Our school principal, Sister Agnelita, used to say, ‘As you grow, you learn,’ and I could not have agreed with her more by now. Through the years, life has definitely taught me a lot of unexpected lessons. So, as I stand at the verge of turning 30 years old, I think I am competent enough to give a piece of advice or two.
They say, age is just a number; but I believe it’s not quite so. As soon as you step into the wrong side of 20s, your age starts to mean something. This is mostly because you have seen life from very many angles; you have survived through the obnoxious childhood dos and don’ts, the frivolous teenage crushes and heartbreaks, and the competitive career-driven years of early adulthood. You have now got it all sorted in your head, or almost. You might not have the perfect job or may still be looking for your Mr. Right, but you are pretty much at peace with yourself because you know where you are going.
Suggested read: 15 reasons why marrying young is the absolute worst idea
You are now much wiser than you ever were, and this is one of the definitive signs that you are ready to turn 30. Being 30 may only change a few things in your day-to-day life, but you will gradually look at the world in an entirely different way. If this all sounds like you, then read on.
Here is my list of 16 definitive signs that you’re ready to turn 30.
1. You are independent and can take care of yourself
Image source: Shutterstock
You are an independent woman in almost all aspects of your life. From taking up an individual project to buying your own groceries, you can manage it like a pro. You no longer need your parents to remind you to do stuff like picking up the laundry or buying your vitamins. You are equally responsible and independent. More often than not, you complete most of your activities on time. You now know what is good for your body, mind, and soul. You do not shy away from doing things alone if you want to, and you don’t miss out on any movie or music recital just because your friends don’t have time.
2. You can cook a decent meal
Instant noodles and soups are so passé. You can now go on to make a decent meal for yourself and sometimes even for your loved ones. You are no longer the person who used to struggle hours in the kitchen with a recipe book in hand only to end up crying in frustration when your food got burnt. You can whip up a delicious meal in a jiffy now! You care about your diet and try to consume a balanced one at that. You know which vegetables and fruits have which vitamins and minerals. Although you’ll always crave mom-made food (and you occasionally call her for that magic ingredient to add), you have done everything possible to make her recipes by yourself. You most likely follow food blogs and TV series that teach healthy lifestyles. You even make an effort to decompose the vegetable remains, which shows your newfound responsibility towards building a sustainable planet.
3. You can handle your finances
Image source: Shutterstock
You no longer have to re-check your Internet banking account details to wonder where all the money went last month. You earn a good salary now and can handle your finances well. Even if you are still looking for your dream job, you value your money and make a conscious effort in keeping your finances intact. Apart from some last minute shopping and late night party plans, you typically stay away from making unmindful spending decisions. You have a proper monthly budget and sometimes even save a good amount to gift your parents a little something!
4. You can manage your time between work and leisure
Forget about wake up calls from mom or your boyfriend. You don’t even need an alarm clock to wake you up. Your biological clock seamlessly responds to your set lifestyle routine and you do not skip breakfast at all! You do your daily bout of exercise, yoga or pilate, and have green tea, arriving and reaching back home from office just in time. You even have your time on the weekends planned for your family and friends. Gone are the days when you made your boyfriend wait for hours; you now arrive at a venue early sometimes. You successfully divide your time between work and leisure and never have to miss a hangout with your besties. Other than a few cursed days, you usually do not stress over work. You now truly realize the meaning of the words “time is precious.”
5. You can make your own decisions
Image source: Shutterstock
No more tossing a coin or plucking flower petals to decide if he loves you or loves you not. You are confident and conscious about the decisions you make in life, from the petty everyday ones to the major ones that define your life. You do take advice and suggestions from your parents, but you never let other’s opinion completely dictate what you have in mind. You have a clear idea of what you want, and most often go with what your heart wants. You also acknowledge the risks that come along with taking a decision solely by yourself. Yet you know that even if anything goes wrong, at the end of the day you will be the only one to blame. This will just add to your life lessons and experiences.
6. You have the confidence to choose your life partner
The partner of your dreams might be sitting right next to you while you are reading this, someone whom you have handpicked yourself. Or you might still be looking for the love of your life; but you know exactly how you want them to be. You no longer dream of your love whisking you away on a white horse; instead, you have reasonable expectations from your partner or partner-to-be. You know you are not going to settle for anything less than what you deserve. You trust yourself to find the right one and you are not going to get married for the heck of it just because you are turning 30!
