There’s a negative stigma associated with getting older. And if we were to believe mainstream media and the majority of people around us, turning thirty seems to be the end of our youth. And the beginning of being ‘old’. But how does it really feel to turn 30?
#1 We Stop Caring About What Other People Think
This has been the most liberating experience of my life. And I think it is only something that comes with age and experience. Even if we don’t care much, we’ll care less as we get older.
My first real taste of it has coincided with turning thirty. Of course, this is not automatic for everyone so if you need some help to care less about others’ opinions, check out Don’t Worry Nobody Gives A F*ck About You.
What this really means is, we make choices for ourselves first. At last we start doing things that bring us joy. And we don’t care if anyone else thinks it’s cool or wants to do it with us.
As cheesy as it sounds we start to realise that everything we need to have a happy and fulfilled life, exists within us. And everything else around us is just a bonus. When you stop worrying about what others think you’ll “improve your life and boost your happiness.”
#2 We Get To Know Ourselves Better
As we turn thirty, we care less about others’ opinions. This means we start to find time to explore new things (5 Hobbies You Need To Have In Your 30s), visit new places and discover our world all over again. And in the process, we get to know ourselves better. The good, the bad and the ugly.
"We understand what makes us tick"
Most likely, we’ve also dealt with grief, heartbreak, challenges and we are now in a much better position to understand how we work.
More than ever, we understand what makes us tick and how we can manage that for the best outcome for ourselves and for those around us. Interested in diving into more detail – here are 3 Major Things You Need To Learn Before 30.
#3 We Can Skip The Small Talk
By thirty, our patience wears thin for things that we don’t enjoy. Generally, we start to realise what we want from our lives and what we are ready to leave behind.
And most likely we’ve had a few relationships and many friendships so as we welcome someone new into our lives we can skip the small talk, metaphorically (unfortunately we still have to engage in actual small talk from time to time).
"Honestly, in my 20s I probably would have been friends with anyone"
What I mean here is that we can identify much earlier the kind of people we want in our lives. Either romantically or platonically and we have the awareness and ability to prevent new people who don’t fit our vibe from playing a central role in our lives.
Honestly, in my 20s I probably would have been friends with almost anyone, nowadays, I only have the energy for people who fit into my lifestyle. It is saving me a lot of time and energy being able to identify these people early.
#4 We Are Adults - We Can Do Whatever We Want
You might be thinking, we’ve been adults since we turned eighteen. Maybe that’s true but in this day and age so many of us have delayed growing up by staying at home, relying on our parents, and generally acting like overgrown teenagers.
Often, our thirties are really our first time to be able to do whatever we want. What saddens me is that so many people don’t do that.
They just do what society tells them to do. Just because we are thirty we don’t have to settle down. We don’t have to find a relationship or get married.
There is no rule that we have to focus on our career, we don’t have to have a family of our own. Or conform to what other people tell us to. WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT!
#5 More Money
Closely aligned to doing whatever we want, we can actually afford to do whatever we want. And I accept that age alone does not determine your financial situation.
But it’s likely that by thirty, we’ve been working full time for a few years (or we’ve been living it up throughout our 20s – also cool) and we’ve earned the experience to have a job that pays better than when we were 21.
Our thirties are that sweet spot where we’re probably making as much or more than we ever have before yet we haven’t yet taken on much more responsibility meaning we can treat ourselves and enjoy some of the finer things in life (within reason of course).
Never Forget
Maybe it’s an unpopular, unconventional opinion but I think turning thirty feels great! And we should embrace it. In my opinion, we’re still in peak physical fitness and our mental development is reaching maturity to allow us to really enjoy and appreciate what life has to offer.
A great way to do this is by getting excited for the future instead of lamenting the past. I recently got this Bucket List Journal where I list down things I want to do in my 30s. I hope to look back with lots of great experiences and memories in years to come.
Never forget that the media and all large organisations actually profit from making us feel bad about ourselves and that is the reason why there is a stigma about getting old.
The only bad thing about turning thirty for me has been listening to other people moan about turning thirty. Do you agree? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
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