Things To Accomplish Before You’re 30

  Sharon D. Fiberesima 

 

Lists. I love lists. I particularly love those lifestyle lists that tell you what you should do or not do…stuff like what you should have in your wardrobe before you’re 30. Or 20 countries you should have visited before you’re 40. That sort of thing.

I was going to write a list here about stuff you should have done before you turn 30 and then I stumbled on this one written by John Rampton on Entrepreneur.com.



So, I’ll just out and say it here that I am over 30. Yeah. I guess I’m not supposed to reveal my age (they say women shouldn’t), but who cares right? I’m sure you don’t.

Anyways, instead of taking time out of my busy African Mum lifestyle to actually write a list about what you should have done before you’re 30, I’ll just share a few on John’s list that I’ve already done. Thankfully, there are still some I haven’t crossed out yet and I’m fine with that. So here goes…




1. Attend College
First on his list was to go to university. And I’m glad to say that I did. However, I know that attending university is not for everyone so if you haven’t done this yet and you’re 30, that’s cool.
If you do intend to attend college, it’s a good idea to do that before you’re 30 because you tend to have more time for studies then. Then again, someone just made history in Nigeria as the oldest person to gradate from law school…he was 80.

2. Learn to cook for yourself.
Ah…well. Ha ha. This one is just so funny. If you are female in Africa, then the general assumption is that you should be able to cook before you’re 30 (really, looong before then). But if you’re male, then it’s an entirely different ball game. That’s the African lifestyle.
Male or female, it’s always a good idea to be in charge of what goes into your stomach. There’s absolutely no need to be at another’s mercy if you don’t have to. So we agree with John here, it is something you should learn.



3. Run a marathon
I had to add this one. I just had to. I was going to write that I’d never run a marathon and then I remembered that I did in secondary school – twice. Did I finish the marathon? I’m not sure I remember. But really, it’s something you should do. Really cool and it will make a great conversation starter. You can cock your head to one side, and say nonchalantly, “You know, I once ran a marathon…” Now that would be so cool! *wink.

4. Find your BFF
I absolutely agree with this one. I mean really, before you’re 30, you should know who you can borrow money from and who you can’t right? Seriously though…there’s a stage in your life when it becomes really difficult to make a good friend who could become your bestie. As you grow older, relationships tend to become defined by interests and circumstance. You need that person who knows you from way back, grew with you as a person and still has your back. No substitute for that.

5. Write a story
I did and I even got published (Yay me). But seriously, if writing is not your thing you should give it a miss. There are waay too many books out there that should never have been written in the first place.



6. Indulge yourself in luxury at least once
But I’ll add…why stop at just once? Give yourself a treat when you can. Actually, when you realize that luxury isn’t always about how much you spend, you will find it easier to live a luxurious lifestyle. And by the time you pass the 30 mark and have children, luxury will be sleeping in till 10am without any disturbance. Trust me on this.

There are so many really interesting things on John’s list that you should do before you’re 30…like, travel alone. And get lost. Or fail. Not terribly exciting but they really are important. He also has things like, learn how to network and read. But don’t just take my word for it…go here to read the list yourself.

So what would YOU like to accomplish before you’re 30?