30 Things To Do Before Turning 30(By Emeh Achanga)

When we were younger, we had the world in our palms, time seemed to stop as we basked in the euphoria of our youthful exuberance..Then you see 30 approaching and the panic sets in(in most cases)..You start to evaluate your life, compare with others and the thirst to succeed sets in..

In my case,I had the hunger to succeed at the age of 25..I started panicking ..I realized what I wanted ,and that was to be independent ..Be my own boss..How I hated a 9-5..It just wasn't for me..So true to my wishes, I only got jobs which entailed me not being tied down in the office..I moved around alot..So I was opportune to see things from a different perspective.....

And I decided, nor matter how hard it maybe, I would be my own BOSS by 30..That's totally dependent on myself,answerable to me only..That was my vow..

Some of my friends then had different dreams..Some, to be married,others to go abroad, some,to have a good job and all..So, at 29, I complied a list of things I should have achieved by 30..Did I accomplish all? Well, not too sure..But.I think I did pretty good...

So, yesterday, I was clearing out my old books and found the list tucked inside a magazine.I was so amazed and decided to share my list  and elaborate on them with you guys....Because I love writing, cramping the whole 30 would be a lot to read so I'm dividing it into three parts..This is part one..Feel free to agree or disagree with my first 10..

1. Fall in Love-

Everyone should have fallen in love atleast once in your 30 years of existence..It doesn't matter who you fall in love with..Just do it..Sadly, there are many who have never experienced love before..For me, have I experienced true love? You know when you get older,and look back on your life, you then realize what you thought was love may not really be love..But,the word love is relative..My definition of love may be different from yours..

2.Fallen in Lust-

You can only appreciate true love when you fall in lust with someone .A man or woman should be able to tell the difference between those butterflies in the stomach and deep rooted love which stems from companionship and mutual respect.Hell yeah! I've been in lust before..And I look back now and was like WTF..It's part of growing up..Now I'm glad I experienced that before 30..Because nor matter how tempted I am,I'm not a slave to lust anymore,.I know what I WANT!

3.Be a graduate(in what ever capacity)

By 30 you should be a university graduate,a professional school graduate or even a vocational school graduate..Knowledge is power and it gives you an edge..You don't have to go to an expensive school, you could even resort to online courses.

4.Have made atleast a million bucks

Yes..a million..It could be dollars or in naira..But in 30 years of existing you should have.Before you roll your eyes,this could be material or intellectual..Some have ideas worth millions. If translated into reality, they would be worth more than a million..So you should have that million naira idea by 30.. Actualized or not!

5.Given up procrastination 

Agree or not, most of us are guilty of procrastinating..This is the act of postponing things for a later date..Oh,I'll do it tomorrow, I'll write that proposal next week..I personally suffer from this deadly trait ..I know what I would have achieved if not for constant procrastinating..By 30, procrastinating should be your full fledged enemy

6.Taken a vacation

Atleast once in your 30 years, you should have taken a vacation..This is time out to reflect,rest and indulge your senses..You can't keep on working non-stop, you are bound to break down ..You need time out to evaluate your life,set new goals and directions and appreciate the beauty of being alive..Sadly, I haven't done this yet..Each time I travel,I'm still surfing the internet, blogging..Oh well!

7.Discovered your passion-

Yes,everyone has something they are passionate about..A few lucky ones discover early and follow their passion while others discover late and in some cases, some never ever find their passion but become slaves to a life they never enjoy..What's that thing you would gladly do for free,without earning a dime but still keep doing it ?What's that thing you do naturally? effortlessly?Do you sing,write,paint,draw, or even just sleep? Lol yes sleep.You could make a living out of sleeping..Want to know how? You could learn how to make sleep a better experience..Invent better pillows,mattresses ? room lights? you get where i'm coming from?

8.Have a job

Yes, you should have a job..In this day and time when unemployment is on the rise, it may seem like an insensitive thing to say .Which brings us back to discovering your passion..There is no excuse for being jobless by 30..Do something,think outside the box..No one willing to give you a job? Not to worry,be your own BOSS..That's the easiest thing to be..And I don't mean boss on Linkedin where everyone is a CEO and you wonder where the unemployed people are..Don't be scared to take on the most menial jobs..

I worked for close to a year without pay..Yes, I offered to because I loved writing ..And I can't explain how much good that period of free work did to me and my growth..Be inspired..

9-Have that One Ridiculous dream(DREAM BIG)

Oh yes! We all have that dream which many laugh out loud at when we say it..Sometimes, we are so scared of eve mentioning it .I used to dream Leonardo Di Caprio would come look for me in Jos and tell me I'm his Kate Winslet ..I used to tell everyone,I would marry him..(Lol .)Imagine Rihanna now dating him.I'm sure she was once like me,a young unknown girl in Barbados crushing over him in Titanic..Moral of the story is,no dream is too big to be a reality..Away from that, I still dream of being a musician..winning a Grammy..yes,with this my chicken voice..Lol..What's that ridiculous dream of yours?

10.-Experienced heartbreak

Oh yes! How can you appreciate love and feelings if you haven't felt the pain of being heartbroken..Some get heartbroken so many times their heart and personalities have become damaged ..However by 30, you should have learnt how to handle heartbreak,suck in pain and move on.Because that's what life is all about..It's not all roses..There's thorns in there..You should have felt heartbreak,cried over someone,picked yourself up and moved on..That is the ultimate test of strength,resilience and success..How well you handle yourself after heartbreak(s) is an indication of how well you handle life's disappointments..That said..no one should have control over your life..The bad eggs have to go,for you to pave way for your prince charming or princess..

One heartbreak,2,3,4? never mind,keep moving..But if the heartbreak is too frequent, maybe you should check yourself, change something about you,or give yourself a break,..
However, most of my most creative moments have been born during moments of pain.Sometimes, I crave for it..Bad ,but I've mastered the art of channeling my disappointments into creative masterpieces..

You should have learnt that by 30..

PART 2
-Tried out bleaching creams
Did I hear you say Huh? Yes I mean it..Stay tuned for the 2nd part tomorrow ..

Copyright..Emeh Achanga