30 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 30
I turn 30 in a few short months and am looking forward to what another decade brings me. Here are 30 things I’ve learned before turning 30. Girls in your 20s, this one is for you.
Don’t save special things for special occasions…candles, champagne, lipstick…use it now. Make an ordinary day special.
Marriage isn’t always going to be butterflies and rainbows but the person you marry will know you inside out and better than anyone else. You pick up on every little detail and can anticipate everything. You’ll be able to read their face with just a look, you’ll know what their sighs mean, you’ll be able to finish their sentences. And you can’t imagine ever knowing anybody else as deeply as you know them.
Find a hobby or two or three and do them weekly, if not daily, for your own wellbeing.
Stop. Breath. Take in the moment. Focus on the little details. Find the little joys wherever you are.
Your health is your priority. Find routine and balance before you turn 30. Then continue to learn and try.
If it’ll take less than 60 seconds, just do it now. Similarly, putting your house to sleep really does help you wake up in a better mood.
If your job doesn’t value you, leave. It doesn’t matter if it’s a great salary at a great company. You are more than your job. It shouldn’t consume you. You should be happy. You should never be taken advantage of. Life is too short to wake up every day and go to a job you hate for years.
Similarly, your mornings will go smoother if you wake up just 5-10 minutes earlier. A bad morning can ruin a day.
Knowledge is paramount. An education is one of the most powerful and valuable things you can have.
Everyone says to live in the moment but there is beauty in anticipation - A little girl yearning to wear makeup for the first time. A teenager going to their first prom. Longing to taste your first sip of champagne. Dreaming of your wedding day. Talking about what your future babies look like and considering names.
You can go to college not knowing what you want to do when you grow up. You can graduate not knowing what you want to do. You can be 27 and not know what you want to do, then you’ll take a job you would have never considered and end up loving it.
High school is hard, girls are mean, but you’ll hardly remember any of it. The college memories are the ones you’ll really remember. College really is the best years of your life.
1-2 close friends are infinitely better than 5-10 ~so so~ friends.
Only you will notice your flaws. You’ll always be insecure about something but nobody else will notice or care. They’ll remember your personality and how you treated them.
Your biggest first ‘loss’ isn’t going to be your first boyfriend, it’s going to be saying goodbye to your childhood dog.
Your first boyfriend is not the love of your life. You won’t die without him.
Your mom really does know best. She’s been there. No, teenage you doesn’t hate her. She’s right.
Everyone needs to learn how to cook.
It’s okay to change your style everyday. You can wear frilly girly dresses one day and all black with doc martens the next day. Your style doesn’t need to be labelled or defined.
Find your signature scent and your signature lip colour.
If you want something done your way you need to do it yourself.
The classics are timeless for a reason.
Always take the stairs and take every opportunity to walk.
Enjoy being alone. Regularly do things on your own…errands, coffee, dinner.
Find something to take care of. A plant, a pet, a sourdough starter, whatever.
You can plan for every scenario and it still won’t go perfectly to plan.
When life gets overwhelming, ask for help. Even if you are the most independent person and you think you don’t need it. Build your support system with people who will be there for you. Then be there for them.
In marriage, you are on the same team. Not against each other. Your spouse can’t read your mind. If you want something, ask for it. This goes both ways, don’t forget to give in sometimes. Yes, maybe you do more chores at the moment but everything goes in phases. Long term, everything will even out. You don’t need to complain about how much you do. The things you do benefit your lives as one.
Life is not a race. Don’t compare your timeline to someone else’s. Graduation, marriage and work don’t have a deadline.
Don’t let your lack of confidence dictate the outfits you wear or the memories you make.
Shelby Taylor
Love you punkin!!!! And I LOVE the person you are!!!!!
Beautiful words. I loved this