I turned 30 this month. While I could write a lot to reflect on my 20s, for this post I thought it would be better to think more about the future and where I’d like to go in the next decade. The way I invested my time in my 20s made a big difference in where I am now. Just like with financial investing, over the course of a decade many small things ended up compounding in significant ways. For the next decade I need to think about what else will pay off, especially considering the medium term.

It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it.
— Seneca

I’ve always considered my 30s to be when I would be at my peak (or at least beginning my peak). Most of my 20s were spent focusing on school, then work, then figuring out how to live more independently. There was a lot of doing things for the first time and figuring things out. It wasn’t always easy.

Now I feel like I figured out a decent amount, and most importantly got pretty good at figuring things out. Getting good at figuring things out means I am getting better at learning, growing, and doing more things for the first time. And I hope it also means it can get easier.

With accelerated learning and growth what I focus on now can set the direction for a decade. This is what I’m investing in:

1. Family: I’m starting my 30s newly married. There’s a lot more that goes into marriage beyond navigating through life as a shared experience with another person. This is a huge part of my life and also very new, so there will be a lot of learning to do.
2. Health: This decade is probably when I’m going to hit the peak of my health. I’m starting to focus more on diet and exercise. My wife has been really helpful with this.
3. Time for myself: As a founder and being newly married I find myself not making as much time for myself. I used to be really independent in my 20s, and now it’s like I have a hard time finding free time. I can’t believe it’s November and I’ve only published one other blog post this year.

I’m looking forward to the rest of my 30s! And now, with the end of the year coming up, it’s time to reflect back on 2023 and plan for 2024.