Well, to begin with, she needs to come to terms with the fact that she’s nearing thirty. Once that’s taken care of, she simply ought to follow most of whatever is mentioned here.
The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.
– Albert Einstein
Firstly, why? Why on earth do we have a list that tells a woman what to do? Doesn’t she already have a parent/friend/special friend/boss/Cosmopolitan/Carrie Bradshaw/Pinterest already doing that? Indeed she does.
But then we also need to remember that she’s a woman. A woman who needs to be reminded (quite often) about how important she is. How she needs to stop losing herself in careers, relationships, finances, and worries. How she needs to prioritize herself, from an adventurous and practical point of view.
Now, each one of the thirty things mentioned below may or may not be possible to pull off. Neither would all of these sound appealing to every woman. So, why don’t you begin to read, take your pick, add your own, and get moving…
Thirty Before 30
Lose your heart
Not necessarily for a romantic cause, of course, but do lose your heart to a job, a city, a pet, a hobby… basically anything that adds value to your personality.
Overcome a phobia
Kill a cockroach, go bungee jumping, swim with sharks, do anything that warrants every ounce of your determination and will power. Phobias, my love, are too much of a baggage to carry for the rest of your life.
Live alone
While living with roomies is an excellent way to save some dough each month, do try to live solo if you can afford it. This is the best way to become well and truly independent.
Run a marathon
Make fitness a priority while you’re in your 20s, and you can go on to become the local octogenarian who runs the marathon in your future as well.
Possess one coveted key
It could be the key to your apartment, your car, or even your locker. Aspire to have one grand thing which is the outcome of your sweat, blood, and tears.
Have a real resume
Aim to have a resume that is entirely sans padding. Bloated resumes are only good enough for cafeteria jobs that you were after in your teens.
Get a rush!
A rush that is booze-induced or lust-induced is just too easy to attain. Instead, go for something that powers your adrenalin to fountain out of your head. Use this picture as an inspiration.
Have a Euro trip
Holland is where you become risqué, Italy is where you ogle at the men, France is where you do all things French, Greece is where all the Greek Gods await. Pack your bags, girl!
Learn a special skill
Pole dancing, bar tending, fire eating, juggling… so many interesting things to do, and so little time. So, pick one and get moving!
Know to say no
Doormats aren’t too nice. People get their muddy feet on them, which is why they’re never as fancy as carpets. So, don’t be the doormat; be the carpet who can, and does say ‘no’.
Be your own anchor
Still running from pillar to post for a shoulder to cry on? Aren’t you forgetting your own shoulders, sweetie?
Be someone’s goddess
Become a hero in somebody’s eyes. Not for having twenty thousand Twitter followers, of course, but for something real. And complete the challenge by remaining a hero forever.
Commit an insanity
Blue-colored hair? You betcha, because you can never pull it off once you’re over the hill, love. However, if it’s tattoos that you fancy, exercise utmost caution, as there is a lot of pain and money involved.
Care for a life
Plant a sapling and help breathe life into it. And if you happen to be more responsible, you could even keep a pet. However, never forget that you are caring for a life, and keep your promise.
Embrace your physical being
Easier said than done, isn’t it? But remember that your body is at its best in the twenties, and this is the time to do all it takes to keep it that way. So, eat, breath, and exercise well.
Learn self-defense
Be your personal knight in shining armor, and learn to kick some serious ass. Even if you never use your kickboxing skills in the actual, you can think of it as an excellent outlet for your frustration.
Have a cash stash
Use your twenties to place yourself in a position where you never have to beg, borrow, or steal or depend on anyone else other than yourself. You’ll feel grateful about this in your thirties.
Change a tire successfully
Make your toolbox your BFF, and save yourself the agony of sexist jokes coming from the mouths of your male friends. Once and for all.
Schedule annual check-ups
The big C is an actual scare, even for someone in her twenties. Smart girls always choose to be safe than sorry, especially regarding their well-being. If you think you’re smart, you know what to do.
Dazzle your parents
Hey, it need not be something super-duper expensive. Good behavior is all they expect from you. Now, that shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish, isn’t it?
Live the frugal life
Life can be a *lady dog* at times, so the best way to deal with that is to be battle-ready for any situation it throws at you. First thing to learn? How to not depend on money for happiness.
Become bi- or multilingual
Parlez-vous français? O tal vez español? O un po ‘di italiano, forse? No? Oh, get out of your English world for once, and learn another language. Hey, Parseltongue would be so smashing!
Stop being a drama queen
Please don’t take Shakespeare so literally and imagine that all the world’s a stage. Your twenties are not an extension of your teens, so leave all the drama behind you and become dignified.
Let go
Jobs and boyfriends keep coming and going, so they’re simply not worth endless months of anguish and agony. Learn to pick up the pieces and move on, girl, because the world will never wait for you.
Keep calm, and listen to Beyoncé
The shoe on my feet, I’ve bought it
The clothes I’m wearing, I’ve bought it
The rock I’m rockin’, I’ve bought it
‘Cause I depend on me!!
Key words, baby. Key words.
Forgive and forget
Life is too precious to be holding grudges, plotting revenge, or harboring hatred. No, seriously, before you realize this it is always too late. So, get something valuable to obsess on, honey.
Live without makeup
These are your twenties! Your skin is young, fresh, taut, wrinkle-free! Leave the (heavy) makeup for beyond the thirties and unmask your real self.
Place quality over quantity
It’s time you get over your Walmart phase, and try to slowly build up a collection of all things classy, be it clothes, accessories, or home décor. You have moved out of your college dorm, remember?
Live, love, and laugh
One life is what we get, and just a decade of being in our twenties within that. Mortgages, marriages, progeny will follow, so revel in your solitary self before time flies by.
Say thanks
If your momma didn’t already tell you, this is it – be thankful for what you have, and you’ll never shed a tear in your life. Hell, I’m sure you’re not going to do that, but it was worth saying!
The thirty things mentioned here are merely suggestions, of course. You, being the woman you are, should now go out and get inspired to pull off some of these, or their spin-offs, or whatever it is that you fancy. And we’ll look forward to a very, very rocking thirtieth!
