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Why It Rocks To Be Thirty? Or At Least In Your Thirties!
I hit the big 3-0 in July 2012. A great year for me on personal growth and reflection. There are a hundred reasons I can list here on why it rocks to be thirty.
Turning thirty changed my perspective on a lot of things. I learned so much about myself that year which I have implemented over the past few years.
Decisions and changes were made, and I was ready to live life. According to my terms. I am able to be myself and not who society decided that I had become and should be.
Let me enlighten you a little and share with you my seven reasons why it rocks to be thirty!
1. By Now You (SHOULD) Know Who You Are
At 30, you should know who you are. Faults and all.
We tend to spend a lot of time getting to know other people, but getting to know yourself should be top priority.
Knowing yourself will allow you to make better conscious choices, be motivated and determined.
Decision making, goal setting, and achievements will all become easier.
2. You Know What You Don’t Want
So, you have tried and failed in certain areas of your life. You have had good friendships, relationships, experiences, etc.
This is another great reason why it rocks to be thirty or older. Why? Well, now you know what you don’t want.
When you have this figured out, you can focus your intentions on the things that you do want.
You only need things that will bring you joy, happiness, success, and a life without regrets.
3. You Don’t Have Time For B*lls*it
There just is so much going on in my daily life. 24 hours minus sleep time is hardly enough time to complete all the tasks I want and need to do.
I honestly cannot factor in any time for any form of BS.
It may sound harsh but I am over trying to figure people out.
OMG. Did I do something wrong? Are they talking about me? Are they mad at me?” I just don’t care.
You have something to say? Say it. To me. If you cannot tell me, then p*ss off. I just do not have the time.
Keep your life is drama- free. As for gossip? You do no create it. Spread it. Or tolerate it.
4. You Know Who Your Friends Are
You have had good ones, bad ones, sneaky ones, and ones you have lost touch with.
At 30, the number of real and true friends you have is likely a number not higher than five.
These are people you trust, who are there for you.
You feel free to be yourself around them, have open lines of communication with them.
They listen to you, offer encouragement and support. They MAKE time for you.
Most of all, they make you feel special and valuable.
You no longer keep toxic people in your life and you are free of negativity.
5. You Enjoy The Simple Life
Life can feel like it is all about having MORE AND MORE! More success, more friends, more clothes, more money.
Stop for a moment and ask yourself if these things are bringing you joy. Real joy and happiness.
After turning 30, I turned my back on excess.
I was able to de-clutter and reevaluate what was important. Doing this will bring you true clarity.
'Life is a journey, not a race.'Click To Tweet
6. Sleep Is A Friend, Not Your Enemy
I used to see sleep as a negative. It was never something I looked forward to.
I would only go to sleep when I absolutely could not hold my eyes open for not even another second.
This was usually somewhere about 03:00 am knowing I would have to get up at 05:30 or 06:00 am.
That ship has sailed! Thank goodness!
I enjoy at least 6-8 hours of sleep now. I am less cranky, have more energy, and can concentrate better in the morning.
Hope you are loving this reasons for why it rocks to be thirty because I had no idea what I was missing out on.
If only I could catch up on all those lost hours of sleep…..
7. You Have Learned To Say No Without Feeling Guilty
I learned that you just cannot say YES to everything. And why should you?
Do you ever feel pressured to say yes when your mind is screaming NO NO NO?
I used to be afraid to say no to friends, family, work colleagues, even acquaintances.
It can feel good being the go-to person to solve everyone’s problems.
The pressure can at times become unreal. But who created the pressure? You! By not saying no.
It all comes down to setting boundaries and guarding your time.
Take a moment to think about whether you can commit to the request. If you have to say no, do so nicely- but mean it.
And there they are. My top seven reasons on why it rocks to be thirty!
Of course there are so many other factors that make growing up and finding peace of mind a great experience.
A mark of true maturity is being true to who you are.Click To Tweet
In all you do, always try to keep an open mind.
When did you reach a turning point in your life when you decided to make positive changes?
Did you have an “AH HA” moment? Share them with me in the comments section below.
100 comments
Yes, I really think 30’s have been the best decade of my life so far. It is such a nice feeling to finally be happy with who you are becoming. I can honestly say, I like the 30 year old version of myself the best. I still work on myself daily and I am in my 40’s.
