Yup. 35. Made it. Weird feeling. When I turned thirty, I didn’t pay attention to the milestone as there was a lot going on. New client, busy workplace, fourth child on the way plus I had surgery. Lots going on so I didn’t have to deal with it.
This year actually felt like a milestone though. Things are comfortable. There are changes in the mix, but nothing earth shattering. Less noise around to contend with. Looking back is cliche but hey, not every idea is original. If I thought at another milestone, twenty, that my life would be as it is now at thirty-five, my younger self would have laughed his ass off. Wife, kids, mortgage, minivan, hard-work, 50+hours a week, coaching soccer, complaining about going out past 9pm at night. Nope. That wasn’t me. Not then.
What changed? Well again that cliche, having kids changes you thing. Yes that changed things. Now I couldn’t screw up. Well I could, but if younger-me screwed up, it only affected me. Now if older-me screwed up, five people are affected, then me. That puts things into perspective as where to screw up and where not to. Risk becomes a little more of a calculation than jumping both feet in without knowing where you are going.
So what about 35? It’s nice to be here. I’m not at 40 yet. The next five years to 40 is going to be challenging, between my oldest hitting high school, my youngest going to school full time. There is a definite change happening with my work in the next year. But yet I don’t fear this. That is the biggest change of all with turning 35. If I can get through 12 years of change, kids, marriage, and everything else life throws at me, and still be positive, then my outlook has truly changed in life from the brooding 20 year old who didn’t care about the future.
35.