It’s been a while since I’ve written a meaningful blog post, but I’m feeling sentimental and thought it’d be a good opportunity to capture my thoughts before I officially turn 34.
It’s crazy to think I’m approaching mid-30’s but I’m ready for it. The past year has been wildly fun and I’m so grateful I’ve made every day count. After getting vaccinated in March/April… I’ve gotten the chance to travel again (Vegas, Utah, Phoenix, Santa Rosa, Oahu), reunite with friends, see my family freely, and spend time with the ones who matter most. When I think back on 33 I can honestly say I’ve lived it up. The only thing stopping me now is my energy-level and body. I can’t keep up like I used to. I also realized a lot of things last year which shifted my whole perspective on life and how I want to spend my time and energy.
COVID and quarantine helped reroot my values. In 2020, I worked A LOT. This was primarily due to me leading a global campaign in response to COVID, not having boundaries, and wanting to work because I loved my job and thought there was nothing better to do (this was when we were in lockdown). Plus, it made me feel important. I felt valued and powerful. At the end it was worth it. I got promoted, grew my team, and got a raise. What more could I ask for?
Fast forward to 2021; after achieving those milestones at work I realized it didn’t actually fulfill or bring me true happiness. I’ve been prioritizing work for the past 10+ years and I’m glad I did because it brought me to where I am today. I realized I was able to prioritize work, while balancing my personal life, hobbies and more in my 20’s and early 30’s because I had the energy to do it all. Now I don’t. I exerted so much mental energy into work last year that I barely had energy to do the things I truly love. Everything also started to feel like a chore because my mind was constantly tired. It’s not fun to do anything when you’re tired. This is when my whole mentality shifted.
If you have to pick how to spend your energy, it should actually be flipped. You should spend most energy on the things that bring true joy in life VS exerting all your energy into work (unless that truly is your joy). Although society and capitalism makes this difficult, my perspective shifted to where I now work to live my desired lifestyle, and not live to work. Maybe this is just a phase because of how 2020 was traumatizing, but as of lately I’ve been so much happier and content.
As I enter my mid-30’s, I know I’m only going to get more tired and time will become more limiting. When I think about how I want to spend the remainder of my 30’s, its honestly just with the people I love the most. I want to continue making memories with my family and closest friends and really relish our time together because life is precious. I want to create new experiences with my family and take them to places they’ve never been. I want to understand people’s stories, backgrounds and what makes them them. Now that I have clarity into what really brings me joy, I know how to more consciously spend my energy. Towards my relationships, making new memories with them, and taking the time to listen. Thanks for listening to me.
