KM Viray
You’re about to reach the big 3-0. Not too young and not too old. Sounds like a good combination and the perfect time to do all these things.
The Dailypedia presents a checklist of things you should do before you enter your 30s.
1. Visit a new continent.
New places and new faces. A new continent is like visiting a whole new world. From the culture to the weather to the people’s way of life, everything is just so different and it would be an awesome thing to remember when you’re staying at home to care for your family when you’re older.
2. Travel to somewhere truly exotic.
Go someplace that very few people have gone to. Swim with dolphins or whales or trek up the highest mountains–whatever floats your boat. Having an experience very few people can get is great when you’re older and can’t travel as much anymore.
3. Make at least one friend in every country you visit.
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Keep those ties nice and strong by keeping in touch with people you’ve met. You’ll never know when you’ll meet them again!
4. Take a spontaneous trip.
No planning, no booking, no agenda, no itinerary. Just go and leave everything behind.
5. Learn a new language.
Je t’aime. Wo ai ni. Aishite imasu. All these phrases simply mean, “I love you.” We’re not talking about simple phrases here, though. When we say learn a new language, we really mean learn a new language. Master conversational Chinese, Spanish, French, German–whatever you feel like. It would be a great addition to your resume, too.
6. Go bungee jumping or skydiving.
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Get that adrenaline rush as you fall hundreds of feet from above! You’ll have this great sense of accomplishment and exhilaration when you’re done.
7. Sing your heart out onstage.
We’ve all done it in the shower. We’ve pretended to be concert kings and queens with matching swagger (and even the fake sound of the audience cheering you on). Why not make it a reality and go on stage and just belt it out? Who cares if you can’t carry a note or two?
8. Face your worst fear.
Whether it be spiders or heights or your next door neighbor, get the courage to stand up to whatever gives you the most chills. It might be icky or creepy or hair-raising, but when you’ve got kids of your own, you’ll have the right to tell them to face their own fears.
9. Stand on top of a mountain.
Trek all the way up a mountain (even if it’s just a small one) and take a photo of yourself standing at the peak. When you get there, take it all in and just simply marvel at the beauty of it all.
10. Boost your financial stability.
Be more organized when you get your salary. Learn how to budget, how to save for the future, and keep on track.
11. Create your personal emergency fund.
When you’re in your 20s, it’s kind of embarrassing to keep having to depend on your parents when you need extra funds. Of course they’ll always be there to help out, but if you want to have that feeling of independence and stability, make sure you keep a portion of your money safe and sound in the bank for emergency purposes. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to help out someone else one day.
12. Create an online business on the side.
Nothing is better than earning some extra cash for those spontaneous trips and splurges. Find something you’re good at and make a mini business out of it. Who knows, this could be the start of you own empire in the future.
13. Develop the habit of exercising daily.
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Sure, being in your 20s is the best time you can party all night, drink, and try different kinds of food. This, however, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your health. Even 30 minutes of aerobics everyday can make a world of a difference.
14. Start eating healthy.
Be a bit more conscientious of what you eat. Of course, don’t deprive yourself, but don’t overdo it either. If you’re not into veggies, now is the best time to start catching up and load up on greens.
15. Learn to dance.
Learn to dance even if you’ve already confirmed a long time ago that you’ve got two left feet. It doesn’t have to be a formal dance class. Just get yourself into one of those gym sessions or free Zumba lessons your city or municipality holds weekly.
16. Become a disciplined person.
Learn to say “no” to temptation. Sure, many people say splurge on yourself while you’re still young because when you have a family, you won’t get to do that anymore. This is okay in some cases, but not all the time. If you feel like the world is conspiring against you when you get your salary and the mall beside your office is having a huge sale, look away and think about how else you could spend your money wisely (if you really don’t think you can just sit there and save it).
17. Become a morning person.
As kids, we’ve all hated getting up early in the morning to go to school. Most of us have kept this habit even when we’ve already started working. How about turning those morning blues into morning brights? Think about all the things you could accomplish every day. If you can’t, then just think about how lucky you are to even see a whole new day begin.
18. Read at least 100 books.
Take your pick: romance novels, history, fiction, self-help—it doesn’t matter. Keep on feeding your mind and be more knowledgeable. The least you could get out of reading lots of books is that you get to improve your grammar that sure isn’t a bad thing.
19. Ride a rollercoaster.
Not everyone enjoys turning and twisting and hanging upside down on a huge machine. If you’ve already ridden on a rollercoaster before, good for you. If not, gather up your courage to take a ride on one that many won’t even go near to. Afraid you might throw up while on the ride? Who cares? They’re going to forget about you when they get home anyway.
20. Spend a night under the stars.
Nothing could be more peaceful than just lying on a soft blanket and gazing up at the stars. Just looking at those twinkling lights can seem to make all your troubles go away.
21. Go offline for a whole month.
In this day and age, this is a toughie. Even though some people don’t want to admit, social media is now a part of their daily routine. Going offline for a whole month, though, could be helpful in cementing relationships with families and friends who aren’t big on social media. You might also use this as a sort of respite from the chaos and negative stuff you see on Facebook and other social media networks.
22. Take a picture every day for a whole year.
See your life in 365 photos. It could be a daily selfie (to see how you’ve aged?) or perhaps a photo of a person who made you happy or helped you that day. It could be a good perspective on your life.
23. Learn how to cook a signature dish.
Even the worst cook can make something he is proud of. It could be a dessert, an ingenious fried-mozzarella-stick-wrapped-in-bacon, or maybe a truly unique dip. Invent a dish that people will automatically associate with you.
24. Go on a shopping spree.
We all wish we could just go out and buy everything our heart desires. Just once, allow yourself to do so. Of course, we don’t mean buying a car or a house (unless you can really afford it). Go give yourself a treat and buy those designer shoes you’ve always wanted or those shirts that make you say, “Who would ever spend P5,000 on that?!” while secretly wishing you would if you could.
25. Eat something that makes you squirm.
If your stomach turns at the sight of pig intestines or brains, then this should be your mission. Just take one bite so you can say you bravely faced your fears.
26. Donate to a local foundation.
Being thankful to have almost reached the big 3-0 is not enough. Give back to someone in need. It doesn’t have to be in monetary form. You could simply share your time with old folks and orphaned children. Sometimes, your time and efforts will mean more to them than money ever could.
27. Apologize to someone you’ve really hurt.
Say that “sorry” to someone you care about. Be the bigger person and try to mend fences and rebuild your relationship.
28. Learn to say no.
It doesn’t go just for temptations. Learn to say no to instances that you know won’t do you any good. If, for example, you’ve been offered by a very, very good friend a chance to network and you know deep down it’s not for you, learn to muster the courage to say “no.” Learn to say no to your boss if you think you can’t do the task he’s assigning. Learn to say no to somebody who’s been bullying you.
29. Apply for your dream job.
Now is a good a time as any for you to finally settle down in terms of your career. In your 20s, there’s a very good chance that you’ve shopped around and have tried many different types of jobs. At this age, you’ve probably also applied to many different companies and have a fairly good idea of what a good company can offer its employees. Now’s your time to get that dream job where you can settle and move up and retire. Just like in #28, learn to say no that job that’s been holding you down.
30. Write a letter to your future self.
Describe your life now and what you’re going through. Read this letter when you turn 30 and see just how much things have changed. Change can be a marvelous thing and what can be better proof than something you wrote yourself about your life.
