7 Tragic and Biggest Regrets Before Turning 30

In many ways, being thirty feels the same as I did in my twenties. However, I’m not naive in knowing that there are some things I should have done differently in my twenties leaving me with my biggest regrets before turning 30.

Now these things either take extra effort in my thirties or would just have made life a little easier right now. I’m sure there are some things that you can say the same about. Maybe we even have some of these biggest regrets before turning 30 in common? Let’s find out.

7 Of My Biggest Regrets Before Turning 30

Here are seven of my biggest regrets that I have about my life before turning 30. Some may seem small, and some may seem like it’s not too late to achieve. Overall they all have taught me lessons about what to value in my thirties.

Not Being Financially Prepared

I knew how important finances were, but between my low paying jobs and spending habits I just couldn’t get it together. As one of my biggest regrets before turning 30, it leaves me to figure it all out in my thirties, which I’m determined to do.

Some ways I do this is saying yes to higher paying opportunities, applying to bigger jobs even if I don’t feel qualified, and trying not to spend money on things I don’t need, including takeout.

The lesson: It’s never too late to get your finances on track. Just identify what needs to change and learn from your mistakes.

Not Trying Harder To Maintain Friendships and Make New Ones

As someone who didn’t grow up with a lot of friends, I feel as though I let the friendships I made in my twenties slip away easily. I didn’t put much effort into maintaining them throughout the changes in my life.

On the flipside, I also wasn’t prioritizing making new friends either so this quickly became one of my biggest regrets before turning 30. We all know how hard it can be making friends as an adult. When you are in your twenties you have life events like college to help you meet new people

But what do you have in your thirties? While it’s been hard, I’ve been trying to get out of my comfort zone and get plugged into communities within my city in an effort to make friends.

The lesson: While it’s difficult to make friends as you get older, it’s not impossible. Get involved in your local community or find groups of people that have the same interests as you. The more you show up the easier it will be to start making friends.

Not Going To Therapy Sooner

After college I should have kept going to therapy (I saw a counselor at my college for a year). I knew how beneficial it was, and maybe it would have prevented me from going through some of the things I did in my early twenties.

I’m grateful that I finally started going in my late twenties. However, the transition from college to post grad took a toll on me, therapy would have helped tremendously.

Now I go to therapy regularly and it has helped me transition from my twenties to my thirties in a much more positive way than what I was feeling about the transition previously. I’ve worked through some of the hurts I went through in my early twenties and I’m just in a better place.

The lesson: Go to therapy, you won’t regret it.

Not Capturing More Memories With Video

A picture is worth a thousand words but videos are so much more. Yet I never gravitate towards taking videos. I see TikToks and Reels of people’s video montages and just think to myself, “they must be grateful for all the memories they have captured.”

There are a lot of times in my twenties that I wish I captured on video so that I could hold onto the memories more. In my thirties I want to prioritize taking more videos of both the exciting moments and the smaller ones.

The lesson: Take the videos, you’ll thank yourself later.

Not Taking Better Care Of My Health

My health journey has been far from perfect. I really hoped I would have reached my goals in my twenties, but alas, here I am in the same place. It’s not for lack of trying, in fact I was doing really well for about a year or two. My problem has always been sticking with my health goals.

Achieving my goal of having good health would have been great in my twenties because in your thirties your body starts going through changes. Looking back, on of my biggest regrets before turning 30 is that I would’ve liked to have my health figured out.

Now that my twenties are over I’m focused on getting my goals clear and not rushing into any weight loss challenges or programs if I’m not ready. That way I’m giving myself the best possible chance to succeed when I am ready.

The lesson: Give your health the focus it deserves.

Holding My True Self Back A Lot

Through most of my twenties I held myself back a lot when it comes to putting my true self out there. Call it being an enneagram nine, or scared of rejection, but I didn’t share my full self with those around me, or even the world.

Some people knew my hobbies and interests and others knew other parts of me but maybe not some of my interests. I thought people would be turned off by my pop culture interests or other attributes about myself.

I am a lot more vocal about who I am now. However, part of me wonders how life would have been if I were more open with people sooner.

The lesson: Be your authentic self, the people in your life should accept all of you.

Lack Of Romanticizing My Life

Part of this one is because I wasn’t aware of what romanticizing my life meant and looked like. However, this is one of my biggest regrets before turning 30 because I do think I could have been more grateful for the small moments in life.

I feel like I would have been a lot happier in my early to mid twenties. Moving forward I aspire to fully romanticize the small moments in my life, because they tend to be the bigger moments looking back.

The lesson: Romanticizing your life will bring joy to the mundane.

How To Move Past Your Biggest Regrets Before Turning 30

Even though I have regrets about my life before I turned 30, I’m not harping on them. Staying stuck in your biggest regrets before turning 30 isn’t a way to live and move forward in your life.

So what do we do with the regrets? We move past them as we grow. Instead of looking back I am looking forward to all that is to come in life in my thirties.

Do you have any regrets before turning 30? Let me know in the comments.