One of the MAJOR Things I Love About My 30s

This post is sponsored and paid for by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.

Talk about confidence—I took this picture on a busy street in Harlem on a Saturday on a January day without flinching…lol

Listen, I hate to gloat about this being in your 30s thing, but gurl…IT. IS. LIT. And from what I hear from my friends who are 40+, it just keeps getting better and better. Like seriously, I wish I knew how amazing my 30s would be when I was in my teens and my 20s. I’d like to think I wouldn’t have taken myself as seriously. Sure, things aren’t all roses in this decade—things like hormonal acne, body aches, and facial hair can throw a monkey wrench in one’s game, but the confidence? My confidence game is through the roof!

Me in my high school Step Squad uniform

It isn’t easy to get here: it took me pretty much 35 years to get here and every now and then I still have my moments where I feel a little less than confident (like when I was at the Blue Lagoon in a bikini and had a slight tinge of self-consciousness and then I was like “Please, I’m at the BLUE LAGOON.” Growing into my teens and into my 20s I had SO MANY moments where I felt like I did for that second at the Blue Lagoon: in high school comparing how I looked in my Step Squad uniform (it looked like a cheerleader uniform—short skirt and sleeveless top) with my teammates, during college on a group trip to Miami and feeling VERY conscious of how I looked in a bathing suit compared to my friends, going to the club in my 20s with my friends and feeling looked over when men would hit on them constantly and pass me over. There were A LOT of things that added to making me even more self-conscious and I can’t really pinpoint what/when I made the change just that the older I got, the more confident I became. I do think though that if I had someone a little older than me telling me how much easier things get, I probably wouldn’t have wasted so much time feeling bad about things that don’t matter.

It IS true that youth is wasted on the young :x

Now being in my thirties hasn’t been all about being super confident: there are plenty of adulting things that I’m still trying to get a hold on. I’m in the process of trying to become more of a minimalist when it comes to my apartment and my life in general so I’ve been doing a ton of purging, putting new furniture together and getting order in my everyday surroundings. I’ve found that not having order in your surroundings can lead to other areas of your life not having order—namely your finances. I had a very heavy spending problem in my 20s. In my early 20s I would spend tons on clothes, makeup, and other items—thinking once I got my degree and got my prestigious career that I’d be able to repay everything. That didn’t happen…lol. I did repay almost everything though which was how I was able to even leave my corporate job in 2010 and start freelancing full time—I had very few bills so I was able to somewhat survive the temporary drop in income.

Basically how I wanna roll up when my check is late…lol

But now seven years later I have a different set of financial issues. I don’t spend as much as I used to on clothes and makeup, but being a freelancer though glamorous some might think it is with being home to watch daytime TV and being able to travel internationally often, does come with its own drawbacks. Much if not all of the work I do is paid on invoice. Some invoices are paid within 30 days, but some can take as long as 60-90 when there are delays. Then there are taxes that need to be paid and expenses. Sometimes things can get a little—rough. Now this isn’t an issue unique to me because of what I do for a living, this can happen to anyone in any industry. One thing I’ve realized though that dramatically adds to the problem is lack of order in other areas of my life. I’m not spending money recklessly, but I don’t really have great order in terms of my finances when I’m in my “rough” periods. Thankfully though the rough periods aren’t frequent—in seven years I probably have only had maybe three rough periods, but they’re enough to wake me up about doing something different. Especially this last rough period.

The face I make when I’m thinking about how I’m going to get everything in my life in order…lol

So my plan is to continue to get things in order with my apartment—be on a “there’s a place for everything and everything in its place” mantra which will also seep into other areas of my life. I need order—and with things in disarray in my home, I can’t really focus on getting order in other areas. I’m already doing better. I got back from Iceland and got in after 8 P.M. and was super tired and really wanted to just shower and watch Scandal, so I skipped on emptying my suitcase but it was one of the first things I did the next morning. In the past I’ve had suitcases sit for weeks before I unpacked them. I mean, I’d take out the dirty clothes and any products I’d need immediately, but everything else would sit there :/

So yes—order. Can’t keep up this clutch confidence with things in disarray…lol. You also can’t be fully immersed in confidence if you’re worried about your finances—trust me. I’ve had to practically stalk accounting departments and hunt down the mailman with my fingers crossed that my check is there on time.

How I keep my spending on clothes down—I buy pieces that I LOVE and can wear over and over

One thing that’s great about the internet and social media is that there’s always a community out there to encourage you in almost any subject. While I teach a lot about beauty and fashion here on my blog and on my Youtube channel, I also have learned tons from the internet that have helped me immensely. I’m a huge fan of programs and communities where I can absorb tons of info without it costing me anything. And on that note, I love that SunTrust Bank has this really cool platform called onUp filled with real stories, guides, tools, and SO MUCH more to help you stride toward financial confidence and best yet—you don’t even have to bank with them to check it out although I’m sure if you have an account you’ll find it even more helpful. You can check out the platform here.

I’ll keep you updated as I get sections of my life together both here on the blog and on my Youtube channel so make sure you’re subscribed to both!

Let’s chat below—what are YOU most confident about? Are there areas (i.e. your finances) where you wish you had more confidence? Tell me about it in the comments!

At SunTrust Bank their purpose is lighting the way to financial well-being. When you feel confident about your money, you can save for your goals and spend knowingly on what matters most to you.  

The onUp Movement is 1 million strong…and growing. onUp is about having the confidence to move forward one smart step at a time.

Join now and start building your financial confidence today.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust. The opinions and text are all mine.