I turned 29 over the winter holidays, and it felt as unremarkable as most of the birthdays in my late 20s have. As I inch closer to the big 3-0, I can’t help but feel the suffocating weight of other people’s regrets. I’m not afraid of the death of my 20s — in fact, I couldn’t be more excited to embark on my 30s.
In just under a year, I’ll say goodbye to my 20s forever, and these are some of the things I want to leave behind.
Blissfully Ignoring My Finances
Diligently watching my finances doesn’t come naturally to me. While I’m resolutely not an online shopper and tend to only splurge once in a while, the #financebro lifestyle is beyond me.
But, as someone with more concrete goals heading in my 30s, I need to be more conscious of my spending habits and intentional with my finances. Finances are one of the great frontiers young adults have to explore, and it’s time to face the music.
Not Meal Prepping My Food
My mother is an incredible cook, but she didn’t impart the teeth-gritting tenacity to cook your meals even when you don’t want to with me. I loathe cooking. By the time I’ve bought ingredients, prepped them, washed dishes for the fourth time, and tried to time dishes to be ready all at once, I’m not even hungry anymore.
However, meal prepping is a must. If you’re just embarking on your adulthood, let me clue you in on an important tip — having a structured day really makes a difference. So in Year 29, I hope to crack the code on meal prepping.
Making Excuses for Myself
Listen, I’m not ashamed to say that I can talk my way out of something faster than a lightning bolt can strike in a thunderstorm. I love to argue — especially with myself — and I can always come up with a reasonable excuse for why I didn’t do something I needed to.
From scheduling an appointment to heading to bed an hour earlier, there are so many times I’ve talked myself out of stuff. In Year 29, I’m committing or quitting — and not making excuses for how I ended up there.
Measuring My Achievements in Life to Others’
The healthiest decision I made in my 20s was getting off social media. While I didn’t delete my accounts (too many teenage memories to lose), I’m essentially inactive. I occasionally check Instagram on my laptop. I’ve never had TikTok.
Yet, that niggling urge to compare my own achievements, successes, or perceived lack thereof with other people my age still slips through. Don’t let people fool you. Breaking up with social media doesn’t cure comparison.
However, my life is my own. Mine to lead the way I see fit, and I need to walk into my 30s with the freedom to choose my own path.
Pushing Things Off for When I “Feel Like It”
Listen, I rarely “feel” like following through with plans or starting new routines. The dreaded “wait until you’re ready” is deviously tempting for an unenthusiastic gal like me. That being said, I don’t want to push things off until I “feel like it.”
If life has taught me one thing, it’s that I never will. Sometimes, catch-all advice doesn’t work for you. And that’s okay!
Related: My Weird Fears & How I Keep Them From Controlling Me
Trying Not to Cry When I Feel the Urge
I’ve always had a difficult relationship with crying. Perhaps I’m just a naturally born stoic, or there’s something to be said for my siblings cornering the market on crying being their first reaction to most big emotions. Either way, I hate crying… well, crying about real things. I’ll let the waterworks pour at a sweet animal video every day of the week.
It only took seeing my therapist for a year and a half to break the seal on crying during a session — which speaks volumes, I know. I want to grow more comfortable with expressing my big feelings through tears in my 30s, and the only way to do so is to let ‘em fall.
Saying I’m Not Being Irritable When I Know I Am
If you call me out for being irritable, 99% of the time I know I am, and 99% of the time, I’ll deny it. My anxiety often manifests in irritability, and (through a lot of therapy) I’ve learned to identify that part of myself.
It doesn’t make owning up to your unsavory behavior any easier. The best version of me can acknowledge her mistakes in the moment, and I want to work towards being that person in my 30s.
Letting Small Things Ruin My Day
Sometimes, I surprise myself at how the smallest things will ruin my day. Waking up to changed dinner plans, having embroidery thread jumble into knots several times in a row, etc. I’m not easygoing, but I’d love to be.
This goal is a work in progress, but I hope I can call it quits before 2026.
Being Late to Everything
I love being late. Controversial, I know. The idea of being early to things makes me want to peel off my skin, one appendage at a time.
But I’d like to make it to the important things on time for a change. Of course, I could have six hours free before it's time to leave, and I’ll still somehow figure out a way to get out the door five or ten minutes behind.
Am I going to call this one quits before 30? Probably not. But never say never!
RIP to My Twenties & These Habits
I’m so ready to be done with my 20s, but there are a few things I need to square away before wrapping up my second decade. No matter what decade you’re in, I hope you can join me in letting go of the behaviors that no longer serve you before you blow out the candles on your next birthday cake.
