So I'm turning 30 next week and for a couple of weeks now, I've been thinking I should write a 30 before 30 activity list and execute it. I know that doing 30 things I've never done before in a matter of days sounds like a reach - it is - but to be honest, the idea only came to me this summer. Nevertheless, coming up with 30 things is hard, so I googled it to find out if I could get tips from others who have done the same.
Two things became clear right away:
- Most people start planning their 30 before 30 list YEARS ahead of time, not days. I came across one woman who was talking about her list as soon as she turned 25.
- Some items were on every single list, including getting out of debt, investing in stock, learning a new language, traveling alone, mastering three dishes, reading a literary classic, and donating blood.
Apparently I'm some sort of superman because at the age of 18, I already spoke several languages, knew how to cook, and had donated blood and read several classics. A couple of years later I had traveled alone, gotten out of debt, and invested in stock. And honestly - I thought that everyone had done all those things at the same age as I.
Maybe it's a cultural thing. After all, the blogs and online publications I researched were mainly American, and I'm from Europe.
Anyway - obviously I shouldn't now just sit back and bask in the knowledge that I'm superior to all those Americans, having accomplished at 20 everything they were aspiring to at 30. I should make up my own list - one that challenges me and takes into account all those things that I've already achieved.
Because, after all, I'm not competing with Americans. I'm competing with myself.
Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today. - Jordan Peterson
Stop googling what others are doing, and make up your own mind!
RK
