When we step into our 20s, people never fail to point out how this decade will go by before we know it. But as a 20-something, we don’t have a care in the world. We think we are untouchable, our time is endless.
Our whole life is still ahead of us and we have plenty of time to figure out what we want to do with it.
We all have a vision about what our experience would look like when we turn 30. And most of the time, it turns out to be nothing like how we imagined it. At least in my experience.
I thought my career would thrive and I’d be married with kids.
Boy, was I wrong!
Our 20s are a big learning curve and we believe we have plenty of time to test the waters
6 months after turning 29, I started telling people I was almost 30 whenever they asked about my age. It kind of made me prepare for that big, scary 30.
So when the time came, I wasn’t feeling old or bad about not being in my 20s anymore.
I actually felt relief because my 20s were all work and not much play.
Starting „the third X” (as in Roman numeral) was a new chapter where I decided to finally put myself first and not to settle for jobs, relationships or a lifestyle that wouldn’t make my life any better.
It’s a work in progress.
We start asking ourselves all those questions
Am I happy? Am I heading in the right direction? Am I satisfied with my life?
Deep inside I knew I wasn’t! But I had no clue what I really wanted… I only knew what I didn’t. Baby steps!
And then some more questions rushed through my mind as I tried to dig deeper:
Are my dreams still the same? Have my priorities changed? Should I change the way I do things? Or more like the way I look at things?! If these areas of my life don’t work the way I’d like them to, I certainly should.
Circumstances that I put up with became unbearable, it was a long time coming. Everyone has their own reasons, whether it’s about career or relationships.
It might give you a feeling of safety or you might feel like your options are limited due to being an immigrant or any other reasons. I get it, been there, done that.
Then something unexpected happens that makes us realise our time is limited…
It’s a real eye-opener and puts everything in a whole new perspective.
One Monday morning, the news came about the sudden death of a co-worker who was in her mid-30s. We only met a couple of times but I remember her as someone who was always smiling. She was nice and helpful to everyone and we envied her beautiful dresses.
She couldn’t have known what was coming. So young and beautiful, most of the major life events still ahead of her like getting married and having kids.
Around the same time, I found out one of my friends had cancer and was given 3 to 6 months to live. That left me with a heavy heart. I’d never really had to deal with death around me before that wasn’t really expected as the way of life. Why always nice people?!
Seeing the fear in his eyes was one of the hardest things while acting all reassuring that everything’s going to be fine, when usually he was the one who made me feel stronger.
It made me question most of my life decisions!
If it happened to you, would you say you lived a happy life and you were doing what you liked?
Or would you say your life was like a hamster wheel: hating your job, living in a city you didn’t like, being with a partner who was cheating on you…
Do you appreciate your support system or do you take those people for granted?
Would you have any regrets?
When you approach 30, your discomfort heightens along with your dissatisfaction
You want a better life for yourself with supportive people around you.
You want to have a career in a field that you’re passionate about, where people are working towards the same goal and also respect your personal life.
You want to live in a town where you feel safe, in a place where you feel home and with someone who nurtures your soul.
I’m a firm believer that all these signs around us are reminders to not take our lives for granted.
We have one life only and are here to thrive, not just survive
I’ve met loads of people who settled for less than what they deserve and let me tell you, they are not happy! It’s only a matter of time before their desire to change becomes bigger than their fear. Please don’t make the same mistake!
As for me, I changed jobs and moved to a new city. After a couple of years, my career didn’t advance so I made the scariest decision and left my job, took 3 months time out and changed career. I became self-employed which is full of uncertainty but at least I put all my hard work into my own projects!
And that’s exactly why turning 30 is the best thing that can ever happen to you!
No more time wasting, you know what you want and you fight for it.
You don’t try to please everyone and most importantly, you don’t care what others think anymore.
Embrace it and never settle! Know your worth, it’s never too late to change your circumstances!
You are still young and the best part of your life is yet to come.