30 Life Lessons I Learned Before My 30th Birthday

30. Let me type that again. T H I R T Y!

First, I’start off by saying that turning thirty truly (say that three times!) is a milestone and is something incredibly worth celebrating! 29 is such a weird age – you’re stuck between enjoying the very last year of what was suppose to be the decade of “finding yourself” and the start of  the “I better have my sh*t together decade! I feel like society, media, friends, family, etc puts so much pressure on how we’re SUPPOSE to feel about each age milestone that we end up being extra hard on ourselves if we haven’t accomplished everything that we “should have” by the time we reach a certain age!

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I’ll admit that throughout the last year I’ve had a lot of thoughts that are just that! I would ask myself things like “Am I where I need to be at this stage of my life? Am I financially stable and making the average of what someone in their late 20’s / early 30’s should be making?” Even worse, there were some negative personal statements too – “ I can’t believe I didn’t accomplish publishing my blog, which was suppose to go live 3 years ago, imagine where I’d be now!”, “Ugh, if I could only just make this much more money per month” or “If only I could have the life that girl, entrepreneur, friend, family member, etc is living, then I’d be better off”. STOP. REWIND.

The closer I approached my 30th birthday (March 13th!), the more self realizations I started to have. I mean, these are things deep down I know to be true about myself, but somehow when the going gets tough, and trust me, when you’re self employed the going gets REAL tough sometimes, you start to question if you really are where you want and need to be! I decided enough was enough, I was NOT going to self-doubt myself any longer. Let me take a look at what I HAVE accomplished and celebrate that!

The truth of the matter is that someone is always going to be more accomplished than you, further along than you on your journey, more financially well-off, more fit, more beautiful and the list goes on! If that’s true, that must mean that we’re all of those things from someone else’s perspective too.

But why are we focusing on what other people are thinking or doing? Our success, happiness, growth, stability are of utmost importance if we want to accomplish our dreams and make them a reality. We are where we are in life (clearly, already 30!) because we have put that kind of attention and energy to work!

Remember when we were kids and we thought that someone who was in their 30s was such an adult?! We even called them old! Ha! Well, when I talk to kids now-a-days sometimes I feel old too, but in a light-hearted way!

See, what happens is that you start to develop these ideas and expectations of what it will feel and look like when you reach that age. It’s as if you go to bed and wake up expecting to be a completely different person. As you get older, you start to realize that all those expectations are not at all what you thought! In my experience, they are even better than I imagined!

All that being said, let me share with you all the things that I learned before I turned 30!

1. Age is just a number

Okay. ASIDE from turning that big old 3 0. Psh, we’ve already established how important that is! Seriously though? Listen to people when they say “you’re only as old as you feel!”

2. Your parents are actually really cool

When you’re 5, your parents are the best thing in the world. From the ages of 13-17 your friends become the priority. Then, when you hit the ages of 18-20 you start to realize your parents were actually right, they truly love you and want the best for you and even help you while you struggle through college or getting your first apartment.

However, come your late 20’s to 30’s your parents truly are amazing. At this stage in the game you either have kids of your own, are close to it or are just mature and wise enough to understand that being a parent is one of the best treasures in life.

Your parents spent their entire lives raising you, teaching you and providing you with the tools you needed to become a successful human being. Hug them. Love them.

3. It’s okay to say NO

When I was younger I thought I had to say yes anytime someone asked me to hangout otherwise I’d feel left out or wouldn’t meet as many people as I thought I should be to fit in. Even when I wanted to say no, I somehow just didn’t because I was afraid to. Don’t be afraid to use that two letter word!

4. Done is better than perfect

5. Strike while the iron is hot

6. Not everyone has your best interest at heart

7. Real friends show up and make an effort

8. Money isn’t the most important thing

9. Real love is worth waiting for

10. Cinderella was right when she said “have courage and be kind”

11. There’s real truth to the saying “you can accomplish anything you set your mind to”

12. Patience is a virtue

13. Don’t be quick to judge

Everyone has an underlying reason for why they come off the way they do. Smile, you might have just made their day and get a smile back!

14. Don’t plan to be rich in your 20’s

I’m absolutely not saying it’s impossible, a lot of people are rich in their 20’s, but let’s be real, most of us are still trying to figure it out. Our twenties are the decade for discovering who you are, where your talents lie and realize that who you spend your time with and doing what you’re passionate about will bring you to where the money is.

15. If you hate your job, QUIT!

When I used to work in a corporate setting I had coworkers who would come into the office every morning complaining about how much they hated their job. Meanwhile, they were in their mid 50’s working in the same position for the last thirty years. Excuse me, what?! I’m sorry this is something I cannot wrap my mind around.

Change is hard and you’ll often hear people throw around the phrase “not everyone has the skills to do that”, but we hold the power to create and manifest our lives into whatever we want it to be. To all you young millennials, don’t sell yourself short! Take in as much knowledge as you can in order to succeed in the field that you want!

16. Say I love you often

Only when you truly mean it and to those you care about most. You never know when it will be the last time.

