Here's a run-down of a few of these commonly held 'before I'm 30' goals. I'm [ironically] excited to see how miserably I've failed at a large percentage of these 😂
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A Home You Love... Rented or Otherwise
Whether you own your property, rent it [like meeeeeee, there's no way I'd even get a look in on a mortgage with my credit hahaha], live alone or live with friends / bae; your home should be a space you love.
Fill your living space with beautiful things; photos of friends and family, trinkets from your travels & fab lil bits you've impulse bought in B&M. Make it personal to you, a place that you’re happy to return to each day.
By the time you reach your third decade, it’s surprising how much your mindset changes - no longer do you fancy living in a mass of mismatched furniture and hand-me-downs; it's all about coordination & jibbing [most of] those studenty-vibes off. Invest in nice things that are built to last - your sofa, bed and furniture are all examples of where it’s worth spending a little more. If you're in a position to, of course.
A Driver’s Licence [...well, I've got my Provisional, it's not an outright fail]
As millennials, we’re learning to drive on average much later than our parents and grandparents generations. There are many reasons for this - for me, cost being a huge one... learning to drive (and owning a car) is expensive, hun. I also live in a city, so it's cheaper & quicker for me to hop in a taxi or grab the train too tbh; so I've never even had a lesson.
It's something I want to do, though. There are many benefits & stacks more independence that come alongside owning a set of wheels. One of the big perks of driving [as well as obv being able to access the McDonalds Drive Thru] is in terms of jobs - it opens up loadsa doors in terms of career opportunities; and if you end up relocating somewhere further from the city centre but is stacks better for you in terms of cheaper rent.
Driving is one of those things everyone always says to work on earning & to pass, even if you don't own a car straight away. Though I think I'd want to start driving as soon as I passed, in case I forgot how to after a while!
I'd agree with the statement that driving gives people so much more additional independence than those [like me] reliant on Deaf Leslie the Uber driver & the peasant wagon [bus] - it's a really useful skill to have in life.
Care About Your Body
Sort of a work in progress for me this - I've reverted back to my 18 year old self of late & have enjoyed far too many bevvys with friends. And there's been a lot of cookies and chicken korma involved too.
Many of us have gone on fad diets in our teens & twenties - typically having drank too much alcohol during this time, not sleeping enough & just in general, not really looking after ourselves all that well!
Once you get to 30 - and those feelings of mid-life crisis firmly kick in, you soon start to realise that it's time to start taking health more seriously. Drink enough water, eat well, get enough sleep. Stay active & jib off dangerous habits; like smoking, recreational drug use & excessive amounts of ale; and make more mindful lifestyle changes. Noone wants to look like a decrepid, leathery old bag before we have to - these habits will age you terribly.
Be Mindful Of Your Carbon Footprint
This is something each and every one of us should be mindful of - especially by the time you've reached 30. This involves recycling carefully [recycling is my jam bb], swerving single use plastics where you can, not wasting water or electric & opting for environmentally friendly brands.
Turn off lights & appliances when you're not using them, don't leave the tap running needlessly & use the right bin when you're taking out the trash. Simple. But if everyone did this, just imagine the difference it would bring about.
One step to take this environmentally-friendly way of life even further would be to insulate your home & upgrade ya windows to prevent the waste of fossil fuels [where applicable.] Starting a compost heap in the garden [if you're lucky enough to have one] will prevent some of the waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators. And if you wanna fully dedicate to the cause, you could even look into getting solar panels installed to save money on power - and the environment.
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The Ability To Budget [trolololol no I defo don't have this one ticked off]
Whether you earn a little or a lot of money, it all comes down to how well you’re able to manage it. Reportedly - I wouldn't know, hun. Maintaining a healthy budget is ded important. If you’re in debt like me, trying to put a little extra towards this to it all paid off is a smart goal to make; as you’ll save yourself money and swerve that feeling of being tied down by shady creditors.
It's a good shout to try to set yourself a weekly or monthly budget - and stick with it - and, where possible, to start saving money. Whether this is cash to put towards a deposit for a house, a holiday, DIY, to pay off debt or just to use as a buffer against unexpected bills and expenses, it’s so worth doing. Create a savings account on your online banking and each time you get paid, transfer a little over. It will soon grow if you don’t dip into it. Which is my biggest downfall.