I am 32 and I really like your post. I love my years and Inam looking forward to each one ahead
Am 32 now but I feel so great. I have been really matured on many things. I have learned standing on things I want to do. I love me and appreciate myself now.
Wonderful article! I am not yet 30 but many of the same things apply!
I’m 33, and just keep on trucking. I think, based on what I’ve learned so far, every age rocks! It’s just a matter of enjoying the stage of life that you’re in. Thanks for sharing!
These are all very true. I have to say, people complaint about getting older, but I think each year is a blessing. Also, as you get older you really get to know yourself better and better, which is a beautiful thing. Thinks that were important in your 20s now take second or third place. I also find you get more confident as time goes on.
I definitely like knowing that sleep is my friend and not my enemy. And I get not having time for BS. As for the toxic people, sometimes you make decisions in your life that attaches you to them. You try to keep them at arms length, but you cannot get away from the altogether.
This is really great. I agree with most of your points except Im still really bad at saying no. I think you are still growing up until you get to your thirties.
Way past that age, but I am really thankful for all the life lessons I have learned through the years, all the friends who are still with me, all the blessings I received and all my little accomplishments. As long you keep learning, loving and living, any age is always going to be perfect.
Totally loved it. Resonates with me
I’m 25 and I can totally relate to everything…..is that baf?? Lol
Is that bad?*
You are so right! I’m 29 and all of this applies already. The one thing I’ve struggled with was saying “no”. But as I grew older, I was like screw this! I’m not happy doing it, so I will not. People have tried to guilt me, but rarely does it work anymore.
I very much agree with you on the positive energy most of us have in the thirties. It is true that we get to know about real friends and decision making is something becomes more easier with the maturity you have at that stage!
31 Here and mom of two! Definitely learning a ton about myself and working towards creating the best life for our family. This involves very few friends and finding out that I require a lot more sleep than I have time for. Very eye opening!
Amen…amen…amen. I agree. Being in your 30’s is much easier than being in your 20’s.
These are so true.
Even though maturity does not always come with age, it’s good to know you come to understand these things better as you grow.
Thanks for sharing.
Kidding aside, now that I belong to this box I felt like it is my happiest years compared when I was in 20s. The feeling of I could take charge, and rule my world is very liberating and I like it.
Cool post about celebrating who you are, however old you are. 30 is an awesome age. I especially agree with about sleep. It is a valued friend.
I completely agree with your post. Thirty is a great age for all the reasons you listed and more!
Beth
At the ripe old age of 24 (haha) I can honestly say I am yet to fully appreciate some of these lessons. Can’t wait to get to that level one day- you have me looking forward to the future for sure!
Im heading towards my forties but most definitely throughout my thirties all these apply! Its a much less stressful feeling just being me. But sleep! I have two little ones 🙂
You are so right! I passed the 30 years, ago. We are so scared before we get to there then realize it’s not so bad. We grow up! I’m in the 40 club now and with maturity everything gets better.
I am 29 and 30 next year, I was scared before but started to embrace the idea. Sleep is definitely my friend and not an enemy.
I am 31 and loving the fact that I have few friends who really do care about me. I had a lot of friends who were not giving me positive vibes. I let them go because we were not contributing to each other’s goals.
I so agree with this! I am in my 30s and yes, I do love my sleep. I also do not have time for the BS. And I do say no without guilt quite often. I’ve learned life is too short to say yes to things that will make me miserable.
I am in my thirties. I think my perspective towards life has changed completely now. more confident, more understanding,……. Life begins after 30 s, we start to live for ourselves…
i just turned 30 a few days back and somehow the sleep factor hasn’t sunk in yet. hahaha! but i guess it’s because i was never a night owl/party-goer hence the change didn’t feel as significant? heard of friends who turned 30 before me bringing this up though, that they’re contented to go to bed at 11pm when in the past, the night is always still young and sleep doesn’t start until the sun comes up.
I just turned 30 this year and, boy, do I value my sleep. I’m in bed by 9PM. I take much better care of myself throughout the day. And those energy drinks that kept me going in college? They’ve been replaced by a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning.
And I’m a-okay with this change! 🙂
That last one, I tell you what “no” has become my BFF. And it’s crazy because people arent used to me saying no so when I do they don’t really know what to say, like Im joking of something. Hahaha, no! When I turned 30, it was like a switch turned off and I instantly didn’t care about things that I shouldn’t have cared about to begin with.
