[Phoenix]

Have been giving this some thought recently. I think most men will agree that turning 30 is an important milestone. It's a few years out for me, but I think that's a good time to be thinking of where I will be, rather than a few weeks before.

I personally don't have an issue with aging, but I do feel concern with not making progress appropriate to my age. My progress by 25 was massively below most mens, and this felt truly aweful (have mostly caught up since). Hence, I am making a list of things I need to achieve by 30 so I will be confortable on that day.

So far I can only think of one thing I really need to accomplish to not feel bad: to have built a nice physique. However I am sure there are others I haven't thought of yet.

So what things would you all recommend?

[n0000]

1) Squat & Deadlift 2x your bodyweight

2) Learn a foreign language

3) Travel to at least 5-10 different countries

4) Study history, philosophy, politics. Have some of the elements of a classical education.

[Vaun]

Make $100K from your own business.

[TigerMandingo]

You might want to check out existing threads

http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-39942.html

http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-36459.html

http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-21224.html

http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-22824.html

[Nascimento]

I hope to hear some good points from the more established guys on here.

I'm still low 20's. What I have to add to the list based on my current perspective is a strong and healthy physique, and paid off any school debt (in general).

[The Lizard of Oz]

The main thing to achieve before you're 30 is not any particular positive accomplishment. The main thing is to avoid fucking your life over in some irreversible way by the time you reach 30.

That means:

-- Don't be a drunk or a junkie by 30
-- Don't be married to a fucking worthless bitch that you already hate but are stuck with (because of kids and/or property)
-- Don't get serious injuries from bad or careless athletic activities that will give you chronic pain you can't get rid of
-- Don't get into financial debt that is so deep that it will hang over you for decades

That's really about it. Your whole life is ahead of you at 30, and you're hopefully smarter and more capable of enjoying it than before. It doesn't matter so much what you've "achieved" as long as you haven't done anything so dumb that you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life.

If you've avoided all these things, consider yourself a lucky man, count your blessings, and look forward with relish to the years ahead and to what life has to offer.

[Vaun]

(09-06-2014 10:09 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

The main thing to achieve before you're 30 is not any particular positive accomplishment. The main thing is to avoid fucking your life over in some irreversible way by the time you reach 30.

That means:

-- Don't be a drunk or a junkie by 30
-- Don't be married to a fucking worthless bitch that you already hate but are stuck with (because of kids and/or property)
-- Don't get serious injuries from bad or careless athletic activities that will give you chronic pain you can't get rid of
-- Don't get into financial debt that is so deep that it will hang over you for decades

That's really about it. Your whole life is ahead of you at 30, and you're hopefully smarter and more capable of enjoying it than before. It doesn't matter so much what you've "achieved" as long as you haven't done anything so dumb that you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life.

If you've avoided all these things, consider yourself a lucky man, count your blessings, and look forward with relish to the years ahead and to what life has to offer.

^^^^^PASTE THIS TO YOUR DASHBOARD^^^^^

My list is similar;

No;
Marriage or long term girlfriends (The fastest dream killer out there)
Babies (always be protected)
Drug/Alcohol Abuse (Controlled, no addiction)
Debt (NO BIG LOANS)
Injuries - largely unavoidable, have the foresight to know when to give up your favorite extreme sport.
Location Agnostic(The Freedom to Move anywhere and anytime, GO WHERE THE MONEY IS... if your job asks you to move, go!)

[Peregrine]

Milestones to achieve by age 30 are unique to the individual. I'm aiming to hit 150k annual salary and 150k net worth by the time I'm 30.

[BadWolf]

Travel some place in the 3rd world and stay there awhile, long enough to effect your state of mind, then travel home.

One cool thing that comes back to me quite often is that when I was 25, I used to bust my ass in a factory at home, save up all my money then spend 6 months in Mexico. I used to live outside the pyramid of the Sun in Mexico City and some days when I wasn't doing much, I would climb to the top and sit on the side of the wall, eat a brown bag lunch and wonder what everyone else my age was doing with their life while I looked out into the distance.

I would suggest having a few 'Doctor Who' moments so that when you are 30, you have something interesting to talk about... even if you are only talking to yourself. You know you've grown a bit when you go back home and NOTHING has changed.

Dude, I left home so frequently during my 20's I have almost nothing in common with anyone here now, I imagine many Roosh forum members feel exactly the same. My friends that stayed here are doing the exact same boring stuff they were doing when I left 15 years ago, exact same dead end jobs....exact same everything.

