Reaching a new decade in life can inspire plenty of reflection, particularly on all the things you achieved over the past ten years. This is certainly the case for our regular blogger, and Les Roches alumna, Christina Seow. As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, she tells us the 30 most important things she’s discovered.
- Eat well – Focus on buying quality ingredients and adopting healthy methods of cooking. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be good food.
- Learn how to cook – If you want to eat well, you need to learn how to cook. This will also keep your daily living costs down. Your cooking doesn’t have to reach MasterChef levels, as long as it is healthy and well-prepared.
- Exercise regularly – Listen to your body. If you feel you’re starting to lose some strength and flexibility, regular exercise will keep you in shape, as well as ensuring your joints and muscles are working.
- Sleep well – A good night’s sleep helps keep your mind sharp and your energy at optimum levels.
- Put money aside – Make saving money a priority – set up a savings account or simply put a bit aside before you pay the bills and spend the remaining income. This way, you’ll build your savings and have some money spare in case you need it.
- Invest your savings – Furthermore, making wise investments can see you grow your wealth and create a second revenue stream.
- Make wise investments – Don’t be afraid to spend money, though – sometimes you have to spend big in order to save in the long-term. This could be anything from a reliable car to a comfy mattress.
- Explore your options – Try new things and do your research, but also don’t worry if you haven’t found your specialization yet.
- Grow your network – Meet individuals both within your industry and outside of it – learn how other people and organizations do things and gain a greater sense of perspective in the process.
- Be part of a community – Whether this be a group with a common interest, some friends from the neighbourhood or work colleagues, find yourself a support group and sounding board for the things you go through in life.
- Find a balance – There is always a struggle between your work and personal life. While it is hard to get the ratios between the two perfect, it’s important to find the right balance that keeps you both happy and motivated.
- Find satisfaction. Life is too short to hate your job or not have hobbies – make sure you enjoy going to work every day, but equally ensure you have plenty of interesting things to do outside of it.
- Each and every job requires its own degree of diligence – It’s a fallacy to think that your job is harder than someone else’s – everyone is fighting their own challenges.
- The grass is greener where you water it – It’s wasteful to spend time thinking ‘what if?’ Take responsibility for your life, your choices and your passions.
- Be your own advocate – No one is more interested in your learning than you are.
- Ask good questions – Only idiots don’t ask. While you might worry you’ll look foolish, don’t be afraid to ask simple questions. If you stay silent, you’ll stay foolish.
- Focus on the solution, not the problem – Sometimes life throws us curveballs, and sometimes problems can mount up. However, getting bogged down in this will be counterproductive – focus on how you’re going to solve them.
- Let go – You won’t be able to control everything – let go of the things that you can’t. This helps to reduce the stress levels you are facing and opens your mind to other possibilities.
- Keep in touch with your parents – The older you get, the more you appreciate everything your parents do for you, especially as you begin to go through important milestones, such as having kids of your own.
- Listen to advice – Whether it be from family members, friends or colleagues, absorb as much advice as you can, as it will come in handy at some point in your life.
- Keep in touch with friends from different parts of your life – Facebook has made it so much easier to follow friends’ journeys no matter what part of your life you met them.
- Help your relationships grow – They are like plants and need plenty of love and care. Some relationships are not the same as when you last left them, so make sure you put the right amount of effort in.
- Be kind – Smiling and kindness are a universal way of connecting with people.
- Find joy from within – If you derive happiness from the opinion of others, you will always be disappointed. Find contentment in life through the little things, and try to bounce back quickly from challenges.
- Reflect often – Remind yourself that there is always something to be grateful for and that you can always improve your situation.
- Learn a new skill – This will keep your mind sharp and make life more interesting.
- Keep reading, writing, listening – Whether for academic or recreational purposes, don’t stop at just one artist, writer or show – explore everything that is out there.
- Be knowledgeable – Find your niche. This will ensure you have an interesting topic to talk to people about.
- Travel if you can – It doesn’t have to be far or be exotic, but it should be somewhere that takes you out of your comfort zone and helps you appreciate other cultures.
- The best years are ahead of you – As you begin to experience numerous milestones, your thirties are the time where you begin to improve your quality of life. But remember the best is always yet to come!
This year, I am finally back in my hometown, where I get to celebrate this milestone with family and friends from different walks of life. I am thankful to have the chance to share this memory surrounded by people who love me, and know that no matter what happens, I am blessed and am looking forward to the new decade ahead!
