7 Mistakes People Make In Their 30’s (or really in life)

Earlier this week I read an interesting article on the business insider website, especially as I am a month out from my 29^th birthday … the last full year I will have of my 20’s. I have never been one to worry or fret about hitting the big THREE-ZERO as a handful of my friends and acquaintances have, being a firm believer in “mental” age versus one counted by the number of days I have been on this earth. That being said the article stuck out to me as something I should read so that perhaps I can avoid some of these regrets in the future. Here are the seven specific mistakes business insider discussed and my personal take on them:   1)      Abandon true passions and settle for a job they may have fallen into for the sake of security or money   Realistically the time is NOW - it will not get easier to follow your dreams as you get older and fall that much more into you routine. Spoken from personal experience this is ever so difficult to do. I have a professional designation and a well-paying job that I do enjoy. However, in the back of my mind I always knew there were other areas that I wish I could experiment in – the fitness industry specifically. Just this year I took that step (well because here I am) and while I maintain my full time job, even just getting in a portion of my dream on the side has made me much happier. I realized the time was now or never! It doesn’t mean you have to give everything else up. There is a balance here as there is with everything.   2)      Put career ahead of family and friends.   See a trend here? Why have an amazing career and oodles of money if you have no one to share it with. The most intangible and important part of my life are my friends and family. I have been through so much and, quite frankly, without them would not have gotten through it. Also life is short and you never know when you could lose someone. You will always be able to find work, yet you cannot guarantee another day with the people you love. Be sure to let them know exactly how much you cherish them.   3)      They neglect their health.   Building a good base in terms of your health will help you in your older years. Whether it’s building a routine for working out (make the time – check out our 12 minute workouts for example – everyone has 12 minutes a day), eating healthy (cut out the crap now) and going to regular checkups etc. Know your body and try to better it so that you can bring that forward with you into the future   4)      Miss the chance to have kids   I know this one all too well – not a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask or bring this up to me. A few years ago I used to laugh and roll my eyes at this, until just recently when I realized how many of my friends were actually having problems getting pregnant. I saw the struggles and the heart aches and it really has put things in perspective for me. Does this mean I am going to rush into having kids? … no! Is it something that is now an important discussion point in my relationship? … absolutely!     5)      Don’t spend enough time with their aging parents   I would also like to insert grandparents (or other older people you are close to) into this argument. I lost my grandfather a few years back and I can honestly say I felt such regret and sorrow for not spending enough time with him. This does not necessarily mean just in person (as distance, money, etc. may play a factor), but also when it comes to simple phone calls or messages. I am a VERY independent only child – I could go months without talking to my parents and not bat an eye. However, since my grandfather’s passing I have truly tried to call, text or just reach out in general on a more regular basis, even if just to say hi. This goes back to my point (2) above – you never know how much longer someone has in your life. Do not take them for granted.   6)      Do no set up a good financial foundation for the future years   This is pretty self-explanatory and one I find super important. All of the above can somewhat contradict this point but setting aside some money on a monthly basis, regardless of what you do, is important. If you don’t it is just irresponsible – plain and simple.   7)      Stop having fun   … because what’s the point of even living otherwise. Life is short – be sure you have fun living it!