I'm 30 on Tuesday... what next?

Mr Benevolent

Not quite sure where to post this. It's not a personal issue really, so feel free to slag, taunt and rib

I'm thirty years of age on Tuesday. I'd have a big party only I'm in Australia with my girlfriend for the year and we don't have any friends here or much money. Anyway, she's bring me out for a bite to eat and some bowling, so that's grand.

Anyway, on being 30. What should I feel? I've done almost nothing of note so far, been unemployed more than employed and out of college courses more often then a feckin' lecturer. Needless to say I've no qualifications and a long line of patchy jobs. The longest I've stuck to one job is about a year so far. Last one I was essentially fired and reprieved only to be let go due to lack of work. I'll be applying for a DIT/DCU/whatever engineering course in November and I intend to start next September, come what may.

What it boiled down to was a lack of goals, or maybe too many bright ideas crammed into one life (pretending to write novels, betting on horses, big loans, credit cards etc (all since paid off). I'm happy in some ways - great girlfriend, good family (better than when I was 20 anyway) and frankly am better off, more sane and have a more responsible outlook on life now. But I'm worried that I'm too late, too wrong, too stupid, all this stuff. I'm not looking for sympathy, just opinions or stories or whatever, Like I said, feel free to slag away too, can't mope about the big 3-0! Much obliged all.

silasrat

make a list.........
seems to me like you've answered your own question,you realised you want to acheive more ie:college etc,which is great choice(currently executing a similar plan!), sometimes its the best help just to really think about what you want to do in the near future,narrow it down to a few choices and you feel much better straight away, in the meantime you can just relax and enjoy the rest of your holiday............................

mp22

Next 40 then 50 relax

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Im 28 at the mo and iv done a load of stuff that come under the header "achievements".

Remember, age is just a number, it is not a measure of what a man you are.

If it helps, get a list going, write down all the things that you consider an achievement, doesnt matter how small of trivial it may seem. even if its, "I ate 12 Mars bars in one go" type of thing.....Id put moving to Oz for a year, as a big achievement.

keep the head up and do what makes you happy, thats the hard part.

hello932

Big deal so your 30..its not like your physically dead yet.
Get a life!

ChewChew

hello932 wrote: »

its not like your physically dead yet.

You mean there's another way?

Herbal Deity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_death

OldGoat

I too led a feckless lift untill into my 30's. At that point I went to study as a mature student, got a job, got a wife, got kids, got a house, got a career...actually got happy too. Turning 30 is no big deal, no bigger then turning 29, or 31 or whatever. Changing your life can happen at any point in your life.
And remember, turning 30 you are not giving up on your youth you are simply learning to do it better.
Happy Birthday, I'll hoist a glass in your direction this evening.

Incedently, I went through the same pangs of doubt at turning 30, at turning 40 and I fully expect to have a bit of a crisis in a few years time when I get to the half centuary.

Teferi

OldGoat wrote: »

Incedently, I went through the same pangs of doubt at turning 30, at turning 40 and I fully expect to have a bit of a crisis in a few years time when I get to the half centuary.

Haha I go through the same doubts and I'm only 22 today an absolute pup :pac:

L31mr0d

A good tactic would be to be liberal with some goals you'd like to achieve and then start telling people about your intended goals to motivate you further. If you feel you don't wish to tell others in case you fail, then you first need to examine your fears of failure and if they are irrational.

As a guy I find there always needs to be a dog snapping at my heels to keep me moving forward towards my goals. I run further and longer if I'm running with/against someone, the same is true for going to the gym, or achieving goals... etc

When I speak about my goals to others it manifests them in reality and out of my dreams. People are now aware of something I'm going to achieve, they will ask me about it, and it helps to motivate me to accomplish it.

Noffles

I would say relax... I'm 40 on Sunday... now there's a reason t start getting concerned!

L31mr0d

Noffles wrote: »

I'm 40 on Sunday... now there's a reason t start getting concerned!

Why? We put ourselves in boxes and then complain about having to live within their confines. 40 is no different to 30 or 20. It is all about perception. Yes there is limitations with age, but the actual impact they have on our ability to achieve our goals is usually slight.

A great man I like to read about is Ranulph Fiennes. At 65 he became the oldest man to summit Everest this year. How small do you think the box he lives in is?

burger1979

i'm thirty on friday but to me it really is just another number. my wife seems to be making a big deal of it though, which is nice. another day, another year, makes no difference to the last one or the ones that are coming.

Mr Benevolent

Thanks guys, some food for though here. I'll keep moving forward.

cowzerp

Suprised no 1 else said it-31

Im 30 too, your only as old as ya feel..

Noffles

L31mr0d wrote: »

Why? We put ourselves in boxes and then complain about having to live within their confines. 40 is no different to 30 or 20. It is all about perception. Yes there is limitations with age, but the actual impact they have on our ability to achieve our goals is usually slight.

A great man I like to read about is Ranulph Fiennes. At 65 he became the oldest man to summit Everest this year. How small do you think the box he lives in is?

All good points, to be honest I'm just going with the flow of the people around me (not my family really, the lads I work with and socialize with), they seem to think I'm ancient... which I don't feel I may add and am still fairly strong and fit so there's no panic.... Trouble with working with people a lot younger than yourself!

NothingMan

Basically 30 years to the second from when you were born a man dressed in orange will run up and slap you in the face with a giant orange hand!

b3t4

Himself turned 30 earlier this year and thankfully he'd gotten some career advise previous to it or I'm sure he'd of thrown a complete wobbler about it.

He's now in university as a mature student and getting on fine with it. He took, what he's now calling, a gap decade It's a bit dauting but he's very proud of himself and I am, also, very proud of him. He achieved a lot in those 10yrs (not that he'd recognise this) which is now helping with Uni and has given him a lot of life experience.

So what's next for you is up to you. I'd advise the career advise because it should help you focus on what you want out of your life in that area. The rest of the stuff will fall into place.

shapez

Aren't you lucky to be alive, healthy (by your standards) and able to walk around?? What more do you want??

Snowie

I would of thought you get hairyer :P

OldGoat wrote: »

I too led a feckless lift untill into my 30's. At that point I went to study as a mature student, got a job, got a wife, got kids, got a house, got a career...actually got happy too. Turning 30 is no big deal, no bigger then turning 29, or 31 or whatever. Changing your life can happen at any point in your life.
And remember, turning 30 you are not giving up on your youth you are simply learning to do it better.
Happy Birthday, I'll hoist a glass in your direction this evening.

Incedently, I went through the same pangs of doubt at turning 30, at turning 40 and I fully expect to have a bit of a crisis in a few years time when I get to the half centuary.

Og thats great to hear and know there is indeed hope for me yet