Sometimes I do feel pressured to say yes only because of a different view and it was my friend but oh well, by the way I love your hair style it’s gorg!
I’m only 16, but this is such a nice, encouraging post that I really enjoyed reading through! You have a wonderful style to your writing and such an insightful message.
Someone share this with our misguided youth please! By that I mean everyone! My favorite was #6. But it took me longer to understand #7. I am in my late 30’s and still learning.
To be a certain age and have so much wisdom…..now THAT’s priceless! It’s always great to have these things happen to us at any age, but to be young(er) and possess all this is truly a gift. I’m still learning some of these / honing these skills in my 40s and as you said, it’s never too late!
I am still on my early 20s but why am I feeling all your uplifting reasons? Maybe that is because I am already a mom. Anyway, those in their 30s shouldn’t be feel bad about their age. It’s just a number after all.
I think that age is just a number and that somehow there is this society pressure on woman when we are turning 30. However,It is definitely truth that you change a lot from when you are 20 to when you are 30 because on that period is when your personality starts to really settle and you are more aware of who you are and who you want to be. Definitely enjoyed the post!
I just turned 30 last year, and I never been happier 😀 Here in Asia there’s still a stereotype of “when you are in 30s you are already old” kind of thinking, on the contrary I feel more younger at heart, but more wiser. 30 is the new 20!
Love that – 30 is the new 20! How true. I feel like something great is coming for me and I am trying to embrace all the positives around me and worry less about the negatives. I hear the 40’s are great and will gradually enjoy my way towards that aswell.
Loved this post! I hit thirty a few months ahead of you, but I completely agree with the sentiment. To be honest, I never felt depressed or antsy or anything negative when I thought of turning 30. I also never thought of saying I was younger 😛
I did learn some of the lessons you spoke of. Now that I am in my early 30s (well, barely, but hey, still works), I know myself better, I know what I want a little better, and it was also the period where I took the most risks with my career 😀 I’d earlier discovered working for myself suited me better than a corporate job, and in my 30s I made another switch to focusing on my writing career. I have amazing friends, I am better at saying no and setting priorities, and I am less likely to take negative behavior from people, especially those close to me.
All that said, I think every age has its beauty, and we should stop being so worried about how many years we’ve lived, and focus on how to make each day amazing.
I agree with all of your sentiments Sheri, and can I say, that as an older than 30 woman, it gets even better! I’m far more confident now and no is my friend and not my foe, I used to say yes to everything and was everyone’s mug! I’m also happy in my body now and don’t worry about those extra few lbs! It all gets better, and today’s 40 is yesterday’s 30! So they say! Be yourself, be true to yourself and live life with lots of love and laughs, Karen xxx
A lot of people have a problem accepting that they have crossed the 30 figure mark. And this refusal to accept the reality lasts till they are 32. It is much like marriages in India where for more than a couple of years, the husband keeps on behaving as if he were a bachelor. Breaking out of useless habits is such a difficult thing, I tell you.
Love these 🙂 #3 no bullsh*t is a good one – I had a similar epiphany this year (age 25) when I realized that people treat you how you allow them. If people want to push me around, I’ll push back instead of being polite/nice. 😛 I love all of your other lessons. Sleep is so essential!
These are all so true, I couldn’t have said it better myself! I especially agree with #3, except I call it “no f–ks” but, same concept! Sadly I think #4 is something we are constantly trying to figure out, as life situations change, people change and aren’t always who you thought.
1, 2, 4 does it for me. Am fews years to 30 and yes what you wrote down here are all true, now you just live life and have the fun in it to the next age class for you… the older we become, the better we get.
Even tho I’m not thirty, I’m approaching them, and I’m freaking out. So I’m so glad you wrote this one, because it’s so helpful when you’re thinking about it. It’s all about self-acceptance and it doesn’t matter about the first wrinkles or whatever, it’s just about our we accept ourselves and then we can move on with age and life. It all comes to making the best decisions in your twenies and recolt the seeds in your thirties right?
“Abso”-‘tive’ ‘Posi’-“lutely”.. I am enjoying my beginning of 30’s and all your points are just bang-on! It’s so good to be in the family of 3’s 🙂
Do I like this post? A BIG YES. Why am getting pretty pretty close to 30 and yes, I can relate to this. Thanks sheri. This is most true.
I’m almost 30 and I really want to put my life right until then! That is why I’m trying to start to run again and get my house in order and so on!
