50 Inspiring Quotes For Your 30s

Approaching 30 can feel heavy. It can feel like an end and a beginning all in one. There are many positive things about ending your 20s and entering your 30s, though.

These inspiring quotes for your 30s are just what you need to read to calm your mind and find peace within this powerful change.

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50 Inspiring Quotes For Your 30s

1. “The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.” – Hervey Allen

A lot of our youth is spent thinking about the future. Are our golden years spent thinking about the past? Our 30s are the beginning of our “middle” years. The time between dreams and regrets; they’re the time to make things happen.

2. “If you don’t feel it, flee from it. Go where you are celebrated, not merely tolerated.” – Paul F. Davis

Let your 30s be the time you leave everything that does not bring you the absolute most joy in life behind. Let it be the time you invest yourself into relationships that respect and honor you back.

3. “Show respect to people who don’t even deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.” – Dave Willis

I’ve always believed that the way one person treats another person is a reflection of their character not yours. In your 30s, let your character shine in the way you treat others.

4. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

Stop holding onto what is merely acceptable. Even if something is “good,” if it’s not the right fit, it’s not the right fit.

5. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Paul Boose 

It’s time to let go of past grievances. Like this quote reminds us, forgiveness opens up the future to use.

6. “Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty.” – Robert Frost

I don’t really know what this quote means but I’m going to take it to mean that women only get better as we age.

7. “Everything I know I learned after I was thirty.” – Georges Clemenceau

Your 20s are a powerful decade of growth and development. All of our true values start to emerge, and all of it starts to make sense after we turn 30.

8. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important.” – Steven Covey

I like that this quote reminds us to focus on the important things in our lives, which may or may not always be the top thing on our to-do list. I’ve done a lot of internal work on boundary setting and had a lot of conversations on the topic with my podcast co-host Marina. Setting boundaries is so important in controlling your schedule and ultimately how you spend your time.

9. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou

I think as we age, we start to care far less about our “failures” in life. In our 20s, it seems like everything we don’t get exactly right is a failure. You have not failed if you do not accomplish what you set out to do. It’s okay to change course.

10. “At 30 you finally start to catch up to those dreams you’ve been chasing for the last 10 plus years.” – Bonnidette Lantz 

At 30, you start to turn your dreams into plans and stop caring about what other people think.

11. “The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” – Seneca

We can’t ever really predict what is going to happen in the future, so why wait? Time can starts to feel finite in our 30s. And it’s the time we start living for ourselves. .

12. “Action expresses priorities.” – Gandhi

How you spend your time and what you spend your time doing is how you know what your priorities are. Our schedules no longer run us, we run our schedules.

13. “Ten years from now make sure you can say you chose your life, you didn’t settle for it.” – Mandy Hale

I try to live my life without regrets. I always ask myself, “when I look back on my life will I regret not doing this?” and use that as a guiding principle for my actions.

14. “My mom said to me, ‘You know, sweetheart, you should settle down and marry a rich man,” “I said, ‘Mom, I am a rich man.” – Cher

This one speaks for itself. Make sure you have financial autonomy.

15. “There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

Rise to your full potential and you will have lived your life as it was meant to be.

16. “When you realize it’s your responsibility to be a leader and create the world you want to see, you have to do it.” — Janelle Monáe

No longer can we live in complacency – it is our responsibility to change the world.

17. “It seems to me that the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back. If I can relax, fear relaxes, too.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

Relax into your fears. Don’t let them consume you.

18. “You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes or failures.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

Another quote by Liz Gilbert because it’s just too good. Our worth does not come from the accolades we have or don’t have. Our barometer of success is whether or not we are emotionally aligned with the life we are living.

19. “Don’t surrender all your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn’t true anymore.” – Cheryl Strayed

Do not continue along through life in a way that only aims to please a past version of yourself. You are allowed to change. You are allowed to grow. And who you will become doesn’t have to match with who you once wanted to be.

20. “Are you the sort of person who gloats when they see a woman fall, or the kind that celebrates a magnificent recovery?” – J.K. Rowling

It costs us nothing to lift others up. Allow your 30s not to be a time of competition, but rather community. It speaks to your character.

21. “The 30s are a time when you should be well on your way to establishing yourself. Your identity, career, finances, and relationships should be taking shape.” – Bola Sokunbi

I could not agree more. Being in your 30s is a time to capitalize on what you learned in your 20s and catapult yourself into success.

22. “Your 30s are about being solid in who you are, shedding all the doubt, and embracing all the wonderful things you’ve learned.” – Candace Bushnell

Get rid of everything you thought you knew about yourself. In your 30s you’re going to learn about a stronger, more confident version of you.

23. “In your 30s, you realize that time is finite and that you should live each day to the fullest.” – Jennifer Aniston

The years seem endless when you are in your 20s. But it’s when you hit your 30s that you realize it’s not.

24. “The 30s are a time of transition, a time to move from what was to what will be.” – Oprah Winfrey

I love how this quote puts it into perspective. Oprah always knows.

