Despite what you might hear some of your friends tell you in a panicky voice, turning 30 is not the end of the world. And the same goes for any other impressively big-looking jubilee! With life experience, you accumulate lots of knowledge about how the world works.
And even though it’s impossible to turn back time, you can use your hard-won wisdom to improve your future and give other people a helping hand in making the most of their youth. We’ve collected some of the best life advice that people aged 30 and over have shared in a couple of spot-on online threads. Check out the tips as you scroll down—you might find something useful no matter your age!
Bored Panda got in touch with Jodi Wellman, MAPP, who was kind enough to explain why big birthday milestones are so important to us, as well as how to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the overwhelming amount of information and advice found online. You'll find her insights below. Wellman is the founder of Four Thousand Mondays and the author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets.
#21
Its way easier to stay in shape than get in shape.
Exercise.
Exercise.
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10points
#22
Start saving for a house at 10 years old. You might have a deposit by you’re 30.
10points
#23
Wear earplugs at concert and doing other loud things. I wish I had.
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10points
#24
***(1) Everyone who is really good at something was really bad at that same thing at one time***, unless they were a prodigy (extremely rare). Don't let fear of "failure" or embarrassment keep you from working towards your goals or experiencing new, great things. And nobody is really looking at you anyway.
***(2) Don't stress about keeping your life on some sort of timeline.*** Don't fall into thinking "I should be married by now" or "I should be well on my way to my career by now." Everyone finds their way at a different pace, and a lot of people make poor decisions when they become impatient to stay on this fictitious timeline.
***(3) At your job, find the good departmental/divisional administrative assistant that knows the ropes and is super competent, befriend this person, learn from them, and treat this person like gold***. These are the people who save your a*s and really get things done, and usually know a lot more about what is really going on and how things work than even the big bosses. Always ask nicely, always say thank you, nice gift at Christmas.
***(4) Being alone for a while is a lot better than being surrounded by toxic people***. Find friends who are emotionally healthy, fun, stimulating, and supportive. It's important to be supportive yourself when a friend has rough patch, but beware of people who are always in these rough patches.
***(5) If you are having trouble finding a good romantic relationship or making friends, take a break from the chase and work on yourself.*** Get yourself in good working order mentally and develop your interests. Interesting people who are relatively emotionally healthy rarely have trouble making good friends and dating.
***(6) Long term relationships are often a series of shorter term relationships where you fall in and out of love, in and out of infatuated periods.*** Not every rough patch means you should break up.
***(7) Don't stay in romantic relationships where you are more into them than they are to you***, this will end up draining you and shredding your self-esteem.
***(8) Don't listen to past-you who berates you for not starting things sooner. Listen to future-you who is so happy you started now.***.
***(2) Don't stress about keeping your life on some sort of timeline.*** Don't fall into thinking "I should be married by now" or "I should be well on my way to my career by now." Everyone finds their way at a different pace, and a lot of people make poor decisions when they become impatient to stay on this fictitious timeline.
***(3) At your job, find the good departmental/divisional administrative assistant that knows the ropes and is super competent, befriend this person, learn from them, and treat this person like gold***. These are the people who save your a*s and really get things done, and usually know a lot more about what is really going on and how things work than even the big bosses. Always ask nicely, always say thank you, nice gift at Christmas.
***(4) Being alone for a while is a lot better than being surrounded by toxic people***. Find friends who are emotionally healthy, fun, stimulating, and supportive. It's important to be supportive yourself when a friend has rough patch, but beware of people who are always in these rough patches.
***(5) If you are having trouble finding a good romantic relationship or making friends, take a break from the chase and work on yourself.*** Get yourself in good working order mentally and develop your interests. Interesting people who are relatively emotionally healthy rarely have trouble making good friends and dating.
***(6) Long term relationships are often a series of shorter term relationships where you fall in and out of love, in and out of infatuated periods.*** Not every rough patch means you should break up.
***(7) Don't stay in romantic relationships where you are more into them than they are to you***, this will end up draining you and shredding your self-esteem.
***(8) Don't listen to past-you who berates you for not starting things sooner. Listen to future-you who is so happy you started now.***.
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9points
#25
Don't listen to us old farts, live your life, make your own mistakes and learn from them.
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9points
#26
Take care of yourself first. Make sure you're doing what **you** need to do to get by in life & to have the life you want. The right people will find you / you will find them. If someone feels like they're not a match for you or your personality, don't push it! Don't try to change for them and don't try to change them. And of course, don't change your goals for anyone but you.
Your 20's are all about exploring and trying new things. Have fun, be safe, make good choices. Try to get outside every day even if it's just for a walk. Save money and try to make good habits stick. Learn how to cook, do your own finances, fix a leaky sink, garden, etc. Enjoy life !
Your 20's are all about exploring and trying new things. Have fun, be safe, make good choices. Try to get outside every day even if it's just for a walk. Save money and try to make good habits stick. Learn how to cook, do your own finances, fix a leaky sink, garden, etc. Enjoy life !
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8points
#27
Study hard while you can. It gets harder to experience and learn new things as you get older, so grab what you can now.
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8points
#28
Start a good workout routine and diet before you gain weight and your metabolism slows.
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7points
#29
Enjoy life with your loved ones, save, and watch what you eat.
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7points
When discussing the pressure surrounding age milestones, it's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed as you near a significant birthday, such as 30, a sentiment echoed in discussions around health and habits.
This ties into the idea of staying up late as a form of self-care or personal time, as you're likely to find in the concept of revenge bedtime procrastination. The balance between adhering to societal expectations and managing personal time can be a struggle for many.
