They say 30 is the new 20. Does that mean you should waste an entire decade of your life waiting for things to happen or change? Absolutely not!
Yes, most people spend their 20s blossoming into a young adult and a functioning member of society, and experimenting and exploring all life has to offer is great. Just make sure you don’t lose sight of the bigger picture — your goals. Here’s three examples everyone should strive for before hitting 30.
When you’re in high school, your goal is to get out of school or go to college. When you’re in college, you’re focused on graduating and landing your first “real” job. But then what? What happens once you’ve accomplished those things? You need to have some goals that will carry you from your 20s into your 30s; now is the time to make them happen.
Don’t Waste Your 20s Thinking About Your 30s. Live Your Life NOW!
Open a Retirement Account
Let’s say you want to save $1 million by the time you hit age 67. According to CNBC, you’d have to save $319/month if you started at age 20. Wait until age 30 and that number nearly doubles to $613/month. Why? The longer you wait, the less time you have to capitalize on your interest returns. Opening a retirement account may seem silly when you’re so young, but it’s an investment with the potential for a huge payout.
Find Your Own Place to Call Home
There aren’t many good reasons you should still be living in your parent’s basement, or your childhood bedroom, as you approach your 30s. You don’t necessarily have to go out and buy a house, but you definitely need to start looking for your own place. It doesn’t matter if you end up in an apartment, a rented house, or a condo. Rent or buy, independence is an experience you need to have. Find a decent neighborhood with affordable rent and push yourself out of the parental nest.
Stop Forcing Yourself to Do Things You Don’t Love
There is a difference between being good at something and actually liking or loving it. Don’t choose your major based on what your parents and peers expect of you. Don’t spend years doing a job you hate just because your skill set and great work ethic makes you good at it. You’ll be miserable and begin to resent where you are in your life. Quit the job you hate, change your major, and stop going to the stupid hobby club you no longer enjoy. Life’s too short to waste it doing things that don’t make you feel good. Try new things, have new experiences, and pave a new path.
There are lots of reasons to put off our goals, no matter what they are, until “later,” but does that time ever really come? Make some time to create financial goals, live adventurously, and actually enjoy the things you choose to do in your life. You control your destiny and your happiness quotient. How are you going to change your life?
