40 Days into 30, Reflecting on My 20s
Hannah McGraw — February 2026
I am now 40 days into being 30. While this is a huge milestone, it’s not one I feel remorseful about or mourn my 20s over. I actually feel like I’m 40 days into the rest of my life. What I mean by that is I feel a shift coming. I feel more sure of myself. I feel like I have a clearer direction. I feel like I can see my priorities more clearly than ever before.
As I sit here excited for the next decade of my life, I also would be remiss not to reflect on my 20s. When I went from 19 to 20, it didn’t feel like this. Mostly because at that age, 21 is the big birthday—so 20 is just another year in the books. But thinking about where I was at 20 versus where I am at 30, I truly believe my 20-year-old self would be really proud of the woman I am today.
So there are a few things I will definitely be leaving in my 20s, and a few things I will definitely be bringing into my 30s.
The things I’m leaving in my 20s:
Number one: Making decisions based on what I think other people want me to decide.
Number two: Feeling like I need to have all the answers before I do something.
Number three: Taking my health for granted.
With all that being said, I needed my 20s to learn that these were the things I could leave behind—and how to shift my perspective and my outlook to be freer in my 30s.
What am I bringing into my 30s?
Number one: The love, the gratitude, and the appreciation for my family. They are my rock. They are my everything. And as I go further into my life, the connections we make in this lifetime are what truly matter.
I heard this anecdote on a talk show this past week: death is inevitable. It’s coming. It’s the only sure thing we have in this life. So how do we make the most of the life we have for the time we have?
He put it this way: when we die, we are dead. Our feelings go away. Our life has ended. But the people who knew us are grieving. They’re sad. They carry the memory of us. And one day, those people will die too. And the people who remember them most likely won’t have the memory of us as well.
So all that to say: the people you’re impacting, the people you’re conversing with each day, are the people of your reality. Hold them close. Cherish the friendships. Cherish the relationships. And also move on from the ones that don’t serve you.
Number two: A true sense of health. Not about aesthetics. Not about wanting to look like someone else. But real health. How do I treat my body physically, emotionally, and mentally every day to be the strongest version of myself? This is something I learned late in my 20s and something I am still working on—but I will most definitely be bringing it into my 30s.
Number three: The idea that life can be playful. The idea that not everything has to be so serious all the time—and maybe, just maybe, life can be a playground. We can go play over here for a bit. We can go play over there for a bit. We can make intentional decisions and take tangible action to make our lives better.
I’m taking with me the belief that you can actually guide your own life. You can make your own decisions to create a better life for yourself—and be in control of what it looks like day to day, month to month, year to year, or even over a lifetime.
I am so excited to be entering this decade of my life. I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m the most sure of myself I’ve ever been. And so far, in these 40 days, I love my 30s.
Hannah McGraw
Founder - Pathwise