5 important realizations of being in 30s: Live Bold and Bloom

It’s March 2017 and as we celebrated Women’s Day globally, I have been thinking of posting on this topic for a while and finally made time to do so. I think people, especially women look at 30 and they’re like “oh no!” because of what 30 signifies for them. I am sure many women reading this could relate to the feeling. I don’t blame as I used to feel the same myself till about a year back. But I’m telling you, you should embrace it. It’s a good age to be and before I celebrate my 31st birthday, which is still a good 5 months away btw, I thought of sharing the 5 important realizations that I have made and my state of mind before I embark on the exciting journey of the coming decade.

Get bold in my career and set financial goals…

I started working when I was 21 and after almost a decade of hard work and patience, I have never felt bolder in my career than now. I want to gain newer experiences & skills, study further, and work globally across countries. I will go for that promotion and ask for money in line with my skills & expectations. I definitely take my career more seriously and have my own preferences and won’t settle for less. Certainly, there are personal milestones for us; be it marriage or our biological cycle that somewhere may put some breaks but still I feel everything is manageable if there is real zeal and good support, which needs to be asked sometimes, if not given. Definitely reminds me of Sheryl Sandberg’s quote: Don’t leave before you leave! Financial security is another vital thing and often the most neglected aspect. Setting financial goals, learning financial terms & investments, being my own financial planner are my takeaways!

Overall success in life is more important than work alone…

While work is extremely important for me, it’s vital to channelize ones creative passion towards other important areas in life as well. Career progression and success is important but more important is overall growth and success. My spiritual progress is one area which has made me turn more inwards and changed lots of perspectives & preconceived notions of life. Health is often a neglected area, while it’s the most important one I feel, even above work and relationships. Eat cleaner and exercise. No wonder, why we say Health is wealth! Reading is a very good hobby I have cultivated. Books can really widen your horizon! Community service is vital and taking out time to service mankind!

Invest in meaningful relationships and habits…

If there is one thing we all feel shortage of, its time. With all the juggling around, I have realized my time is the most precious thing to me and I am sorry I won’t invest in people or relationships (personal and professional) that don’t value me enough or don’t make me feel good about myself. I have learnt to say no gracefully and agree to disagree. All the past experiences have made me what I am today. All of the past hurts, lost opportunities, and mistakes. We can either let them be a burden, or can learn and grow from them. Choose the latter. It will set you free!

Come to terms with my personality and perspectives…

Yes, I used to get affected more by other people’s opinions about me and how they perceive me. I feel more comfortable and secured in my own skin now as ageing is a natural phenomenon; no longer do I compare myself to others, and get affected by what others think about me (especially the ones who don’t know me enough). I am definitely more confident of my vocal, opinionated, and independent personality and don’t shy in raising my perspectives even if it differs from the other person. After all, even fundamentally, we all have the freedom of speech but how much of it we exercise in our personal and professional lives and how often we have been told to be agreeable?

Real happiness is just within...

This has been probably the most important lesson for me so far. External situations are never going to be 100% the way you want but certainly what we make out of a situation is completely in our own hands. We can either blame it or make it a blessing. I used to get upset when external factors (people and situation) interrupted my plans both personally and professionally, I used to sometimes look for external validation, look to please people sometimes. Now is the time, I am happier with myself, love myself more, come to terms that no event, person, or situation can ever make you happy and contended if you are not internally wired to do that for yourself and the best person who can make you happy and help you in difficult times is you yourself…

These were just some of my experiences. To all my fellow ladies, enjoy the journey. Absorb the lessons you’re learning. It’s just a start and many milestones to achieve. Being in your 30’s can actually be pretty awesome. I would love to hear from all the awesome ones in my network on their experiences, what has changed, what new exciting things you learnt?