Life

37 Things Every Woman Should Know How To Do By 30

by Ni'Kesia Pannell

Though most women who are already in their 30s say that these are the best years of their lives. But for women who are nearing the big 3-0, the thought of hitting 30 can make them nervous. For some, it feels like they haven't accomplished all that you needed to. And, to an extent, you may not have. There are some surprisingly important things every woman should know how to do before turning 30. And learning these things before the next big birthday will make blowing out the candles a little easier.

I didn't understand the "fear" of 30 until I turned 28, and realized 30 was literally around the corner. But some of the fear subsided when I realized that I'd learned so much in my 20+ years of life. Looking back on where I was in my early 20s, I know that everything I'd been through till then would be useful during the next decade of my life. Do I wish I would have learned some things earlier than I learned others? Absolutely. But, the point is that I learned them and plan to apply as much as I can.

I believe that everyone learns things in their own timing and can either choose to apply them when they see fit. However, there are a few things that every woman can relate to and should be open to learning before they hit the big 3-0.

If you're wondering what some of those things are, these 37 should be on your list to knock out during your 20s.

1

How To Change Your Own Tire

When I was younger, my dad made sure I knew how to change my own tire. If you don't know how to change a tire yet, it will come in handy during your 20s — especially if you're single. and stranded on the road.

2

How To Cook A Really, Really Good Meal

Sure, knowing how to make grilled ham and cheese sandwiches is important, but everyone should know how to cook one really, really amazing dish. By nailing one cool dish, you'll be able to perfect it over time and wow everyone that tastes it.

3

How To Have A Good Time Without Getting Drunk

During your early 20s, nights out may have consisted of hard partying and binge drinking. But by the time you're approaching 30, you should be able to have a good night out with your friends without getting super drunk. Because, as Elite Daily noted, hangovers only get worse as you get older.

4

How To Have A Greater Appreciation For Your Mother

According to ESSENCE, as you approach 30, you should be able to have a better appreciation for your mother and all that she's done. Though you may not fully understand her, now that you're older, you should be able to appreciate her.

5

How To Properly Pair Wine

Ready to put the hard liquor down and pick up the fancy wine? Just make sure you're drinking the right wine with the right meal. Knowing how to pair the right wine with the right dish or dessert will make you appreciate dinner time much more.

6

How To Be OK With Being By Yourself

Almost every woman has had the "By the time I'm 30, I want to..." talk with themselves and most of the time, it includes being married and having children. However, it doesn't always work out like that, and that's totally OK. Being fine with being by yourself in your 20s should be something you know how to do because there's so much that you can accomplish while being single, too.

7

How To Have A Work-Life Balance

Lifehack noted that upon turning 30, you should know that life is not always about work. Being successful is a great feeling, but if you're still consuming yourself in work by the time you hit 30, you've created a habit that may be difficult to break. Life isn't all about making all the money and being so career driven. Try having a little fun every now and again.

8

How To Develop A Good Routine

Whether it includes going to the gym on a regular basis or getting to bed on time so that you're not dragging the next morning, getting a regular routine will become more beneficial than you realize. Getting ahead of the curve and doing this before you turn 30 will help you make the best of your next decade.

9

How To Accept Compliments

According to Self, rejecting compliments instead of accepting them is so early 20s. If someone is complimenting you on one of your amazing traits or attributes, simply say "thank you." Combatting them about how not true the compliment is only makes you seem young minded.

10

How To Stay On Budget

Learning how to stay on budget before you hit 30 is one of the most important things that you can learn and probably one of the most difficult. Although many people will be living on their own in their 20s, once you hit your 30s, this is when the real test of adulthood comes. Be prepared by setting yourself a realistic budget and sticking to it.

11

How To Use A Grill

Knowing how to grill can come in handy for many reasons. From providing food during a power outage to just being able to make some bad-ass ribs, every woman should know how to work a grill before turning 30.

12

How To Travel By Yourself

It took me awhile to feel comfortable traveling by myself. But once I began doing so, it provided me with some of the most eye-opening and liberating experiences of my life. If you haven't done so yet, take a weekend trip by yourself to get the peace you need.

13

How To Wholeheartedly Believe In Yourself

All throughout my 20s, I doubted almost everything I did. As much as I hate to admit it, I really didn't believe in myself how I probably should have. As I got into the latter portion of my 20s though, I learned to start wholeheartedly believing in myself and my abilities. Not only did it help me get further in life, it helped me to find my joy, too.

14

How To Have A Good Skincare Regimen

According to Glamour, every woman should have a good skincare regimen by the time they're 30. Gone are the days of waking up the next morning with last night's makeup clogging up your pores. It's time for you to embrace healthy skin and love the way you look.

15

How To Follow Your Dreams

Have you learned to really go after the desires of your heart? If not, you should know how to do this before turning 30. Sure, not everything will turn out how you want it to, but if you haven't started following your dreams, that's all they'll be in the end.

16

How To Stop Comparing

Lauren Conrad noted that you should get in the habit of eliminating comparing yourself by the time you're 30. This might be easier said than done, but once you place the focus on yourself instead of where everyone else is in life, you'll be able to see that you're not as far behind as you think you are.

