If you're freaking out about starting your thirties, calm down! It took me until... around 30... to realize it's actually not that bad. In fact, I'm expecting my thirties to be a lot better than my twenties. What?! Read on to find out why.
These are generalizations and don't apply to every single person. Don't worry if all 10 of these don't apply to you.
These are generalizations and don't apply to every single person. Don't worry if all 10 of these don't apply to you.
1. By your thirties, a lot of stressful stuff is out of the way. You've finished college or moved on from entry-level positions. You've created a better living situation for yourself. It feels great to finally (for the most part) have your life together.
2. With age comes wisdom. In your thirties, you've had time to experience the real world. You've learned a ton of life lessons (see my blog about that here). You've been through a lot more things, and you've grown from them.
3. With wisdom comes better decisions. You make better choices (big and small). You have better judgment. You've learned to control yourself better and you're less likely to do things you'll regret.
4. You finally feel like a real adult. People trust you more and take you more seriously.
5. You know yourself better. Your awkward teenage years are a distant memory and you've learned to be more you. You're less likely to give in to peer pressure, jump on the bandwagon, or do anything just to look cool. You do more of what you truly love.
6. You're more confident. You realize nobody is perfect, and you don't compare yourself to other people quite as much as you used to. You're more comfortable in your own skin.
7. You care less about what people think. You're not worried about fitting in or keeping up with the trends. You're not as concerned about appearance.
8. You have better relationships (of all types). You can reminisce about memories from ten or twenty years ago. You have friends who have been by your side through all phases of life and you've had a ton of bonding experiences. (If you don't have long time friends, you've at least learned a lot from friendships that didn't work out, so you're now in a better place to find some quality ones.) You have a better idea of what type of people you want or don't want in your life.
9. You have more money, and you're more likely to make good choices with it. You'll save more. You can have better things and do better things.
10. Your thirties really aren't that old. Okay, I admit that I have some aches and pains, and my hangovers last for days, but I still feel a lot more youthful at 31 than my younger self would have thought.
We still have plenty of time to make changes in our lives if we want to. We can still have plenty of fun. We only have a few wrinkles. We're better at most things and we have more money. Thirties are great.
Of course, the pandemic started right around my 30th birthday (and I was planning to lay low for a bit anyway while I work on some personal goals) but I do believe the majority of my thirties are going to be the best years of my life yet.
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