Today I turn 30, and I am feeling excited, joyous, and grateful for many great things in my life. In fact, I wanted to share 10 reasons why turning 30 truly rocks! Why 10? Because it’ll take me 3x as long to come up with 30 reasons and I’m not getting any younger! ;P
- 30 years of wisdom – Another year means 365 more days of wisdom behind the belt. This past year felt like 2 years for me because I learned twice as much in so many different aspects of life, business and wellness. I can finally say goodbye to my 20s with a long embrace, wave goodbye, and slow motion air kiss.
- You lived through the some of the “awesomest” decades ever – the iconic 80s, the crazy 90s, and the internet revolution of the 2000s. When I was born, people still used pay phones, hand wrote letters, and used typewriters. I don’t think any other generation will see such a leap in technological and cultural development (but what do I know, I’m only 30)
- The friend-purge begins – at least for those of us in serious relationships or marriages, it seems like shallow friendships start to go by the wayside throughout your late 20s. You start to have less in common with your single friends, lose contact with friends who leave town, and you start unfriending people you don’t really know on social media. I’ve also started to re-connect to some childhood friends recently, which was unexpected. Whatever the case, the few who actually survive the purge start to fill a more meaningful place in your life.
- Corporate ladder or “I’m Out!” – a lot of people in their 20s grind and hustle to make a name for themselves and to develop their careers. So what then when 30 approaches? Physically, you’re not as able to pull as many late nights or all-nighters, and mentally, you may be feeling unfulfilled in your profession. Your 30s is a great period in your life to really take a deep look at how you want to invest the remaining years of your life when it comes to work. Does climbing the corporate ladder appeal to you or are you finally willing to put in your notice and put out your own shingle? Whatever your path, you now have enough experience to make a more informed decision on what has worked and hasn’t worked in the past to decide on a future course.
- You start to give less of a f*ck – I said less because you still give a f*ck about things, but just not as much as before. A lot more rolls off your shoulders and you start to feel more comfortable about who you are. You may be less inclined to impress other people and more willing to invest in your own true happiness, however you define it.
- Still 10 more years before it is considered a “mid-life crisis” – given how long people live these days, your 30s isn’t really mid-life anymore. So use this freedom to make a radical life change or experiment with things before other people start wagging their fingers at what you’re doing!
- You become fancier – boxed wine: out, stemware: in. At a certain point, it’s no longer cute to live like you’re still in college.
- Weddings! – I’m one of the few New Yorkers who got married in their early 20s. These days, it seems like every one I know in life is getting married. Maybe there was a memo I missed, but in any event, it’s a great time to celebrate with people getting hitched and embracing their own 30s.
- You’re no longer in your 20s but also not yet in your 40s – you’re in that sweet spot between young lady/man and m’am/sir.
- The Children Question – To have kids or not to have kids? Whatever the decision/outcome, the question becomes REAL when you’re 30!
As a general practice, I like to reflect whenever there is an exciting life event because the event itself isn’t significant, but how it impacts your life and your thinking is.
~ Natasha
