The 30 things I learned before I turned 30

Me at 20. It was the 00's ...

Me at 20. Forgive the necklace, it was the 00’s …

In honor of my next decade, here’s a look back on what I’ve learned in the last one:

  1. It’s better to make a decision than to keep your options open forever. Making a decision is a stressful thing. Once it’s done you can move forward.
  2. Don’t waste energy on trying to make everybody like you.
  3. Overwatering plants is just as bad as underwatering plants. (Either way, I am still killing all my houseplants.)
  4. Everybody has a mother. Everyone. And no matter what your relationship with your mom is, she gave birth to you, and that was an act of pure love.
  5. The right time to walk away.
  6. Be gentle to your skin. The times when my skin was all scaly and pimply, I should have been treating it gently and drinking lots of water, not scrubbing it raw with maximum strength chemicals.
  7. You get to define yourself. I felt like I had to wait for permission to be a “runner,” I waited for permission to be a “programmer.” That was bullshit. Just do what you love and call it what it is.
  8. Don’t worry about doing something until it has to be done.
  9. My most productive time is before 8 a.m.
  10. Dogs understand.
  11. Send Christmas cards. Even if everyone knows everything because of Facebook already. Who doesn’t like to get mail? It impresses everyone. Especially if you send them before Valentine’s Day.
  12. Be direct with people, unless that wouldn’t help. (But most of the time, it helps.)
  13. Whenever you have a kind thought, share it.
  14. Everything ends. Including childbirth and marathons.
  15. Fill up on vegetables.
  16. You are what you do every day.
  17. You can get good at anything as long as you work on it a little every day.
  18. Make your habits work for you by finding what triggers them, and then build better ones.
  19. Make your bed every morning. Like an adult.
  20. Do what you would do it you weren’t afraid.
  21. Most people just aren’t paying that close attention anyway.
  22. Find fun things to do in the winter to make this season bearable.
  23. Spend less money than you earn.
  24. A failure to plan is a plan to fail.
  25. Clean as you go.
  26. Breathe out for three steps and in for two steps while you’re running.
  27. When it gets hard, just think about breathing.
  28. Get enough sleep. hahahahahahahahaha *wipes away tear*
  29. Done is better than perfect.
  30. I never thought I could love my dogs any less … until they woke up the baby.

Well, I guess that’s my cue.

Here’s to another great decade. 🙂

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.