Love this Article! the older you get the more you appreciate the little things. love this! am turning 30 next year and this is perfect for me gets me excited!
i am now 31 and I can honestly say that all 7 of these are spot on
As one who’s around the age range, I stand by these realizations. Meeting different people all around the world and becoming natural to introduce yourself is one of those results!
I’m 2 years into my 30s and I wish I could still get a solid 8 hours sleep a night lol You are right though, when you reach that age, you do know who your friends are. To me my 30’s was a revelation when it came to friendship. I purged so many people out. I’m way happier now and no drama!
I thought 30 rocked. And I laughed about sleep. You are oh so right. 🙂
Ditto! We have the same age, turned 30 in 2012 too. I agree with everything that you said here. I love how my perspectives changed and how my priorities also changed. I am a more responsible, functioning adult who can’t take BS from peeps. Love this post!
30s have been really good so far. It has taken a while to realize that you dont have to take everything personal, and you dont need everyone to agree with you or even like you. HAPPY 30s!
Thank U for sharing. You are right about that. I want to enjoy the 30’s and then on to the what I hear are fabulous 40’s!
Love this! I think these are really great points, and are so true. I am heading into 31 in July and loved being 30!
When you are older, you get your act together and your priorities as well. It’s true that you no longer tolerate things that do not matter.
I think this is the time when you finally learned how to love yourself for who you are and you stop living for others, instead you start living for you! I love everything that’s listed here, they are all true!
30 is super liberating. Means you survived some things and know what you want. enjoy it. And nice tattoos!
[…] remember the mixed feelings that I had when I finally hit the big three-oh. I read this post about Why It Rocks To Be Thirty by Sheri at A Busy Bee’s Life (@abusybeeslife) and really loved her positive, upbeat […]
These are great points on why it rocks to be thirty. Getting enough sleep is also very important for me.
This is such a great read! Love your tatts btw 🙂
[…] http://www.purposefulhabits.com/reasons-why-it-rocks-to-be-thirty/ A Busy Bee’s […]
inspiriting words of wisdom …Your blog is motivating for us all. Life start at 30 many people will say. I believe we all mature at different times of our lives for some its 40 or younger. Will share with friends.
Thank you for your kind words Patrice, and for sharing my content. This is precisely why I write, in order to help, motivate and inspire. I appreciate your feedback. Have a wonderful weekend. Sheri
You look great at 30! Just wait, 40 is even better 😉
I have heard that! I have 7 more years to go to get there but I am sure it will be exciting.
I’m 35, so I can totally resonate with this. I dreaded turning 30 for the longest time, but it was actually pretty liberating. I’m with you on not having time for crap. And oh my god, sleep! I can’t get enough of it now. I get cranky when I don’t nap. Lol.
Hi Pia, I do not nap during the day however I have friends who take power naps and when they dont they also say they get very cranky and agitated with everyone around them. I have a baby at home so maybe I should try napping for about 30 mins when he is on his 2 hour nap in order to get in just a little more sleep.
I’m a few years past 30. Just a few. 🙂 With that age does come more maturity. Unlike you though, I have loved my sleep since way back. I crave it more now that I’m not getting enough of it. Haha!
I have 5 years left until then, so I’m looking forward to this! I started making positive changes though when I had a son. He’s turning 2 this year, and he changed my life for the better. I learned to make more mindful decisions and I had more purpose 🙂
Congratulations on your little one Nina. Mine will be a year old in one month so there are so many changes, crawling, starting to take steps, it is very exciting and a baby will definitely change your life. Thank you for sharing.
I wish I could say no without feeling guilty, seriously! It makes me eager to turn 30!! lol
I really love this. I’m not 30 yet, I’ll be 27 in a few months, and I’m just starting to learn some of these things. This year has been a great learning year so far for me, and I’m doing things that really inspire and make me happy. I think that you should always try and be the best person you can be as you get older. Great post. I absolutely love it.
Marvina, I am so glad to hear that you are doing things that inspire you. I recently began my journey of positivity and leaving negatives to the side. My personal development journey is a learning process but going very well for me. Thank you for the positive feedback on this post, hope you will be reading more.