[oregonziggy]

I like the advice of don't beat the crap out of your body. I am in my 40's and have zero issues. I have many friends with bad backs, messed up shoulders and just beat up. That won't go away and now when they want to work out, the can't. Or sit in a bar for a couple hours watching football without being in pain.

I would say work out though, keep yourself in good shape. You will be thankful when you are 40 still able to attract younger women.

Don't SMOKE! Smoking ages the crap out of you.

Get an education or if you can start your own business. You won't want to be entering late 30's or 40's not making much money. It won't be because of women, you will just want to have some dough in the bank to enjoy life or the "rainy day" which will happen.

Get an education(one that will have people wanting you) but then, as someone else said travel, travel allot.

Don't get marred or have kids. EVER. Nothing good comes of it. I thankfully only did the married part. LIVING HELL.

[oregonziggy]

Yes no debt! That is top 3 things not to do. It takes forever to get out of, easy to get into though.

[Phoenix]

(09-06-2014 10:09 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

The main thing to achieve before you're 30 is not any particular positive accomplishment. The main thing is to avoid fucking your life over in some irreversible way by the time you reach 30.

That means:

-- Don't be a drunk or a junkie by 30
-- Don't be married to a fucking worthless bitch that you already hate but are stuck with (because of kids and/or property)
-- Don't get serious injuries from bad or careless athletic activities that will give you chronic pain you can't get rid of
-- Don't get into financial debt that is so deep that it will hang over you for decades

Check!

I'm probably the opposite of each of those, but I am naturally demanding of myself. If I reach 30 and haven't made meaningful progress or achievements I will feel like shit.
I wouldn't mind having kids but I don't think I can secure a 'good deal' given my current position, desires in a woman, and the state of western law & culture.
The 'start your own business and earn X dollars' idea is good, but I have no ideal what business I would start. I plan to start one at some point.

[BadWolf]

You can buy a house in Mexico for $3000 USD or $30,000 USD... If I could do it over again, I would work 6 months and buy a house near Cancun or Veracruz, just a 2 bedroom job, fix it up nice, put a projector in and enjoy 6 months out of the year in complete relaxation.

Xbox 360, 3D Movies, beach time, women and warp drive... fvck, what else is there to life?\nI disagree with the others a little bit, more money won't make you happy... you just need enough to hold you over, a few small houses and some really small educations 'meaning a few months to a year' so you don't have to do a job at home that sucks dick. Stuff as simple as getting a forklift license (2 days) can keep you off the factory floor. 3g's in a bank account is enough to make it in Mexico for 6 months. You can work on a business idea easier when you have a 6 month vacation every year. Not bragging but I fvcked women from 7 different countries and I think spent under 15,000 dollars the entire time. Having an awesome time during your 20's is doable on next to nothing.

[Quintus Curtius]

By the time you hit 30, you should have established a bedrock level of acquaintance with: intellectual development, rhetoric, leadership experience, physical fitness, self-defense skills, and at least some sexual experiences.

The obsession should NOT be on acquisition of material goods at this point. If it happens, fine. But it's more important to cultivate yourself and your basic "skill sets" at this stage in your life.

Intellectual development: reading, speaking, and traveling widely overseas.
Rhetoric: You should be able to know how to debate on a basic level, and deliver a speech spontaneously on some topic.
Leadership: You should know how to manage a small group of people to get something done.
Physical fitness and self-defense: This is self-explanatory.
Sexual experience: You need to have exposure to women and know how they think and act.

The details on these things can be endlessly discussed, but this type of foundation will serve any man well, heading into this 30s.

[Old Fritz]

I am 21 and here are my goals

~ Have my business established and going (Already in the process of starting it right now)
~ Have a number of financial assets under my belt (Already starting this now)
~ Peak athleticism (I'm here already)
~ Fluency in Spanish, German, and Japanese. I can already speak Spanish at a conversational level. I can speak some Japanese but have trouble writing. Still in the beginning stages of German
~ Travel to at least 15 countries (I've only been to Japan but have others on my list)
~ Maintain consistency in reading and learning (Already doing. I love me some science)

As you can see, I am well on my way and I'm very young

[Quintus Curtius]

(09-06-2014 10:09 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

The main thing to achieve before you're 30 is not any particular positive accomplishment. The main thing is to avoid fucking your life over in some irreversible way by the time you reach 30.