25. “Your 30s are about learning from the mistakes of your 20s and creating a better future for yourself.” – Unknown

I love this quote because it means we are learning and growing. And we stop being scared of being defined by our failures at 30.

26. “Your 30s are a decade of discovery. You discover who you are, what you want, and what you don’t want.” – Mandy Hale

What a beautiful thought. That we are discovering who we truly are in our 30s.

27. “Your 30s are the perfect time to take stock of your life and make positive changes.” – Unknown

Your 30s feel a little bit like it’s “now or never.” You either do or do not. As Yoda said, there is no try.

28. “In your 30s, you have the opportunity to create the life you truly want.” – Unknown

In our 30s we get to step outside of the expectations we thought we had for ourselves.

29. “The 30s are a time to embrace change and take risks. You have the experience and wisdom to make it work.” – Unknown

Remind yourself you have the “wisdom to make it work” over and over again until it feels true. Our 20s have made us wise in our 30s. We have a lot to look forward to in our 30s.

30. “Your 30s are the perfect time to take control of your life and make it what you want it to be.” – Unknown

We always have control over how we react to things in life but now in our 30s it really feels like this is true.

31. “In your 30s, you finally start to realize that your time is limited and valuable, so you must use it wisely.” – Unknown

I wish I could have read this in my early 20s when the years felt endless. Don’t spend time stuck in relationships or places that that don’t value you. You don’t have the time to waste.

32. “Your 30s are the decade to invest in yourself, your education, and your future.” – Unknown

Investing in yourself is never a mistake or a waste of time.

33. “Your 30s are when you start to see the benefits of the hard work you put in during your 20s.” – Unknown

And when those benefits pay off, and you stop being broke in your 30s, it feels damn good.

34. “In your 30s, you learn that life is about quality over quantity.” – Unknown

This – in every aspect of your life.

35. “Your 30s are the perfect time to take risks and pursue your dreams.” – Unknown

Too often we think being in our 30s means we’re stuck where we are. But that could not be further from the truth! You are not a tree. If you don’t like where you are – move!

36. “In your 30s, you begin to understand that the things that used to matter no longer do, and the things that truly matter become crystal clear.” – Unknown

Clarity comes with age, what else can I say?

37. “Your 30s are the time to focus on personal growth and self-improvement.” – Unknown

I am always for delving deeper into yourself. Chase what feels right to you – not the life choices that feel right to anyone else.

38. “In your 30s, you realize that success is not just about achievement, but about fulfillment.” – Unknown

This is probably one of the biggest lessons we learn in our 30s. How you feel at the end of the day is more important than anything you could ever achieve.

39. “Your 30s are the time to take ownership of your life and create the future you desire.” – Unknown

Don’t live life in your 30s passively. Be an active participant in your life and choices.

40. “In your 30s, you learn to let go of the things that no longer serve you and make space for what does.” – Unknown

This is a lesson I learn more and more everyday.

41. “Your 30s are the perfect time to build strong relationships and surround yourself with people who inspire you.” – Unknown

Invest time in your relationships and you’re investing in your life.

42. “In your 30s, you discover that your biggest competition is yourself.” – Unknown

We all have to stop comparing ourselves at some point. It does nothing for us.

43. “Your 30s are the time to prioritize your health and well-being.” – Unknown

It’s always the time to prioritize your health. You won’t ever regret making a healthy choice.

44. “In your 30s, you realize that being yourself is the key to happiness and success.” – Unknown

Nothing is more pure than discovering who you are and absolutely owning it.

45. “Your 30s are the time to embrace your strengths and weaknesses, and use them to your advantage.” – Unknown

The more you lean into your strengths and make the effort to strengthen your weaknesses, the better off you’ll be.

46. “In your 30s, you understand that failure is not the end, but an opportunity to learn and grow.” – Unknown

I love this framing of failure. All too often we think failure is the end of something, when in reality, it is the beginning.

47. “Your 30s are the time to take responsibility for your actions and own up to your mistakes.” – Unknown

Learn to admit when you are wrong – you’ll be a better person for it.

48. “In your 30s, you start to appreciate the value of time and use it wisely.” – Unknown

I can say with 100% certainty this is true. Especially as a mom, my time is more limited than it has ever been, and I need to use it wisely.

49. “Your 30s are the time to challenge yourself and step outside of your comfort zone.” – Unknown

Your comfort zone is where you stay the same. And we were meant to bloom, not wither.

50. “In your 30s, you learn that success is not an overnight achievement, but the result of consistent effort and dedication.” – Unknown

I want to end on this quote because it is the efforts we repeat over and over again that get us to where we want to be. It’s not easy to grow, but it’s necessary and important.

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The 50 Best Quotes For Your 30s

Turning 30 doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be exciting. It doesn’t really have to be anything at all. But there is this feeling of maturity and strength that comes with turning 30. Embrace it.

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