5 Reasons Why I'm Not Afraid Of Turning 30

As I am writing this, I'm freshly 27.

I've hit the last third of my 20's and it got me wondering about the not-so-distant future when I hit 30.

And to be honest, I'm not sweating it a bit.

When I was a teenager, I would look ahead to my 20's and anticipate what reaching 30 would be like.

And it scared me half to death.

I would fantasize about the overweight and sweaty 30-year-old me and cringe. 

It might have been an "I never want to grow up" sort of mentality that was negating me to look at the 4th decade of my life anything except a downhill spiral to mediocrity. 

Now, just shy of 3 years till I hit the 30 mark, I'm not afraid but excited.

Here are 5 reasons why I'm not afraid of turning 30 and so shouldn't you.

1. Modern Day Ages Keep Climbing

Life expectancy has more than doubled since the 1800s bringing it up to 78 years on average nowadays. That means the milestone of 30 years old keeps getting younger.

This 200-year health revolution means that, what was almost the average end life, is now less than middle age. 

With our generations getting an extended lease on life, looking at 30 is less of a daunting thought.

2. Your Brain Just Stopped Developing

As I look at it, your 20's are basically you still being a teenager except you have to pay rent and bills. 

Our brains are still developing well past our teenage years, as it finishes at the age of 25.

I graduated college when I just turned 24. That age, for me, was a huge change. I was moving to a different city, I had to let go of past relationships, and I was trying to get my foot in the door with my career and passions.

I felt my way of thinking mold and take shape this year until I hit 25. Things that were fun to me before this age seemed arbitrary and even irresponsible. I started to think about my future more and began to save money more aggressively.

At the age of 30, your brain has only been fully developed for 5 years.  

This might spell the transition from young adulthood to full-blown adulthood,  but this doesn't mean you're old just yet.

3. You Know and Want Better for Yourself

Your late teens and early 20's can breed insecurity for anyone that age. With insecurity shows people willing to take advantage of you.

Whether it's because of naivety, being empathetic to a fault, or too much patience, other people can see this in you and take advantage.

When I just turned 20, I was in a relationship with a toxic person. I'll spare you the details, but the last 3 months of the relationship were some of the most tumultuous of my life.

I gave my partner the benefit of the doubt too many times. "This time will be different," I thought. But nothing changed and I kept getting hurt more and more.

It wasn't until I broke free from the vicious cycle did I see the emotional manipulation beset on me.

Your early-mid 20s will show some hard lessons, but they are just that, lessons. These will collect and compile over this decade. It will prepare you for the rest of your life as you may finally realize just how you should be treated in any kind of relationship.

4. Financial Stability May Be Getting Closer

I know how it goes, your early 20s, even mid-20s, can spell TERROR when it comes to your bank account. 

Having to barely scrape by on low-quality food while budgeting every single penny is suffocating.

To make matters worse, college tuition is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make, and entities will give you a loan at outrageously high interest to pay for school.

You may get out of school, only to find no jobs in your field are currently hiring and those student loans may be creeping down your neck, all while still having to pay rent and other bills.

But there's hope in a lot of cases. 

Everyone's path is different, and therefore, may be increasingly harder depending; but, generally, the closer you get to your 30s, the better sense of money you (hopefully) attain.

When I graduated college and moved to a different city, I looked for a restaurant job right away, since I had to pay bills still. It was hard for me to look for opportunities with my degree.

For the first 6 months, I was still afloat until it came crashing down.

My mother wasn't able to help me with my car payments and caused me to get behind on payments by a few months, I failed to put my loans in forbearance, and my roommates and I had to suddenly move less than a year after moving to the new city because of a bedbug problem.

I looked one day and my credit was shot and most of my money was gone with bills and loans still left to pay.

That's when I turned it around. I made budgets and got my bills in order. I worked long hours for the better part of a year and a half.

I came out the other end with all but student loans left to pay and a saving that increases every week. I broke out of the cycle my family has been in for multiple generations and now I'm even investing too.

As I said, it's different for everyone, but getting closer to your 30s shifts your perspective on money and finances greatly.

5. Your Goals and Dreams Come to Fruition

We all have big dreams when we're little kids. Our dreams can seem as big as the universe itself albeit not as realistic.

But some of us hold on to particular dreams past high school into our twenties. While you're closer to achieve those goals to start this decade, they still may be a bit fuzzy.

When I found out what I was really going to pursue in school, I took the reigns. I was involved in multiple clubs and got good grades to end my college career.

I graduated with a degree in English and a Minor in Mass Communications. I did some writing on my own and I was making music like a full-time job, but I wasn't getting paid like it.

I came to the realization, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do for a career.

After a few years of working in restaurants and construction, I finally found a pathway to what I really wanted to do in my life. I started to pursue that with little steps.

Now I'm writing for three different websites and even getting paid for one of them. My career outlook improves with every word I type. 3 years ago, I could see what it looked like, but as I'm closer to 30, it's clear as day.

This has made me excited to reach 30, as I'm confident my career will be fulfilling and fruitful by then.

Don't Feel Old Just Yet!

30 may seem daunting, but if you're able to pull yourself by your bootstraps and start taking care of your body and mind, the rest will follow.

"30 is the new 20!" is a cliche, but carries a lot of weight if you're on the right path.