That means:

-- Don't be a drunk or a junkie by 30
-- Don't be married to a fucking worthless bitch that you already hate but are stuck with (because of kids and/or property)
-- Don't get serious injuries from bad or careless athletic activities that will give you chronic pain you can't get rid of
-- Don't get into financial debt that is so deep that it will hang over you for decades

That's really about it. Your whole life is ahead of you at 30, and you're hopefully smarter and more capable of enjoying it than before. It doesn't matter so much what you've "achieved" as long as you haven't done anything so dumb that you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life.

If you've avoided all these things, consider yourself a lucky man, count your blessings, and look forward with relish to the years ahead and to what life has to offer.

Lizard makes a very good point here. Sometimes in life, it's just as important what NOT to do, as it is to know what affirmatively to do.

There was a time when a man could recover from almost anything bad that he did in his 20s. But the world today is more competitive than it was 30 years ago. Some things will follow you forever, and this is why it's so critical for young men to be getting guidance.

I never felt like I had any mentors, role models, or any older guy who gave a shit about me. I also never had a younger brother. I feel like I want to help out other guys, so they don't make the same mistakes that I did.

That's why I like being here and doing manosphere stuff. I want to try to offer suggestions in a no-nonsense, non-dickish way.

[nek]

(09-06-2014 11:40 AM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  

By the time you hit 30, you should have established a bedrock level of acquaintance with: intellectual development, rhetoric, leadership experience, physical fitness, self-defense skills, and at least some sexual experiences.

The obsession should NOT be on acquisition of material goods at this point. If it happens, fine. But it's more important to cultivate yourself and your basic "skill sets" at this stage in your life.

Intellectual development: reading, speaking, and traveling widely overseas.
Rhetoric: You should be able to know how to debate on a basic level, and deliver a speech spontaneously on some topic.
Leadership: You should know how to manage a small group of people to get something done.
Physical fitness and self-defense: This is self-explanatory.
Sexual experience: You need to have exposure to women and know how they think and act.

The details on these things can be endlessly discussed, but this type of foundation will serve any man well, heading into this 30s.

This reminds me of item number 27 from this D&P post:.

27. General long-term value to a man (in America): Skills>Relationships>Experiences>Time/Money>Stuff>Women

[Biologist]

Great thread. I'm in my mid 20s so this is very relevant to me.

My goals to achieve by age 30 are:

- Expatriate from Australia (I've already started working on developing a location-independent source of income in order to do this).
- Maintain my health and fitness.
- Work significantly on my artistic interests (I have not started this yet).

[ryanf]

(09-06-2014 10:09 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

The main thing to achieve before you're 30 is not any particular positive accomplishment. The main thing is to avoid fucking your life over in some irreversible way by the time you reach 30.

That means:

-- Don't be a drunk or a junkie by 30
-- Don't be married to a fucking worthless bitch that you already hate but are stuck with (because of kids and/or property)
-- Don't get serious injuries from bad or careless athletic activities that will give you chronic pain you can't get rid of
-- Don't get into financial debt that is so deep that it will hang over you for decades

That's really about it. Your whole life is ahead of you at 30, and you're hopefully smarter and more capable of enjoying it than before. It doesn't matter so much what you've "achieved" as long as you haven't done anything so dumb that you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life.

If you've avoided all these things, consider yourself a lucky man, count your blessings, and look forward with relish to the years ahead and to what life has to offer.

This is nice to read. I will turn 30 one day and I'm right on track with this list.

[Veloce]

Agree with previous posters saying that if you can survive until 30 without getting married, divorced, serious injury, financial ruin, then you're doing just fine. Forget the rest. The difference between a 50K and 150K net worth is marginal. Just be out of debt and you're already ahead.

What I would say though, is you should have some level of mastery over something by 30. By 30 there should be at least one thing that you have done for 10 years that you've developed some proficiency in. Preferably more. A language, an instrument, a craft, a profession, a party trick.

And then, on a more Dilettante level, have a broad spectrum of interests. The words "Dilettante" and "Amateur" sometimes have a negative connotation but at the root of the word they simply mean "enjoyer of". I still believe in the virtues of the Renaissance man. Walk into a room and be able to discuss details of the Peloponnesian War, or astronomy, or your travels abroad, the behavior of insects, the primary grapes used to make Bordeaux and Burgundy, an appreciation for Art Deco architecture, and on and on.

To me, having a well-rounded intellect is worth more than any amount of money.

