Achiever30 Things to Do Before You Turn 30
“30 before 30” is a classic challenge: a short list of meaningful milestones to reach before the decade ends. These are pulled from Achiever's catalog and span the areas that matter most in your twenties: money, health, travel, skills and relationships.
Why before 30? Not because a birthday is a deadline, but because your twenties are unusually good for firsts: fewer obligations, cheaper mistakes, and a decade of compounding ahead. A first investment at 24 matters more than the same move at 44; a first solo trip resets what you think you can do alone.
Use it as a starting point. Add the ones that fit your life, swap in your own, and track what you finish. And treat the number loosely: finish 18 of 30 and you've still built a decade worth remembering — the point is picking milestones deliberately instead of letting the years blur past.
The 30-before-30 list
- 📊Credit Score CheckedCheck your official credit score and understand what moves it.10 pts
- 🧑The Solo OutingGo to a restaurant, cinema, or major event alone and feel fully comfortable in your own company.10 pts
- 🥊Martial Arts White BeltAttend your first boxing or martial arts class and learn the basic stance and strikes.15 pts
- 🧮Net Worth CalculatedAdd up everything you own, subtract everything you owe, and face the number.15 pts
- 👫Hostel LifeStay in a shared dormitory room with at least 4 strangers and make a new friend.15 pts
- ⛺First CampPitch a tent and sleep in it overnight.15 pts
- 💰Gold EarnedReceive your very first paycheck from a formal employer. The grind officially pays off.20 pts
- 🛂The Global KeyApply for and receive your official international travel document (Passport).25 pts
- 🧾The Tax ReturnFile your own tax return on time, without a last-minute panic.25 pts
- 🧗The BouldererComplete your first V2-or-harder route at a climbing gym.25 pts
- 🎆New Year AbroadCelebrate a New Year's Eve in a foreign capital city.25 pts
- 🍲The Host with the MostPrepare a complete meal for a friend, family member, or host a themed dinner event.25 pts
- 📈First Share AcquiredPurchase your very first stock, ETF, or index fund.30 pts
- ⚙️Auto-Pilot SavingsSet up an automatic transfer to savings that fires on payday, before you can spend it.30 pts
- 🏊Pool LengthsSwim 20 continuous lengths of a standard 25-meter swimming pool.30 pts
- 🎿Mountain GliderSpend a full day skiing or snowboarding on a mountain peak.30 pts
- 🛟First CushionSave your first emergency cushion: one month of essential living expenses.35 pts
- 💵Merchant of ValueSuccessfully negotiate an increase in your current salary based on your performance metrics.40 pts
- 🩸Blood DonorDonate blood for the first time. One donation can save up to three lives.45 pts
- 🏃♂️The 10K RunComplete a 10-kilometer run. You have entered the world of endurance athletics.45 pts
- 🚗Licensed DriverPass your driving test and earn a full driver's license.50 pts
- 🩺First Aid CertifiedComplete a certified first aid and CPR course.50 pts
- 🧳The Solo VoyageComplete an international trip entirely alone: your itinerary, your pace, your mistakes.50 pts
- 🌐Ten Nation ArmyVisit 10 different countries.55 pts
- 🗣️New Tongue: Level 2Successfully hold a 5-minute conversation with a native speaker in a foreign language.65 pts
- 🏁The Spartan / Tough MudderComplete a major obstacle course race involving mud, climbing, and distance.65 pts
- 🎓The GraduateEarn your first university degree. Cap thrown, stats permanently increased.70 pts
- 📈The PromotionEarn an official promotion to a higher title with an increase in compensation.70 pts
- 🌴Digital NomadSpend at least 30 consecutive days living and working remotely from a foreign country.75 pts
- 🏠The Solo ExpansionSuccessfully transition from living with roommates or family to renting your own completely solo apartment.90 pts
Start your 30 before 30
Track these milestones, see how many you finish, and compare with friends. Free.
Get started freeFrequently asked questions
What should go on a 30 before 30 list?
Balance four buckets: money firsts (an emergency fund, a retirement account), body firsts (a race you train for, a sport you'll keep), world firsts (a solo trip, a country outside your comfort zone) and skill firsts (a dish you own, the basics of a language). Skip anything that's on the list only because it photographs well.
I'm 28 — is it too late to start one?
No. Shrink it to 10-15 items and put a date on each: two years of deliberate firsts beats a decade of drift. Whatever doesn't fit before the birthday rolls straight into a 40-before-40 list.
Is there an app to track a 30 before 30 list?
Achiever is a free web app built for one-time milestones like these: save your 30 items, check them off as you finish, earn points and compare progress with friends. Works in any browser, nothing to install.