Millennials, what are your struggles in life?
We reviewed some recent survey questions answered by Millennials and have some of what we feel might be helpful answers. And, before you jump down our throats, we already figured out it also applies to every other generation as well. Including ours, so don’t think your issues are confined or special to your generation.
First, read on, and then you can complain if you have a reason to do so.
- Inability to communicate about conflict
- Budgeting Issues (see #7)
- Find a job with meaning
- Cheating is much easier with the internet
- Social media jealousy
- Anxiety about the future
- Financially fragile (good education + no jobs + college debt)
- Need to suspend judgment and emotional reactions
- Psychological safety
- Work and life balance issues
Every generation has had surveys done to show marketers how to sell their products and services. With that in mind, they always try to show differences in each generation but in reality, most are very similar.
I will respond to the questions in a way that will help you find what you might be looking for if any of these questions relate to your thinking. Actually, I hope they do so I can be helpful and not just answer some random questions.
- The inability to communicate about conflict relates to every generation. The best advice I can give as an evangelist is to figure out the conflict and decide if you even need to be involved. I have been in many conflicts and in the past found out that a negative reaction never solves the problem. If the conflict starts, take a little time to figure out why it started. It doesn’t matter who started it but how it can be resolved.
If the conflict is immediate and not of a violent nature you can always walk away. If it is violent and you have the chance to leave, do it without saying anything. It is better to keep quiet than to spark the incident with some random remarks.
- Budgeting has always been a problem for me for years. Why? Because I was crappy with keeping checkbooks and a decent bank balance. You can only budget what you actually have and that may not be much but it is a time when you need to be spending smart. Pay your most important bill first which includes rent, utilities, and food. You may need to suspend going out for a while.
I did but I am not really sure how I got through that time period but I did. Right now it is tough but you will prevail and there are people out there that are willing to help as long as you are not the stubborn “I don’t need help” type. Who are they? Family? Friends?
- Finding a job with meaning has never been easy, but I guess it depends on what you mean by “meaning”? My first job was in the advertising/marketing field and it had meaning because I went to an art school. However, job searching is much different today than in my time. I actually went to the interviews. Today you have to do it on-line and be sure they will actually do what you sent.
But there are many tricks to getting noticed in the job market. The first thing is to be sure the job you are looking for has that ”meaning” you are searching for. I can’t help you with that, but once you find it let me know and I will see how to help you actually get the job. No guarantees though.
- Ah…cheating. A time-honored tradition. Only kidding. I know cheating is easier today with the internet but it is just as easy going to a store or anywhere else for that matter. You need to look at your relationship and decide if it is right for you, because if you are looking on-line then it is defiantly the wrong relationship. Or, you need to figure out what’s wrong and fix it. Don’t use the simplicity of the internet as an excuse for cheating in a relationship. Fix it or leave it. It’s that simple.
- Social media jealousy. Jealousy has been around as long as mankind has existed. The only thing that can resolve jealousy is trust. A relationship needs trust to survive. Without it, you might as well walk away because it will only get worse if not resolved. It is the same as question 4 with the same results and outcome. Another suggestion is to avoid as much social media as possible until you fix the relationship.
- Anxiety about the future. Unfortunately, we have all lived n that bubble. I remember thinking about the practice of hiding under the desk at school when everyone was concerned about atomic war. The one thing I have learned in my years is to not worry about anything you don’t have control of in your life. I can control the things I do but not my family or friends. They control their own lives and so do you. We can worry about the Covid virus but that won’t stop you from getting it or not getting it.
If you look at the future for yourself as being bright, you will move through life much easier. I quickly learned that the more crap you pile n your back the harder it is to move forward. Lighten the load and get rid of the anxiety.
- Financial fragility. This one is difficult for everyone, young and old. But you finished college and are ready for that high paying job to help pay off your bills and unfortunately, Covid put a kink in your plans. So, what do you do? I guess that same as any other generation. If possible find a job that will help get through this tough time until things settle down.
Every generation has been strapped with college debt, but yours has been hit with a pandemic to make it even harder. Questions 2 & 3 may give you more answers.
- Suspending judgment and emotional reaction. Wow! That’s been a problem for every generation and as long as I can remember. No, I am not old enough to have seen the pyramids being built; in case you are wondering… but close.
Of course, I do remember getting very judgemental about a lot of things. Things that I look back on today and wonder why? It’s hard to not judge because we are raised with some kind of prejudice that caused unnecessary judgment. As you get older you start to gain some wisdom and see these things differently. Unfortunately, not everyone changes, but we all have the ability to do so if we choose.
I know some older folks that are still living in the past…way past because they never opened their eyes to see the truth of what they believed. As young people, you have the ability to change that thinking before it becomes so ingrained your mind has no way out.
About emotional reaction? Another time bomb. However, the human condition is also used to having emotions get out of control. So, what do you do? My advice is to step away from the problem initially until you get a better understanding in your mind about why you are upset. Take the time to “relax before reacting” and try to mentally count to 10 and that usually defuses your reaction.
Sure, there are times when we might not be able to walk away, but if you try to understand that an emotional reaction is not really going to help the situation. Oh yeah, I just wanted to mention that the TV or social media news is another bad emotional trigger.
I know it affected me until I stopped watching everything except the local news and weather. It also affected my neighbor who was spewing obscenities (I am not a prude about cursing but I do try to avoid it) at his TV and he did apologize and decided to stop watching.
- Psychological safety. A tough one since we live in a social media age. Back in my day, we used the old rotary dial telephone. You are probably not familiar with this device but your Grandparents will know. So, how do you maintain psychological safety? Limit your exposure to the internet, especially social media. What are you doing there anyway? Is it necessary to let everyone know what you ate or where you are going?
- Work and life balance issues. This one is not easy. Balancing work with daily life is difficult, especially if you are in a relationship and you have different schedules. It becomes difficult to connect, so you need to devote the time available to being together with no outside interruptions. You might also consider getting away when possible for a change of scenery.
Balancing acts are very difficult and take a lot of time to resolve. Try this: grab a bunch of your Mother’s dishes and see if you can balance…never mind. Of course, if you try everything and there are still problems you may want to reconsider your relationship or job.
OK, if you have any complaints, now is the time to voice them. do it in the comments box or by email Click Here.
Blessings,
John & Jean