5 Things I Wish I Had Mastered Before 30
I was very excited to turn 30. I felt like it was my moment to step into the person who had been waiting for me. If you know anything about track and field and relay races, I imagined it being like my younger, fatigued self handing the baton to the wiser, well-rested self who was ready to kick ass at her leg of the race. Although I was amped for this life event, I can't say that I was fully prepared. There are things I wish I had mastered before getting here.
5 Things I Wish I Had Mastered Before 30
1. Always Be Learning. I don't know about y'all, but I've relied entirely too much on my college educated brain to get me in and through jobs, and also my job to teach me new skills I was interested in gaining. NEWS FLASH: My college degrees feel almost useless these days (they aren't) and on-the-job opportunities to learn new skills could be few and far between. You have to invest in yourself to keep up to date with current trends. You'll also present yourself as a competitive potential employee when looking to make a change or reach for the next rung on the ladder of your career. Seminars, webinars, conferences, networking events and groups, etc. INVEST IN YOURSELF! It's one thing you'll never regret.
Additionally, to be a life long learner keeps you interesting, curious, and sets you up for a fulfilling life. Learning a new skill that may not pertain to a career is pretty beneficial. You can discover hidden talents, a new side hustle (or entreprenuerial endeavor!), meet new friends, or find hobbies that contribute to a healthier, happier you. Who would have ever thought basket-weaving could be so therapuetic? ;)
2. Knowing that money is abundant & there's plenty to go around. Enter Jen Sincero, author of You Are A Badass At Making Money. Enter manifesting, positive thinking, law of attraction, and gratitude. I'm definitely still working on this one, but my money script used to be one of scarcity and lack. I'm not sure where it came from since I grew up a very low maintenance kid never needing or wanting a thing! But not anymore y'all! There's money to be made and positive vibes to be copped. Why can't it be me that receives them?
3. Choosing myself without feeling bad. I grew up navigating social circles as an overly nice girl who wanted the best for people even if that meant totally inconveniencing myself. To an extent, I'm still that girl because I love to make other people happy and feel appreciated, but no longer at the detriment of my own happiness. I've actually gotten much better at choosing myself in the past 4 years, but I've still got work to do. Saying no to family and close friends is the hardest. >_< Just know that "No" is a complete sentence and you don't always need to explain your reasons to other people.
4. A solid nighttime routine. I've NEVER had this. I've honestly had the same nighttime routine since high school - nonexistent. Picture this: a college kid who wakes up on the couch with all of the lights on, pizza on a plate next to her, TV playing in the background, still dressed in last night's shirt... It's not exactly the same, but it's pretty damn close, and I, for one, am embarassed about it. Can anyone recommend a self help series for me on making a nighttime routine and sticking to it? PLEASE?!
5. Knowing that a current career status doesn't determine my success. I can't say that I've had an exciting career path up to now, because I've only had two solid "big girl" jobs, neither of which I was expecting. I've really enjoyed my current job over the years, but because I have a tendency to throw myself all into something, I worked really hard (almost to the point of burnout) to make moves within the company. I began to be that annoying person who always talked about work - and I mean ALWAYS, and how I was just trying to grind to grow. Once I started to burn out and didn't have anything in my personal life to help balance my work, I started to crash and realized I was putting a lot of focus into my worth based on my job instead of everything else that determined the kind of person I was. I'm still trying to grow career-wise, but I've realized it's not the only indication of success for me these days. (Try getting over my fear of teaching a yoga class! Now THAT'S real success.)
6. *BONUS* Learning how to talk the cable companies down on the monthly bill. Currently, my husband pays the cable bill because I refuse to give that many of my dollars to something I deem a non-necessity. Do I reap the benefits of our cable and internet? Hell yes! But could I go without if I needed to? Absolutely! Until then, someone give me tips on how to talk those suckers down! Help save my husband's mula!
What are some things you wish you learned to master before the stage of life you're in right now? Talk to me!
-seria
Photo by Johannes W on Unsplash