Today’s post is by Jennifer Bryant, who is writing this month through her blog series “30 Days of Singleness.” I admire Jennifer’s commitment and wisdom in making the most of this unique and transitory time of life, as well her ambitious “30 Before 30″ list of life goals, and asked her to share some advice on making your single years shine!
Too many people are wasting their singleness. Instead of looking at this time as an opportunity, we try to rush through it as quickly as possible. We want to skip ahead to marriage and family. We don’t bother trying to make the most of it.
Marriage is a wonderful thing and I cannot wait to experience it. But we shouldn’t put our life on pause while we wait for the One to show up. We should take advantage of this time.
But what does that look like? Glad you asked. Here are a few suggestions on how to make the most of your singleness.
10 Things to Do Before Marriage
- Do something that scares you. A friend of mine bungee jumped from the tallest bridge in the world. My little sister went skydiving. I tried online dating… ok, maybe that doesn’t count. But do something that frightens the pants off you.
- Challenge yourself. Always wanted to run a marathon? Do it. Go scuba diving? Get certified. We all have an idea that lurks in the back of our minds. Figure out what that idea is and go do it!
- Learn to cook (Or at least try). For one thing, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you could keep yourself from starving the next time an ice storm or hurricane hits? Not to mention that cooking is such an undervalued skill. But trust me; your future spouse will appreciate it.
- Spend time with your family. Especially around the holidays. Enjoy this time when you don’t have to juggle your parents and your in-laws. Go home for Christmas and sleep in your childhood bed. Drink hot chocolate and watch the Muppets Christmas Carol curled up on the couch. Things will get complicated someday. Enjoy the simplicity now.
- Buy that new Camaro. Or whatever car you’ve been dreaming of. (If you are not in a great financial position, ignore this one.) But if you have a steady job and want a new car, go for it. Enjoy it now, before it gets traded in for something a little more practical.
- Babysit. Especially if you haven’t been around kids much. Take this time to learn how you feel about children. Think you can’t wait to be a parent? Babysitting helps you realize that yes, babies are adorable and wonderful, but they are also demanding and exhausting. That night of babysitting may help quiet the ticking of your biological clock.
- Travel on a whim. Call up your friend in LA and let them know you are coming in for a weekend. When you are single, they are totally cool with you crashing on their couch. Add a spouse to the equation and it gets a little more complicated. Take advantage of your flexibility now.
- Give back. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Sign up for that mission trip you keep putting off. Volunteer at your church. I hate to admit it, but you do have more free time when you are single. Make the most of it.
- Focus on your career. Love your job? Good. Work hard and build up a fantastic reputation. Kind of hate your job? Quit! Find a career that you love. Now is the time to figure out what you want to do and do it well.
- Indulge in SSB – Secret Single Behavior. We all have weird quirks or habits that we don’t necessarily want to share with the world…or our spouse. Maybe it is blasting N Sync while you dance around the living room, eating raw cookie dough for breakfast, or spending hours on failblog.org. Whatever it is, enjoy it!
Jennifer is a single Christian twenty-something. She works as a freelance writer/editor and part-time nanny while blogging about faith, singleness, and living fearlessly. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
What would you add to this list?
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