First, a few numbers to ruin our day: Michael Jordan was 21 when he scored a multi-million-dollar shoe deal. Jay-Z was 27 when he founded Roc-A-Fella Records. Mark Zuckerberg became a billionaire at 23. Serena Dalrymple was God-knows-how-old when she starred in that catchy fried chicken ad.
Most of the greats found success before turning 30, but that doesn’t mean us mere mortals should think of the Big 3-0 as some sort of deadline. Oprah Winfrey, after all, became a self-made billionaire at 49. If you’re not in the business of changing the world one Facebook profile at a time, turning 30 may simply mean more responsibilities and less parties. Here are a few things to consider doing before you get to that boring place.
Learn Quality
Let’s say coffee is your thing: it doesn’t hurt to raise the standards to anything better than your usual 3-in-1 option. Of course, quality costs a bigger hole in your pocket, but think of the long-term positive effect it will have on your lifestyle. Same goes with the clothes you buy, the food you eat, and the TV shows you binge watch. The cheaper choice is not always the smarter choice. If quality control has never been part of your system, then the window before 30 is the perfect time to adopt the process.
Get Lost
You’ve heard this advice before: book a flight, pack your bags, and travel alone. Taking the trip—meaning riding a plane and staying at a hotel—is the easiest part. But to truly make a solo exploration worthwhile, get lost. Walk aimlessly in an unfamiliar street, eat what the locals are eating, drink what they’re drinking, and talk to (nice) strangers. If you survive getting lost in a strange place, you might build the confidence to face problems at home, and be more equipped to handle them.
Apologize
Being young and being stupid is forgivable when you’re young and stupid—that would be your 20s. Being in your 30s, however, might be less forgiving. So as early as now, apologize to your parents for wrecking their car or apologize to your boss for skipping work because of a hangover. It doesn’t have to be verbal, obviously—acknowledging that you were stupid once and vowing to learn from mistakes would suffice.
Learn to Cook a Go-to Dish
Fastfood takeouts are convenient, but you can’t live on greasy burgers and fries forever. Learn to cook at least one go-to dish to serve during get-togethers to add to your list of accomplishments. Those snappy online video clips of mouthwatering food aren’t just meant to make us salivate, they can teach us a thing or two about creating something delicious.
Experience a Music Festival
You know that guy who goes to a music festival, finds an empty spot away from the crowd, and nods along to the music as if he was sent there as part of a work requirement? Don’t be that guy. At least not yet. For now, rock out, get dirty, and sweat it out at a music festival. You may have the money for pricey tickets when you get to your 30s, but it may not come with youthful energy.
Get Fit
Like a vehicle with high mileage, a person’s body wears down if not getting the proper maintenance. We already know the benefits of exercise (improves mood, better sleep, license to do workout selfies), so invest in a gym membership before turning 30, and win the laziness battle going on in your head.
Stay Out Late
Believe it or not, there will come a time when drinking until 4 a.m. doesn’t sound like a good idea. There will come a time when your tolerance will betray you, and your capability to nurse a hangover will vanish. Better enjoy nights out while you still can.
Invest
Remember Zuckerberg earning billions in his 20s? Well, that might be a bit too late for you, now that you’re pushing 30, but it still helps to invest money. If mutual funds and stocks are a bit daunting for you, then invest on something that interests you. These passion investments might seem silly at first, but it won’t look silly anymore when it’s funding your out-of-the-country trips and tickets to music festivals, where you can find an empty spot away from the crowd, and nod along to the music.
What are the things that one should do before turning 30? Share them with us below!
