Older

No one ever talks about the first month after you enter a new age decade. That awkward time when you’re trying to wrap your mind around the end of an era, while welcoming the beginning of a new one. I liken it to what some of us are experiencing now; the days between Christmas and New Year. It’s like no (wo)man’s land. I turned 30 nearly a month ago, but I have yet to feel like I’m in my 30s. While I still feel 29, I realize I’m entering an important era of my life. I say that because small things I overlooked in my twenties seem to carry more weight now. Take yesterday as an example. I was braiding my hair when I began to notice how much thinner it’s become. I still have very thick hair but the density has lessened in the past 4 years. I definitely noticed this in my late twenties but now, at 30, it feels different. With a bit of haste, I started looking up how to naturally thicken my hair. It was like I had a mini panic attack about aging but then again, who hasn’t? On the flipside, I’m truly excited about getting older. I see how much I’ve stepped into my own, created healthy boundaries for myself, and focused on the goals I wish to accomplish.

However, what’s become apparent to me is how little I’ve stayed committed to the habits I told myself I’d start in my 20s, and carry over into my 30s. Now that I have arrived, it’s clear that whatever healthy lifestyle habits I wished to have, has to start right now. I say this not with a sense of panic but with an awareness that nothing will magically come to fruition just because I’m getting older. I’m happy that I came to this realization because it helped me see that “one day” starts today. Putting off a goal is procrastination in the worst way. If there is something I want, I need to realize the value in that goal. I need to honor the value I give myself. And when it comes to investing in your wellbeing, there is no time to waste.