17. Trust your gut

You know that deep feeling in the pit of your stomach where you know that something isn’t quite right? 99% of the time that feeling is going to be justified. Be open to listening to your conscience.

18. Answer that nagging voice

You know what I’m talking about. For me, it’s using my creative talents in any way possible. I decided to leave my corporate job almost 3 years ago. While it hasn’t been easy, I’m happier now that I was sitting behind a desk all day. I avoided the nagging voice that kept creeping up on me for far too long, but the important lesson is that I finally trusted it!

We often tend to push that feeling aside because we know if we open ourselves up to it there’s a possibility of failure. Failure stops us from growing. That feeling, that voice is telling you to push ahead.

19. Laugh as much as possible

It really is the best medicine! Laugh until your stomach hurts and you can’t breathe! When was the last time you laughed that hard? Did it make you feel alive?

20. Travel often.

If you have the means to do so, it is 100% worth the time and money. I was fortunate enough to go on a vacation with my family every summer so I suppose my desire to travel had an early start. It wasn’t until I turned 18 and boarded a plane for the first time that I caught the travel bug.

Traveling does not need to be about “getting away from it all”. You guys, I can’t tell you how many times my friends and family would ask “One trip a year isn’t good enough for you? You’ve already spent so much money, there are more important things”. I get it. Not everybody understands. We all want to travel for different reasons. My why is based on pure enjoyment of adventure and discovering new places. It’s not about being so unhappy with where you are that you feel you have to runaway, well maybe for some people. I think you should travel to open your eyes and mind to different people, places and cultures. I believe I’m more of a well rounded individual because of it. Get on that plane, refresh your soul <3

21. You’ll find yourself wanting to relive those 90’s memories

Sometimes you really just want some Dunkaroos – or Kid Cuisine, Kool-Aid, Lunchables and all those other snacks you had when you were a kid. Can they just bring back Dunkaroos already?

22. Don’t stay in an unhappy, unhealthy relationship

If you’re relationship is the pits, do something about it. FAST. When you’re young you think that your first love is the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with. The next several relationships may even end up feeling the same way! You will do anything and everything to be with them, even when they treat you like complete poop!

I promise, young millennial, there are plenty of fish in the sea and someone much better for you is out there waiting for you. In fact, I KNOW it.

23. Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing anything

How many times have you felt like you had to do something because someone else wanted you to? Your parents, your friends, your lover. YOU are your own person, with your own ideas of what right and wrong is. If you don’t want to go to a certain college to study a particular subject, DON’T. If you don’t want to have sex before you’re ready, DON’T. If everyone else is drinking but you really don’t like to, don’t do it just because you think you’re pleasing everyone around you.

To this very day whenever I go out whether it be a bar, house party, or happy hour people ask me if I’m going to drink, why there isn’t already a drink in my hand or “psh, that’s lame”. It’s funny how that question tends to stick around way past your early 20s and it’s even more sad that our society revolves around alcohol in every social situation. I’ve never really liked drinking too much and it used to annoy me when I would constantly get asked these questions, but I held my ground and if I didn’t want to drink, I wouldn’t. Simple as that. Stick to your guns! At 30, you really don’t give a crap, haha!

24. Be vulnerable

You don’t have to be an open book, but let people in sometimes. You will learn, grow and even make some incredible friendships and relationships because of it.

25. Start using anti-aging serums in your early 20s

Let’s face it. I do not look my age. I get stares and remarks anytime I flash my driver’s license. What’s the secret? Well I think part of it is genetics, but I’ve also been using clean, natural products anti aging before I even turned 21. Thanks mom!

26. Learn your love language

Your partner will thank you. I cannot recommend the book, The Five Love Languages, enough. It’s live changing and really changed my perspective on what’s necessary for growing a healthy, stable relationship. I think I’m going to dedicate a post specifically to this!

27. Don’t let social media control your life

Don’t let Facebook or Instagram friends allow you to question your own life and goals. Everyone will always be going through a different phase of their at different milestones than you are. I used to tell myself that by 27 I would be married and by 29 I would have my first kid. Well, you see how that worked out! It’s okay though, I know it’s not far off now!

28. You’re more beautiful without makeup

By the time you reach thirty, you really start to not care about what people think of you. One, it’s too much work to constantly put on makeup and two, why should you have to cover up the real you to be liked and accepted? I used to only go if I put face full of concealer on, even if it was just the grocery store! But now? Psh, I don’t even care if I run into anyone. Like, HELLO, it’s ME! 🙂

29. Clean eating + regular fitness are the answer

Don’t try to substitute eating healthy with tons of fake supplements or get thin quick schemes. Your body wants things done the natural way. Eat clean veggies, fruits, lean grass-fed meats and workout a few times a week!

I know that can be hard when you’re constantly on the go! That’s why I love the Graze snack box subscription. They have so many healthy snack options without artificial flavors or added sugars!

Use code QW6K5XXLP and get your first Graze snack box for free!

30. Embrace your inner beauty!

Be comfortable in your own skin. There’s only one you, embrace it! You’ve made it this far in life, you must be doing something right!

Bring on the 30s, we GOT THIS! <3