What would you do if you had 10 years to change your life?

  A couple of years ago - maybe two or three - my honorary sister and I had one of those conversations that changes everything. I can’t quite remember if it was late afternoon or evening, but I do remember the feeling: we were tired of how life was going, tired of feeling like we were on autopilot, watching the days go by without doing anything that truly felt ours. And in that moment, we decided to change. Not in a radical or impulsive way, but consciously. We wanted a life with more meaning, more memorable moments, more purpose. That’s when our 30 Before 30 list was born.
  The idea was simple: to create a list of things we wanted to do before turning 30. It didn’t have to include exactly thirty items from the start - and honestly, mine still doesn’t. But the goal was to have a guide, an emotional and symbolic map that would remind us of what truly matters. The things we want to live, experience, learn, or even cross off the list just because we feel like it.
  Each item represents more than a task. It represents a wish. A desire to be more than what our daily routines allow. It was a way of stepping out of autopilot and giving our lives some direction - even if it was just through intention. It’s not about pressure, it’s about presence.
  As I said, my list still doesn’t have the full thirty - I’m at twenty-five, for now. And honestly? I’m glad. I’d rather leave room for dreams I haven’t discovered yet, or desires that haven’t surfaced. I didn’t want to fill it up just to hit a number. I wanted each item to mean something.
  I divided the list into categories that make sense to me. It starts with things I want to do with my honorary sister - because she’s the one who started this with me, and because some experiences become even more magical when shared. Things like dyeing our hair a different colour, going to an escape room (already did that), doing volunteer work, trying fencing, or going on a trip with friends. Small big adventures that break routine and bring us even closer.
  Then come the bigger goals, the ones that dig a little deeper: making a time capsule to open on my 30th birthday, writing at least one full journal, travelling abroad, and of course, publishing a book - the only item I’ve truly gone all-in on (and still am).
  In the relationships section, I’ve listed five very personal goals. They’re too intimate to share, but they’re there - because they’re part of who I want to be and how I want to live my relationships up to 30.
  Then come the “youth things” - those that might seem trivial, but represent a kind of lightness I often forget to allow myself. Like tearing up a test right after getting it back (already done), going to a sleepover (done too), attending a concert, going on a spontaneous road trip with a friend, or staying up all night at an event.

And finally, there are the more practical skills and goals - equally important to me: getting in better shape, reading the Harry Potter books (yes, I own them all and haven’t read a single one), learning to play piano, to fight, to sing, and to draw. Things I want to know how to do - not to become a master, but beca
use I love learning and doing these things.
  Funny how, out of all these items, I’ve only crossed off three: tearing up the test, the escape room, and the sleepover. But the only one I’ve really chased with all my heart is publishing a book - probably the hardest one of all. And it’s curious to think about this: how we often sabotage ourselves more with the simple dreams than the big ones.

“Is it worth making a list like this?”

  Do I think everyone should have a list of things to do before 30? Not necessarily. I think everyone should do it if it makes sense to them. If it’s just to tick boxes or follow a trend, it’ll only lead to frustration. But if you feel like a list like this could help you understand who you are and where you want to go… then go for it.
  The list doesn’t need to have thirty items. It doesn’t even need to be for 30. It could be for 25, or 40, or no age at all. (I chose 30 because, like I said in another article, it’s the age by which I’d like to have stability and a family - so I want to do all this before I get there.) What matters is that each goal on the list means something to you. That it excites you, challenges you, or reconnects you to yourself.
  For me, it was a way of reminding myself of the kind of life I truly want to live: a life with more intention, more presence, more will. Even if I only cross off half - or less - it’ll still have been worth writing.
  If you’re thinking of making one, start with three things. Three things you know you want to do. The rest will come.
And if you ever feel like sharing any of them with me - you know where to find me.