I just reached 28 yesterday, and after reading your post I just look forward for the BIG 3! Wohoo! 🙂 Thanks for sharing! 🙂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lorellay! I hope you had a nice one. Two more till the big 3-0. You will love it. Have a great weekend.
oh this is great… three years from now, i will be embracing the the “thirty-hood” haha I think I can almost relate myself in everything on your list now… I wonder what kind of surprises my 30s awaits me
Lots of things will likely change Milton, I encourage you to embrace all the good, and leave anything negative behind.
I love this!!! Enjoy every moment, you’re still young!! 🙂
Great post! I agree with all points! I love staying in these days, I appreciate being able to go to sleep at reasonable time and wake up hangover free. I am able to say no, if needed. I know who I am and what I want and don’t want from life, people etc !!
Superb writing !!
Love, Dorota xx
Getting close to 40 over here. I’ve learned some of these lessons and others are still a struggle. I just keep showing up and learning everyday.
I had an Ah Ha moment when I reached my twenties. Cool thing that despite being 10 years younger I feel just like you being 30. 🙂
I hope that this doesn’t mean I’ll grow old super fast though!
agree! My 29th is tomorrow and my whole life I have wanted to be 30. I think that is the real age you grow up and care more about important things. Love this post.
P.S. You are stunning!
I turn 30 exactly one month from today. I went through some of these things a couple years ago, especially the BS one. I do not have time for that. I’ve been considered harsh because I now just walk away from people who are swimming in it but just isn’t worth my time.
I had my “crisis” birthday at 29. 30? Bring it on. As weird as it sounds, I feel like 30something is more respected than 20something. (visiting from Welcome Home Wednesday)
I am turning 28 this year, and I’d like to think I’ve learned these things, especially #3 and #6. SLEEP IS MY BESTFRIEND!!
Glad to know about this prior to being 30. I still have 6 more years to go, but I agree with you. As we age (gracefully!), we tend to filter everything and just keep what we need & want. I don’t really know for sure when I decided to make positive changes and if I have an “AH HA” moment. The big change I could think about is just opening my life to public and blogging 🙂 I hope when I reach 30, I’m still blogging. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for sharing and for the feedback. I also hope you are blogging in six years. Hope I will be too. By then we would have accumulated so much knowledge and lots of stories! I like the idea of filtering our needs and wants. This is why when we have birthdays we tend to want less materialistic items.
I so agree with your post. I am way past 30 but I remember what it was like. In some ways, while some people dread the 3-0, it was also liberating as it comes with a sense of wisdom. At 30, there comes a realization where what was once important is now trivial. 30 allows you to focus more on what is really important and less of childish bullshits.
I love my age. Youre right. As we reach 30, we are more aware of what we want and we get certain authority over some things. We gain respect as well. I also agree that we could say no without that guilt feeling.
These are great points.
For me, when i clocked 30, i became focused on living a purposeful life.
This is a perfect read for me! I’m hitting the big 3-o next year. I feel excited and nervous at the same time, haha! I l love #2 and #3: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T WANT and YOU DON’T HAVE TIME FOR B&LLS*IT. I enjoyed reading this post 😉
Hi Arrianne, I am so glad you enjoyed the post. I hope 30 is a great year for you plus many many more. I appreciate your feedback. Sheri
Donut worry
Bee happy.
Yes, i just saw it here under (your instagram feed). Lovely!!!!
I know it’s off topic, so you can remove this, but HILARIOUS!
LOL. I am leaving it right here 🙂 S.
Oh yes. Just what I needed. I just tuned 29 and I am doing the last year under 30. And you know what. I am happy. Life starts at 30 and this is exactly why!! I love this post and the reasons are so true. I don’t have time for bullshit or bullshit friends. Sleepless nights, no thank you! Saying no, hell yes and feeling guilty, hell no! Great post honestly. Thank you for this uplifting sensation today!
I am glad this post was able to uplift and encourage you Sabine. We all make changes in life at some turning point and I am glad you are at a point where you can confidently say you are happy. The big 3-0 is coming soon and you will LOVE IT! Thank you for the positive feedback 🙂
I am still in my early 20’s but I can say that I’ve already made some positive decisions that I wouldn’t regret fro my entire life. As we grow old, we become more matured. It’s a good thing I was able to read your blog post. This can help me and others out there who are not yet in their 30’s what to expect in life.
I am so glad you enjoyed the post and that it can help you in the future. I love to share my experiences in the hope to help at least another person. Thank you for the feedback Jendia Louise, I really appreciate it 🙂