6 ways your perspective on love changes in your 30s

While dating in your 20s can be rough, many women find that dating in their 30s is even harder.

But when you look for love with an extra decade of experience behind you, you also have a little extra wisdom.

Your perspective on love changes as you get into your 30s in so many ways, and that’s a good thing. Here are some ways you start looking at things through a whole different lens.

1. You think for the long term
As you get into your 30s and beyond, it’s natural to start thinking about what you want for the long term. This applies to all areas of life, including love. It’s not that you’re time is running out or 30 is by any means old. But most people start becoming a little more conscious of how the decisions they make will affect them in the long run. A potential flame who once would’ve seemed like a great idea might not be so appealing if you can’t see a future with them.

2. You know what your deal-breakers are
As hard as dating in your 20s is, it teaches you a lot of lessons. The more terrible dating experiences you have, the more you learn what your deal-breakers are in a relationship. Of course, you still learn in your 30s. But as you move through those years, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re not willing to tolerate from your dates.

3. You’re reluctant to make the same mistakes
Sometimes, it takes making a mistake more than once before you finally learn from it. We’ve all been there! But the older we get, the wiser we get. And the more likely we are to put the lessons we’ve learned into practice. You won’t be perfect at love in your 30s. But you’ll probably be better at it than you were in your 20s. You’ll be more likely to apply the lessons you’ve learned and stop repeating the same old errors.

4. You have a better understanding of your worth
With age and wisdom comes an appreciation of how much you’re worth. This is one of the main reasons why you won’t tolerate as much BS in your 30s. You’ll have a better idea of what you deserve and how amazing you are. That’s not to say that there still won’t be painful moments. Getting rejected hurts even if you know you’re amazing. So does being dumped or cheated on. But if you know your worth, you’ll be more likely to bounce back more quickly. Those painful moments will be less devastating.

5. The milestones aren’t too scary
Even for the ultimate romanticist, relationship milestones can be super daunting. Getting engaged, moving in, getting married, or having a baby will always be huge. Those life changes can feel intimidating. But usually, this is even more true when you’re younger. By the time you reach your 30s, you might be more settled in other areas of your life, and more equipped to deal with changes. Or you might have watched your friends reach the same milestones. That makes them a little less daunting.

6. It’s no longer a race
When you’re in your 20s, a lot of life’s areas can seem like one big race, even though you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. You might think you have to have the perfect job and the perfect relationship figured out by 25. That’s what those influencers do, right? The truth is those things are never a race. When you reach your 30s, you technically have less time ahead of you, but you do have more understanding. And you’ll know that everyone moves in their own time, so there’s no need to rush into a relationship for the sake of it.