Turning 30: 5 Things My 20s Taught Me

Last weekend I turned thirty — the age many people seem to dread. Maybe surprisingly, I largely didn’t feel the existential angst that seems so common. Instead, I mostly felt thankful to see thirty at all, as well as a deep appreciation for all the important lessons that my twenties taught me. Today I’d like to share five of the most important lessons the last ten years of my life taught me.

1. Age is Just a Number

While it sounds cliche, I have come to believe that age is just a number. I feel almost no different being thirty than I did being twenty. After some arbitrary age around twenty-five, I’ve found that people start disliking their birthday and aging, but the truth is, you should be thankful for every year you get — not everyone is as lucky as you to see another year.

This learning was instilled in me after losing my dad at the age of twenty-seven. Since then, I’ve done my best to appreciate every day, especially my birthday, because growing old truly is the greatest privilege in life.

2. Your Health is Everything

The second thing my twenties taught me is that your health is everything; without it, you have nothing. Your health forms the foundation of your well-being. Without a solid foundation, you’ll likely limit the opportunities and experiences you’d otherwise be able to take advantage of.

Thankfully, my health (specifically physical fitness) is something I’ve taken seriously throughout the majority of my life. Growing up, I was always extremely active because of sports, and since the age of eighteen, I’ve weightlifted in the gym almost daily. Interestingly, while I started lifting for its physical effects, nowadays I value its mental effects just as much if not more.

Few things that have positively impacted my life as much as going to the gym consistently has. I hope anyone reading this who doesn’t have a gym membership strongly considers joining a gym. You’d be surprised how much progress you can make by showing up to the gym for as little as thirty minutes each day. Working hard at something daily and seeing the results of your consistent effort is a valuable lesson on its own that can be applied to most other things in life.

I’ve also done my best to prioritize my mental health more recently. I’ve thought a lot about what makes me happy and what doesn’t. And from there I can now consciously make decisions that lead me to doing more of what I enjoy and less of what I don’t. Another thing I’ve noticed is how much better my day is when I take time to go outside and take a walk around my neighborhood. While walking, I discovered that my having a “good day” ties directly to checking four daily boxes: