How are your 30s different than your 20s?
I just hit 30 and it feels... different. Not bad, just not what I expected. My 20s were a whirlwind of possibilities, but now I'm wondering if I'm supposed to have it all figured out. How are your 30s different from your 20s? What changes - good or bad - caught you off guard?
jinyang
Stealth
2 months ago
This post just punched me in the gut. I remember waking up on my 30th birthday and just... staring at the ceiling. Wondering where the hell my 20s went.
You know what's weird? I miss the chaos sometimes. The shitty apartments, sasti daaru, the all-nighters with friends, thinking we could conquer the world. Now I'm here, with a decent job and a place of my own, and some days I feel more lost than ever.
The other day I caught myself getting excited about buying a new vacuum. A vacuum! 25-year-old me would've laughed his ass off.
But it's not all bad. I actually like myself more now. I don't take as much crap from people. I know what I want in a relationship. Still, there are nights I lie awake wondering if I'm doing this whole "adult" thing right.
I guess what caught me off guard the most is realizing my parents were just winging it too. We're all just trying to figure it out as we go :)
To anyone else feeling this: you're not alone. We're all a little scared, a little excited, and just hoping we're on the right track. Let's be kind to ourselves. Maybe that's what our 30s are really about - let’s fucking go!
InformalTool
Stealth
2 months ago
Reading this at 41, and I want to give 30-year-old me a hug. I remember that feeling of panic, like I should have life all figured out. Spoiler alert: I didn't, and that's okay.
Your 30s are a rollercoaster. I've had incredible highs - finally found a career I love, met my partner, traveled to places I'd only dreamed of. But there have been lows too - lost my dad, struggled with fertility, had to completely restart my career at 35.
What I wish I'd known at 30? It's okay to still be figuring things out. In fact, that never really stops. The difference is, now I'm more comfortable with the uncertainty. I've learned to trust myself more.
The best part of my 30s? Giving fewer fucks about what others think. Realizing that everyone's path is different. Learning to say no without guilt. And surprisingly, becoming more adventurous - I started rock climbing at 37! (Now my kids join me too!)
So to you just hitting 30 - breathe. You're exactly where you need to be. Your 30s will surprise you in the best (and sometimes hardest) ways. Embrace the journey, it's uniquely yours.
P.S.: Feels good to be back on this app after going viral on possibly all of India Tech Twitter. Thank God for anonymity - could've never shared those thoughts on LinkedIn or Twitter and still be able to roam out freely 🙏🏼
jinyang
Stealth
2 months ago
Woah he’s back!
Welcome back @InformalTool 🔥
EarthDragon
Stealth
2 months ago
♥️♥️
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Sapthinker
Stealth
2 months ago
20s - I will not shift overseas, work hard and earn enough to fulfill all my dreams and run a NGO on sidelines. Full of hope and feeling if belonging to people and nation.
30s - regretting every chance of not immigrating. Everybody hates everybody else, hopeless level of corruption and gundaism. Stuck now with responsibilities, angry looking at younger cousins living in Canada, Dubai, Australia while they share reels of missing Indian street food. Fckers
LooseGoose
Stealth
2 months ago
There there
LooseGoose
Stealth
2 months ago
Difficulty in maintaining health in 30s isn't something I anticipated. It was so much easier to lose weight in twenties.
Apart from physical health, not much changes except kids call you uncle and family wants you to get married if you're still single.
I struggled to startup for years in my 20s, but I have two now that I need to manage. Twenties was about fking around and finding out. Thirties and beyond is mostly serious business, I'm glad I had the time to stay young and foolish for a decade almost.
Still much to learn about the world, still much to do. Miles to go before I sleep, many promises to keep.
DaringTrain
Stealth
2 months ago
Here's the joke answer:
My 20s were all about sex. In 30s, I realized the meaning of consent. Btw, I am 29.
But man, I turned 29 recently, and I can already feel it in my gut. Where did my 20s go? Still grasping at the last straws of youth. I don't want to be a responsible adult. I still want to be able to comment TWSS on every double entendre. But life is feeling like a stream of air. The more I want to grasp it in my hand, the faster it's moving away
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DelightfulOx
Stealth
2 months ago
Typed a lot of things but then I got a call and could not complete .
Basically hitting 35 in a few months . Seen few wins and more losses . Still trying to figure out things .
DaringTrain
Stealth
2 months ago
Here's motivating you to type again
DelightfulOx
Stealth
2 months ago
Reaching 35 in a few months
Wins
-Got a small flat to stay in a decent complex in a tier 2 /3 city
-blessed with a kid recently
Losses
-Completed mba from IIM but took a Gamble and stayed in tier 2 city for house and starting family .
It sort of backfired I think. As the growth in my sales role is zilch and all friends are 2x of what I earn today.
-Worked at a startup.
Thought will make a fortune . Spent few years. Got it from 0 to 1 milllion usd and then had to leave due to toxic environment and wrong sense of pride
-Restarting career at a new firm.
Technical industry for which I don’t have much idea. Basically Followed the founder but later found out the guy I followed is sort of a sleeping founder and the engg team is weak
-Parents getting older. So every year have been in and out of hospital for the last few years . Insurance for parents causing a huge buck
- extended family not doing well .
Reaching 35 in a few months
Wins
-Got a small flat to stay in a decent complex in a tier 2 /3 city
-blessed with a kid recently
Losses
-Completed mba from IIM but took a Gamble and stayed in tier 2 city for house and starting family . It sort of backfired I think. As the growth in my sales role is zilch and all friends are 2x of what I earn today
-worked at a startup. Thought will make a fortune . Spent few years. Got it from 0 to 1 milllion usd and then had to leave due to toxic environment and wrong sense of pride
-restarting career at a new firm.
Technical industry for which I don’t have much idea. Basically Followed the founder but later found out the guy I followed is sort of a sleeping founder and the rest of team is not as much involved.
-Extended family not doing well . Job losses , mental health issues happening to close ones . So becoming an overhead (hospital visit , reputational) for family for marrying off sisters.
-Keeping connect with friends and big task. Again wrong sense of pride getting in the way. Although still keep in touch with some
-assets growing at very small pace - bank balance is still only around 40 lakhs including everything
In my 20s i used to enjoy all kind of companies, job was smooth never cared about work pressure, was party animal till 31-32 all remain same..once u hit 33 ur body will start telling yo
u , buddy sit back and relax . No matter how much exercise gym u do ….every time when u fell sick .. only one thought comes .. sala umar ho gayi hai …
About to get into my 30s
My takeaway is this
The 20s were still about being immature, they were about making mistakes, being carefree, less responsibilities
The 30s for me are about going from feeling still like I'm a young guy to being a man. Owning my responsibilities, habits, actions, decisions, life choices.
I have become boring in my 30s and I am loving it 😅😅😅😅😅 I need peace and loads of sleep 🛌
From waking at 11am to changing baby diapers at 2am.
From unplanned bike trips to planning temple trips.
From digesting 3 times a day heavy food to intermittent fasting.
From talking office gossips at lunch/break to ordering groceries.
Etc, etc. What not. 😄😄😄
It’s a complete shift , I see everyone building life and taking separate paths in life . Sometimes I felt I am loosing contact with everyone then later I realised I am also doing the same thing. One thing I have noticed almost everyone in this age group has developed some kind of strong opinion about everything. No more unplanned things, everybody is kinda busy somewhere I don’t know where 😂.
On the day I turned 30 I realised what I did in my 20s . Somethings which didn’t made sense in 20s are now making sense in 30s . I regretted some of the things I did in my 20s , I could have done things better but that’s life .
Life and responsibility come crashing on you when you turn 30
Looks are everything in 20s, mind and heart is everything in 30s. Basically learned from experience.
I am more responsible now. In my 20s I was carefree. Never looked to save money. Now I regularly save 70-80k a month. Not sure if this is good or bad. A man with stress or a carefree guy.
More ambitious now. Continuously upskilling myself. In my 20s I was like bad koi ladki mil jaaye 🤣🤣. In this context - 20s was definitely bad.
Investing more in experiences now. In 20s I didn’t value money that much so was spending in fukasi stuff basically stuffs which I can show off. In this context - 20s was definitely bad.
No social media for me now (except twitter). In 20s I am all about posting this and that and caught in the mindless loop of likes and comments.
I’m 30+ and I just need peace with good mental and physical health.
I am in Mid 20s, I just wanna get married to the right person, earn a lot, live a peaceful life
I will be 31 in august and all i think about is how i want to shape up my next 9 years till I will reach 40. Just cant stop thinking about it
*tobey_aaaah_my_back.gif*
Would put the actual gif if it was allowed on web 🥲
Soros
Stealth
2 months ago
Feels good if you have found direction in professional and personal life. For me it’s sweet and sour as only one is where I have found direction
My mindset has been same - just the approach has changed.
In my 20s - I always saved (even in 18k salary), didn’t party, remained in good contact with close 15 friends only, cared for health but over indulged in food, gave all possible time to parents and gf.
In my 30s - in addition to just saving I started investing, took up insurance policies, went to necessary get togethers, still same w/ friends tho, cut down on food but still struggling with regular exercising, got married and give all possible time to parents, wife and PS5 (self relaxation).
Only different is I think more about compounding effects now. One thing that didn’t change is 12hr workdays across 4 industries and 6 companies.
You may think life changes now. But it’s all your mindset - stay consistent and small long term changes bring about lasting satisfaction and peace.
What do you mean by industries & companies?
Are you freelancing or doing business?
AdeptFowl5
Stealth
2 months ago
The good - more money to do the things i like, esp. travel the world, a lot more self-confidence, a lot more credentials on my resume
The bad - tough to survive night outs, can't handle binge drinking, need to watch what you eat and burn it regularly 😀
AdeptFowl5
Stealth
2 months ago
Not enough for FIRE still 😁
