As you may (or may not) have heard, Glamour Magazine published a now infamous article in 1997 titled 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Know By the Time She’s 30. Back then, it became so popular that women shared it (the old fashioned way, you know, before Facebook had a “share” button) and credited the article to all sorts of famous people. Glamour actually had a book written based solely on the article.
The same article, and a few derivative spin-offs with titles like “The REAL list of Things Women Should Know” and “The Feminist’s List of 30 Things Women Should Know” have been making their way around Facebook and the interwebs lately in a firestorm of controversy about what women “should” or “shouldn’t” do based on various reporters opinions. And that’s all well and good, but I realized last week, no one has really cared to ask what guys should do before age 30.
So I set out to find out. I interviewed guys, all in their 20's, and asked them one question: What is one thing you think every guy should do or have before they turn 30?
Honestly, I have to say I was surprised by the answers. There were a few duplicates most common answers were “fall in love” and “have his heart broken” with “own a shoe shine kit” as a close third. Thanks to all the guys who were willing to contribute, and here is Stray Monkey’s list of...
30 Things Every Guy Should Do or Have Before He Turns 30:
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Be 100% financially independent of his parents. – Jake, 23, insurance agent
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Go to a comedy club. – Ian, 24, law student
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Have a good plan for the future. – Ian, 25, geophysicist
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A house: by 30 every guy should realize that it’s not about blowing his money at the bars, but instead save to secure his future. A house is a great start that implies he is growing up. – Yaro, 24, construction company manager
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Attempt to grow a sweet mustache. – Danny, 23, digital marketer
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Every guy should follow a dream no matter the consequences. Just to see if it works out. If it doesn't, then you're still young enough to change course, but I would hate to have to give up the feeling of excitement and wonder that goes with pursuing something about which I am genuinely passionate and love and always regret never taking the chance for it. – Andrew, 25, salad bar manager
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Own works by these authors: Gay Talese. Ernest Hemingway. Tom Wolfe. Specifically? "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold," "The Sun Also Rises," "The Right Stuff." Consider it a shoeshine kit for your brain. – Tony, 25, law student.
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Own a dog. Travel. Get a tattoo. – Adam, 27, development for Canton d-league baseball
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Volunteer with an organization that cares for unfortunate people or animals and attain the culinary skill to cover ten home-cooked meals in one week (something between gourmet and microwave-ready). – Dan, 28, law student
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Go skydiving, drive a motorcycle, travel outside the US. – Alex, 27, carrier sales representative
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Every man should have his heart broken once by the time he's 30. – Chaz, 27, writer
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I'd say every guy should have a shoe shine kit. If he has a shoe shine kit he takes himself seriously, means he has a pair of shoes he likes to keep nice, and probably already has other decent clothes that fit! – Sam, 24, salesman
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Own a tie clip. This might take some trial and error before you figure out how best to wear it. I am not big on cufflinks and occasionally I will do a pocket square. I wear suits to work every day, so when I go out to a nice dinner or a wedding I like to feel like I am doing something special and not heading to the office. Tie clip elevates your game a little, but without too much flash. Noticeable but minimalist. – Tony, 25, law student
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Get in a fight. You learn a lot about yourself in a fight and After 30 if you get in a fight you're somewhere you shouldn't be or fighting someone you shouldn't be fighting. – Wade, 24, engineer
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Every guy should own season tickets before they are 30. No matter if you just purchase an 8 game plan to your favorite baseball team, I think that every guy deserves to do that. It gives the guy an excuse to have 8 days with his buddies to act like a typical guy, complete with beers, hot dogs and mayhem. And if the guy is lucky enough to have a girl who also wants season tickets to said sport, and she is legit a fan of the sport, he should consider himself lucky. – Ryan, 25, fitness manager
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Something extreme that's dangerous that gets your adrenaline going and makes you feel alive. Like sky diving by yourself or scuba diving with sharks. – Dan, 27, abrasive blaster
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Every guy should start his own business. – Mike, 26, Social Media Director
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Live with someone they’re in a relationship with. – Mitch, 24, personal trainer
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I think a man should spend a week in the woods before age 30. Camping, backpacking, etc. – Eric, 25, law student
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Every guy should grow a beard before they're 30. Even if it doesn't work out, every guy should know what he's got as far as beard quality. – Peter, 26, grants researcher
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Every guy should own something that was his fathers. No father? Own something that will be your son's. – Tony, 25, law student
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Every guy should have a good sound system. – Justin, 24, law student
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Go to Vegas. You’re only young once; why not go to the city that never sleeps while you can stay up that long? – Ryan, 26, sports agent
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Tie a tie; it’s an important skill to have. – Anton, 24, law student
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I think every guy should seek out a mentor who he respects and looks up to and meet with him on a regular basis. In conjunction with that, I think that every guy should also mentor at least one other young man and meet on a regular basis for at least 6 months to a year. – Armando, 24, financial advisor
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Every guy should read Strunk & White. I think thoughtful, competent writing is one mark of maturity and leadership. Grown men don’t leave their clothes strewn everywhere, so why do the same thing with words? – Jack, 24, graphic designer
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Take a road trip with his buddies, and celebrate a carefree existence and enjoy life on its own terms, because after 30 most men have to think more about marriage and responsibility. – Dhairya, 24, law student
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Spend time immersed in a culture completely different from their own. Not necessarily abroad, but just anything completely different. You learn something about yourself by learning how others live, by going out of your comfort zone and learning more about how you interact with others, and how you may be able to do things you never thought you could. – J.P., 25, university student services manager
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Every guy needs to do before he turns 30 is to find mastery within a particular field or on a particular topic. – Christopher, 25, university residential coordinator
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Fallen in love. Falling in love indicates that you've learned how to be vulnerable and to accept the vulnerabilities of others. This bond is, well, life changing. I can't think of anything else that so alters the core of who we are at such a fundamental level. – Sean, 22, law student