Most of us imagine that by the time we've reached thirty we’ll have got ourselves our dream job and will really have our lives together. LOL, imagine 😂😂😂😂. The reality is, life doesn't always go as planned. Or well. At all. And that's okay.
If you're lucky & landed a well-paid career you enjoy, your 30's are the time you'll benefit from the fruits of your labour. However if this is totes not the case [like me], don’t stress if you’re not where you need to be.
Take steps to reach your goals. You might go back to university full time and get a degree or a masters in a relevant subject. You might study part time, or gain some work experience through voluntary work which would allow you to apply for the job you want. Have a think about where you are now and where you want to be. If your current role offers no progression or is in a field that you don’t enjoy working in, make a change. Look out for courses & events in your area & see if you can make your hobbies & passions into a viable career path.
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leading on from that...
Hobbies You Enjoy
When you were a young whippersnapper, chances are that you had loads of hobbies and interests; right? But as we get older these start to fade out; with our time being consumed by work, adulting & other responsibilities. Booooo.
It's really important to maintain hobbies & connect with things that you truly enjoy, though. It keeps you productive on your days off and prevents you from sitting on the sofa and binge watching Netflix every weekend. Think of things you loved as a child, or anything that’s ever caught your attention. It could be something creative like art, design, music or baking. It could be a sporty hobby like a team sport, swimming or yoga. It could even be something really specific like bodybuilding; whereby you can find bodybuilding motivation videos online.
It's really important to maintain hobbies & connect with things that you truly enjoy, though. It keeps you productive on your days off and prevents you from sitting on the sofa and binge watching Netflix every weekend. Think of things you loved as a child, or anything that’s ever caught your attention. It could be something creative like art, design, music or baking. It could be a sporty hobby like a team sport, swimming or yoga. It could even be something really specific like bodybuilding; whereby you can find bodybuilding motivation videos online.
Hobbies help you to build skills, they keep you curious and make you happy. PLUS they can introduce you to new, like minded people. Even if your hobby is done entirely from home, there’s ways you can connect with others - look at the blogging community, for example.
A Style You Feel Good About
Most of us experiment with our style & jump onboard even some of the maddest trends in our teens and twenties. We all buy the 'must-have' items, reinvent ourselves, try on different styles of clothing, makeup and dye our hair every colour under the sun. And so by the time you reach thirty, chances are you’ll have reached a style that you’re happy with - one that feels like ‘you.’ It’s not to say you can’t - or shouldn't - ever change, but having an idea of what suits you and what makes you feel your best can do wonders for your self-esteem. Enjoy trying out different looks when you’re younger, and when you finally settle on one you’ll know it’s the right one for you.
The Ability To Spot Toxic People
One of the hardest things to learn in life is not everyone is as nice as you are. Not everyone is kind, caring and compassionate, and while none of us are perfect, some are nothing short of toxic. Unfortunately, these people can come disguised as friends, family members and partners which can be difficult. By the time you reach thirty, you’ll hopefully have had enough experiences with people to be able to spot the good ones.
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The Ability To Spot Toxic People
One of the hardest things to learn in life is not everyone is as nice as you are. Not everyone is kind, caring and compassionate, and while none of us are perfect, some are nothing short of toxic. Unfortunately, these people can come disguised as friends, family members and partners which can be difficult. By the time you reach thirty, you’ll hopefully have had enough experiences with people to be able to spot the good ones.
If someone in your life isn’t treating you well, work on letting them go gracefully and without drama. Life can be difficult enough, anyone that brings you down, upsets you or uses you simply doesn’t deserve a place in your circle. Know the signs, and cut these turd people off when you spot them.
Clear Goals [lol, maybe one day I'll master this]
Your goals can involve everything from work to life to travel, money and more. When you know exactly where you want to be, it enables you to be productive in working towards this. Start with your main goals and break them down into smaller steps - things you can get started on right away. This prevents you from falling into a rut or stagnating. It keeps you on the right path, and when you start to question what you’re doing you can look at your goals to remind yourself of where you started.
Clear Goals [lol, maybe one day I'll master this]
Your goals can involve everything from work to life to travel, money and more. When you know exactly where you want to be, it enables you to be productive in working towards this. Start with your main goals and break them down into smaller steps - things you can get started on right away. This prevents you from falling into a rut or stagnating. It keeps you on the right path, and when you start to question what you’re doing you can look at your goals to remind yourself of where you started.
What do you think of these goals? Can you relate?
*Collaborative post - for more information on what this means, please see my Disclaimer
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