7. You can handle situations well and keep calm
Image source: Shutterstock
Whether it is a last minute trip to another city for a presentation or a friend going through a nervous breakdown, you can handle such situations well and in doing so also manage to keep calm. People now recognize you as one of the coolest people they know, even if they had known you to be hot-tempered at some point in your life. You know that almost everything happens for a reason and things can be fixed when they go wrong. A little patience is all that you need to exercise when there is a crisis.
8. You can effectively take care of your parents and siblings
You are extremely considerate towards your parents and siblings now and can manage to take care of them well. You understand and acknowledge their presence in your life and are ready to be their support system whenever they need you. You know what medications they take and when mom’s next appointment with the doctor is. You keep track of your sister’s performance in college and also the boys that she is dating. Your family is an important priority for you and they also value your input when making important decisions.
Suggested read: 15 women reveal their dating deal breakers
9. You can drive a vehicle around the city and successfully park it
Image source: Shutterstock
Those selfies with your new car were not for nothing after all! You have a driver’s license now, know the traffic rules well, and can drive around the city confidently. You know the little shortcuts to the common places and don’t sweat it at all when it comes to parallel parking. You are a responsible owner of a vehicle now and you take care of getting it serviced whenever required.
10. You can tell the real people from the fake ones
You have made mistakes and have trusted the wrong people in your life. You have lent money to ungrateful people and even helped someone in their worst hour without ever hearing back from them. Yes, you have learnt it the hard way, yet these past experiences have made you an expert in telling the real friends from the fake. You now know who your real friends are and who are your fair-weather friends.
11. You can live without your phone and computer for a few days
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
Yes, you are not entirely dependent on the ‘World Wide Web’ for everything and can sleep peacefully with your phone switched off. Tomorrow, if you travel outside the city and land in a no-network zone, you just take it in your stride and enjoy your surroundings by looking out the window. In fact, you can spend an entire weekend reading books, writing poems, listening to music or doing outdoor activities without needing to upload pictures or statuses to social media
12. You can give a piece of advice or two to your juniors and siblings
One upside to turning 30 is that you have grown to become a wise person and you are ready to give lessons to others. Your younger siblings and college juniors call you up when they land into trouble and you can effectively help them out. They look up to you for suggestions on relationships and career, and you are more than happy to help.
13. You are ready to face marriage
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
The idea of marriage doesn’t freak you out anymore, and neither does the idea of having and raising kids. You are ready to make a lifetime agreement of companionship with your partner (and also to deal with your in-laws). You have lived a beautiful independent life all this while, traveled around all by yourself and did all the crazy things in the world. But now you understand the need of having someone by your side, not for the heck of settling down but for the deep, fulfilling bond that you two will share!
14. You are confident about yourself and can carry yourself well
You now have your own fashion statement and style quotient. You are not bothered about whether the dress you are wearing is in vogue or not or whether the makeup you are wearing matches your shoes. You don’t waste time in wondering how you are going to look at a particular event, be it a wedding or a party at a night club, because you carry yourself amazingly well. You swear by simplicity and can liven up anyone’s day by just that smile of yours. People look up to you and your attitude towards life.
15. You don’t judge people anymore
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
There was a time when you used to instantly judge someone based on how you thought the world should be. But now you realize that it doesn’t work like that at all. People are the way they are because of things that have happened to them, things that you don’t know anything about. You understand this now because you might have gone through life’s ups and downs yourself. You are open to being with people who are entirely different from you, and you look forward to learning new things from them.
Suggested read: 15 important things women in their 30s want to tell women in their 20s
16. You know what you want from life and know where you are going
You have come a long way and now you know exactly what you want from life. Either you are already living the life of your dreams or striving towards getting one, but either way, you are not ready to compromise on your ambitions. Nothing in this world can stop you from achieving what you have planned for yourself, and you exactly know where you are going. You are completely focused on what you want without letting any negative energy from anyone come in your way.
Your past experiences— achievements and downfalls, judgments and integrity, betrayals and appraisals—have made you the kind of person you are today. You now have your own set of rules for self-resistance. You have no fear of the future because you have your feet planted firmly on the ground. You can now warmly smile back at your past because deep in your heart you know that you have come a long way. So, look up to the world and say, “bring it on!” Turning 30, after all, cannot be that difficult. In fact, it is going to be hugely rewarding. Come on, go ahead and turn 30 in style!
Featured image source: Shutterstock
Facebook
Disqus
Google + 