17

How To Befriend Older Women

According to Bustle, before turning 30, you should know how to befriend older women. For me, this has especially been important since I no longer live in the same city as my mother and my sister. Befriending women who were either slightly or significantly older than myself has supplied me with incredible advice and even more reassurance that things are going to be OK.

18

How To Have A Side Hustle

As I'm currently sitting in the last year of my 20s, I can say that one of the most important things I learned was to have multiple streams of income. Have a full-time job is cool, but you should always have a side hustle to give you a little extra ching-ching-ching.

19

How To Walk Away From Any Situation That Isn't Good For You

Thought Catalog noted that you shouldn't be staying in relationships because you're fearful of being miserable after the break up. If the situation isn't good for you, you should feel comfortable and confident that something greater is coming your way.

20

How To Admit When You're Not OK

With one year left before my big 30, another important thing I learned leading up to it is that it's totally OK to not be OK. Regardless of the things you may have heard in the past, you can still be strong and need help, too.

21

How To Embrace Change

Change — especially when it's unexpected — is a difficult thing to embrace. Whether it's from going through a breakup of a longterm relationship, being let go from your job, or just deciding that you're ready for something different, the best thing to do is to just embrace it. It may make you feel uncomfortable and can hurt you, but the only way to move through it successfully is to let it happen.

22

How To Ask For A Raise

According to Bustle, if you're approaching 30, you should know how to ask for a raise. Learning how to negotiate raises in your 20s can be a way to display how focused and aware you are of your worth to your boss.

23

How To Appreciate Your Body

With society's view of women's appearance being a little skewed, it's really easy for women to have a hurtful view of their own bodies. One thing that you should know how to do in your 20s is to appreciate your body in the form that it's in. You should also appreciate your body enough to know when it's time to get in shape, eat healthier, and to give yourself the attention and love you deserve.

24

How To Monitor Your Credit

I never understood the importance of keeping an eye on my credit until I was about 25 and to be honest, my credit kind of sucked at that time. Now, with four years passing, my credit is much better and it's in a great place for me to get a house, new car, or pretty much anything else that requires a good credit score.

25

How To Notice If Something Isn't Right With Your Lady Parts

Cosmopolitan noted that women should be aware of what their vagina looks like before turning 30. This, and knowing what's going on with it, is important because you want to be able to identify when something goes wrong or is unusual before it becomes an issue.

26

How To Admit When You're Wrong

Being able to admit when you're wrong in a situation not only helps improve your communication with people, but it also shows that you are more mature than made out to be. Always being right may seem like a good thing, but it just makes people resent you and not want to be around you.

27

How To Not Apologize For Everything

According to Self, you should know how to stop apologizing for everything. I know firsthand how difficult this can be because women are natural nurturers, but learning how to stand firm in your feelings will become super handy later on in life.

28

How To Make Your Signature Drink

As you get older, nights of partying will get swapped out for Netflix and dinner at home. But that doesn't mean you have to give up the drink that you love just because you're not out at the bar. Learning how to make your signature drink at home will still give you the satisfaction that you get when you have it at the bar and it'll save you some serious coins, too.

29

How To Overcome Your Fears

Hate to be around big groups of people? What about that massive sweat attack you undergo when you see a roach? Thought Catalog noted that you should be overcoming your fears by the time you hit 30. It may take some time to do, but you should force yourself to be as fearless as possible.

30

How To Accept And Appreciate Failure

I can honestly say that my 20s taught me how to accept and appreciate every bit of failure I encountered. By being able to do this before 30, I've figured out what works for me and can use those lessons learned from failure to succeed in my 30s.

31

How To Recognize Racism

As difficult as it is to admit, ESSENCE noted that women should be aware that racism still exists. Even with all of the unfortunate situations that have occurred over the last few years, many people refuse to believe that racism is still around. However, being knowledgeable that it's still around is an important factor to fixing it.

32

How To Love Yourself

This may seem easy to do, but there are plenty of women struggling with finding love in themselves before searching for it somewhere else. Learning to love you in your 20s will make you open receiving and giving love to someone else in your 30s.

33

How To Be Nice To Rude People

It's so difficult to crack a smile when someone is being rude, but my 20s taught me that spreading love (even when it's not being given out) is a great way to help people change. Learning how to be nice to rude people is a trait that will come in handy well past your 30s.

34

How To Let People Love You The Right Way

If you've been hurt more often than you'd like to admit, you may not be open to letting people love you. Before you hit 30 though, you should take some time to overcome your pain so that you're able to recognize, accept, and receive love when it's given to you in the correct way.

35

How To Say No Nicely

According to Self, women should be able to know how to say no without feeling guilty afterwards. It may be a difficult task to accomplish at first, but once you realize that every opportunity isn't always a good opportunity, you'll be able to nail this.

36

How To Have Fun

Life is filled with disappointments, hard times, and more work than you'd like to have, so the best thing you can learn before you hit 30 is how to have fun and just enjoy the life that's given to you. It may not be the life that you dream of having, but the remembering that you can create the life you want can get you there.

37

How To Take Control Of Your Own Birthday

For many years, I didn't like celebrating my birthday because I felt like no one wanted to celebrate with me. Just as Glamour noted though, I learned how to take control of my birthday in my 20s and decided that I would do whatever I wanted. Get in the habit of making yourself happy since it's your day.