[Nascimento]

In addition, some things I'm close to achieving or well on my way that every man should strive for:

A sense of happiness with life. It's impossible not to be happy when you realize how lucky most of us are.. I've done a bit of travelling recently that opened my eyes more and I am from a culture where a large percentage of my country's population is living in poor first world conditions. Also it's important to be humble.. I actually learn a lot from interacting with low financial class people abroad, in my experience people can be happy with so little.. And they live out their lives much more than the average westener.

Regarding life experiences.. If you were to make a list of 10 things you would do before you hypothetically died in 6 months no matter how crazy or difficult they sound, you should be able to complete at least a couple. Live your life and stop postponing things due to the situation. If the teenage YOLO is on one end of the scale, and at the other end not taking any experience risks with your life, you should find a balance in the middle.

Regarding game.. Build a solid base of reference experiences. Sure we all want varied amounts of sex or satisfying relationships with quality girls, but there is no rush. My biggest game lesson this year is that girls (and the phases that they come in) come and go. Build some experience, have a mini relationship or two, then relax. No need to constantly worry about approaching all the time or constantly having a girl around. Sometimes it's nice to take a break also.

One more thing to add, If I could give the greatest piece of advice based on my own experience about one thing every man should do in his 20's, is travel abroad solo. This is no news to guys that have been around here for a while, and that I have learned from.. For me it has been a life changing experience and one of the best forms of self development there is.

[Peregrine]

Quote:

A sense of happiness with life. It's impossible not to be happy when you realize how lucky most of us are.. I've done a bit of travelling recently that opened my eyes more and I am from a culture where a large percentage of my country's population is living in poor first world conditions. Also it's important to be humble.. I actually learn a lot from interacting with low financial class people abroad, in my experience people can be happy with so little.. And they live out their lives much more than the average westener.

Fuck everything else, if you manage to achieve that - you are golden. Lose it and you have nothing.

Epictetus would be proud.

[poledaddy]

Lots of great advice here. One specific area I want to address - if you are thinking/inclined towards mastery of a martial art - do NOT postpone starting to your 30s. I'm post 30 doing BJJ still working on blue belt. I love BJJ, but your body recovers differently as you crest through your late 20s into your 30s. I need at least a day off to give my joints a rest now after a hard rolling session. Younger guys in my gym are able to hit 4-5 days a week. You are going to progress a lot faster training like that - they get in 2-3 times the amount of training I do in a given week. I'm fine with this as I've made peace with the fact that I'm not going to be a national BJJ champion or MMA fighter - this is just a hobby that I love. But if I could do it over would I start earlier? Hell yes, and I would advise you to as well if you can.

Another thing to consider, while you should always be smart and try to avoid violence, I think it's fair to say that statistically speaking most guys are more likely to find themselves in situations where martial arts skills are relevant in your 20s than in your 30s. Now I have proficiency in self defense, but I'm not going out as much or around drunk idiots as I used be in my 20s. So the risk of a hostile encounter is relatively less. There's plenty of altercations I can think of from my 20s that would have worked out a lot better had I known what I know now.

Long story short- if you want to train martial arts, it's fine to start post-30, but need to be careful/realistic in your goals and approach. And there are significant advantages of a younger body in the quantity of training you can handle and thus allow you to make progress faster.

[Phoenix]

(09-06-2014 11:40 AM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  

Leadership: You should know how to manage a small group of people to get something done.

This one I don't really have. What would you recommend for developing this?

(09-06-2014 12:30 PM)Biologist Wrote:  

My goals to achieve by age 30 are:
- Expatriate from Australia (I've already started working on developing a location-independent source of income in order to do this).
- Maintain my health and fitness.
- Work significantly on my artistic interests (I have not started this yet).

No. 1 is good, I'd recommend it sooner rather than later. You can always come back when you want to buy 200 acres and ride horses or whatever. I might suggest the other two are too vague. Goals should be precise so you know when you've achieved it or how far away you are. For instance, my 'good physique' goal is '80kg at 10% BF'.

[Peregrine]

Quote:

This one I don't really have. What would you recommend for developing this?

Practice doing it. If you're currently in a leadership role, great. If not, look for opportunities to lead. The next time you're in a group that's been tasked to do something and there's no defined leader, step up and take charge. It helps if you're the oldest or the biggest/tallest in the group (though neither matters once you develop command presence) or if you're the best at whatever it is that you guys have to do. You're almost guaranteed to suck at management at first, but that's true for everything.

Eventually you get better at it. Then comes the next challenge - managing a small group of people that each manages a small group of people.