What Women Over 30 Should Never Do

When I was a young girl I imagined being 30-something is this magical place of adulthood where you have things figured out, or at least you’re given a manual of some sorts that guides you through life. The matrix of having a steady job (you’ll probably be doing for the rest of your working days), family (or at least a husband!) and a 20-year bank loan was signed, sealed and delivered harshly in the following years. Especially fervent around the “25-and single” mark, and getting more stark as the years went by.

As I approached the dreaded 30 milestone, I couldn’t feel any of the void I was taught I’d find myself in. Now, fresh into 33, having read a myriad of articles on how I should (must, even!) dress, conduct and appear “according to my age”, let me share a few words of young wisdom on what you should and shouldn’t do once you turn 30.

1. You should never let yourself be guilted into a relationship, let alone a marriage, just because you’ve reached “a certain age”.
2. You should never have to explain yourself why you do or do not want to have children. Period.
3. You should never have to give excuses as to why you are single or have a partner, but opt not to get married.
4. You should never have to choose “an age appropriate” hairstyle.
5. You should never stop wearing styles, colours, patterns or lengths of clothes that suit you and your personality, just because “you’re pushing XX”.
6. You should never fear finishing a certain level of education or gaining the next one, or a different course of education, formal or informal.
7. You should never hesitate trying out a new career path, opening your own business or simply doing more than one job at a time.
8. You should never find yourself without a good comeback to small-minded people who call you a careerist just because you love your job and you’re damn good at it.
9. You should never have to feel unaccomplished if at this point you haven’t found your calling yet.
10. You should never be afraid to pursue any artistic inclination, regardless if you had a formal education in that field or not.
11. You should never doubt your choice to be a stay at home mom or a housewife, without any reason to explain how that “is not a job” when you are perfectly happy with you life.
12. You should never stop dancing.
13. You should never have to feel uncomfortable when people say “You’ll find someone”. You ARE someone.
14. You should never justify the way you look, or feel bad when you fail to giggle and look bashful when someone says you look great “for your age”.
15. You should never stop making travelling plans and executing them.
16. You should never even think it’s too late to leave a relationship that is not making you happy.
17. You should never hide your years. You’ve lived them, you didn’t steal them.
18. You should never believe you’ve run out of love. Love is self-sufficient and everlasting. It’s the only thing that grows by giving.
19. You should never stop being YOU with a blow of a certain number of birthday candles.
20. You should never stop blowing out birthday candles.