour if this person will be yours for life, and if they are, you’re going to want to remember *~EvErYtHiNg~* about your first date.

7. When the first beautiful, warm day of spring has arrivedand your to-do list says, “Clean out closet.”

If you’ve been cooped up in your apartment all year in fear that your ears are going to freeze right off of your head, go out and enjoy the day, and then stay in that night and clean out your closet. Better yet, invite your three best friends over and reenact the Sex and the City scene where Carrie cleans out her closet while Samantha, Meredith, and Charlotte drink and hold up signs that say “toss” or “keep.”

8. When you feel like you did the wrong tourist activity on vacation. 

Everything in a new place is worth seeing. You can leave the museum at any time and go do something else anyway.

9. When you signed up for a 5k but didn’t train AT ALL.  

Remember, this is not a marathon or even a half-marathon. It’s 3.1 miles and you’re not in it to win it — you’re just trying to finish, so it’s OK if you jog slowly, or even walk here and there. No one cares!

10. When your parents are coming to visit and you haven’t cleaned. 

Your parents are coming to visit YOU, meaning they’ll probably feed you much better than you normally feed yourself and keep the cat company when you’re away at work. Just figure out a few places you can bring them and enjoy their company.

11. When you’re hosting a party of any sort. 

Having to make homemade piña coladas isn’t the end of the world. Ask your friends for help and don’t stress over decorations — all anyone wants are the homemade piña coladas. Parties are meant to be fun, so enjoy the planning as much as the actual party.

12. When you’re buying gifts for your parents. 

Much like the clay garbage you made them when you were five, they will love literally everything from you. And if they really don’t, they’ll return it and get something they really want.

13. When you are on vacation and you’re worried about the work you’re missing. 

Face it, your perpetual work to-do list will never get done. Something will always loom, but that is no reason never to take advantage of your vacation days. Plus, you need to mentally recharge to be the best you can be on the job anyhow, so whether you’re taking three weeks off to backpack in Europe or two weeks for your honeymoon in Bora Bora or a week off to just visit your family, always remember to live in the moment and have a BLAST!

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.