Bottom line: These lists are kind of horseshit. Let's all imagine a world where everyone's on the same page - everyone wants the same things by the time they hit a certain age, right? Wrong. I don't give one single shit if I have a piece of expensive art in my house, ever. I'd rather hang inexpensive frames full of photos of my dogs, husband, family and friends. I do not care if I ever have clean baseboards - I've accepted defeat and know that no matter how hard I try, there will always be dog hair clumped somewhere in my house, no matter how frequently I vacuum. So, without further ado, here are the things I think are worth doing, knowing or having before you turn 30. I know, I'm just another person you don't know writing a list of things I think you should do. How hypocritical is this bitch?
Learn about your money. It is yours, after all. Whether it's the breakdown of taxes on your pays stub, which tax bracket you fall into during tax season or finally establishing your 401k (I legitimately just started this yesterday), I think investing knowledge in your money is one of the most important things in the world. If you know where it's going, chances are, you'll end up with more of it.
Settle. No, I don't mean settle for less than you're worth or something that doesn't make you happy. But eventually, it's important to slow down and physically settle - there's something beautiful about chasing dreams, but let's not forget to embrace the life we have in this very moment. Even if it's not postcard perfection, it's still pretty perfect in its own way.
Grammar and spelling: Figure it out. I'll toot my own horn and say that I figured this out back in middle school, so this is really just a recommendation to the rest of you. If you're quickly approaching the age where you're supposed to be able to put together an excellent cover letter according to someone else's "to do" list, you might want to know the difference between your and you're.
Have friends who make you better. If you haven't purged yourself of the toxic relationships in your life, now's the time. Life is too short to spend time with people who don't want you to be the best version of you, and who aren't willing to help you get there.
Stop dating the wrong people. That doesn't mean you won't still get hurt, learn or make mistakes, but if you're wasting your time sleeping with someone casually who doesn't give a damn about wining and dining you, then stop. You're better than that. You're, not your.
Take pride in what you have. It's really not about buying expensive furniture or wearing super fancy professional suits. Take care of what you have. Take pride in the money you spent to acquire whatever you have and stop treating everything like you did your first college apartment.
Be passionate about something, and do it. Even if you're not fortunate enough to make a living off your passion, you can still find a way to incorporate it into your life. Volunteer, work part time, take time out of your busy "must-do-this-in-order-to-pay-the-bills" life to do something that truly inspires you.
Don't take your health for granted. Do whatever you need to do to appreciate your health. Eat right, quit smoking, stop drinking so much, start working out. No one says you need to run a half marathon and go on a raw diet for months on end, but you should have enough common sense to know that what you ignore about your health right now will manifest itself in the form of expensive healthcare bills and quite possibly a lot of pain later in life.
Have more than a "right now" plan. That doesn't mean you need a 10 year plan, or even a 5 year one. It does mean that it's beneficial to think more than a month or so into the future. Whether you're dreaming of a bucket list vacation that means you start saving now, or you're projecting a completion date on schooling or certification programs to better yourself professionally, it helps to have goals that go beyond the monthly "don't spend my electric bill money on these new shoes or binge eating at Chipotle this month."
Stop comparing yourself to others. Professionally, personally, geographically - just don't do it. So your friend is living the dream working in Chicago and making triple what you make, or your best friend manages to work full time, have two beautiful children, an immaculately clean home and a well-satisfied husband (seriously, all of those together are 150% impossible) - this should have no bearing on your life whatsoever. Your life is absolute perfection, even if it doesn't look like someone else's on the outside. You'll be happier if you can realize this.
Grow up and tackle your debt. Credit card debt and student loans don't go away. Shocking, right? Make a commitment to improving your credit score and your overall financial situation by tackling debt early - before things like kids, big time mortgages and potential layoffs get in the way. Make a budget - once you realize you're spending an extra $500 a month on shit you can't even pinpoint, you'll be so sick over it that you'll gladly hop on the budget bandwagon. Dave Ramsey's "Debt Snowball" is actually pretty fantastic. Look it up.
Be nice to everyone - yes, everyone. It's true what they say - your character is measured by how you treat people who can do nothing for you. I don't care if you went to college, have your doctorate or went straight into the workforce post-high school - be nice. I mean it. You're not better than anyone, and the best of us know that how you treat people says more about you than it does about them.
Keep learning. Just because you're not in school and you're getting pretty savvy at your job doesn't mean you should stop learning or exploring. Don't let the Kardashians be your only topic of conversation. Take a class, READ, do research on something so completely random just because you saw it on a billboard and you want to know more about it. Never stop challenging yourself intellectually.
Plan a bucket list trip. Even if you won't be able to afford it this year, or for the next three years - plan it. Buy a piggy bank and dedicate spare change and cash towards funding it. Rob and I want to go to Australia - we bought a $10 piggy bank shaped like a giant shark (said like "shawwwk" in true Aussie fashion), and we throw random cash into it when we can. It'll take us forever, but we refuse to let the dream die.
Most importantly, make your own list. You should decide what you want out of life - whether you want it before a certain age, next week or in this lifetime. You write your own story - stop reading stupid lists other people make about what you ought to be doing (except this list, because I'm fantastic).
Happy list-making, friends!
