7 Difficult
Lessons Millennials Must Learn the Hard Way
Nobody wants to learn these things, but they
are essential to personal growth.
I can't say for sure, but I would wager that in the grand scheme of
things I am a rather young professional writer. I have achieved a number
of accolades. I have built what I consider to be a healthy foundation for my future
aspirations. But at the end of the day, I am only 25 years old, and much of
what I know had to be learned the hard way.
Looking around
at many of my peers, I realize my unique position. Somehow, I have found myself
in front of a podium. What I write and say is not just "my writing"
anymore; it is a representation of others like me--similar in age, career,
pursuit, etc. We are Millennials. Compared to the world's leaders, we are very
young. We are ambitious, we are lofty in our dreams, and we are constantly at
odds with our own impatience. We know what we want, but at the same
time don't know what it is we don't want. We are a unique generation in
that we firmly believe we have all the skills to become whomever and whatever
we believe, and yet we struggle to slow down and understand, step by step, what it will take to get there.
I am only halfway through my 20s, but already
there have been seven things I can say for sure Millennials have all had
to learn the hard way:
1. Nobody Cares
Let me explain: In the real world, there
are no participation points--and if you are in an environment that awards
participation points, get out, because it is only doing you a disservice.
Nobody cares that you "tried."
Nobody cares that you "worked really hard on it." Nobody cares that
you "didn't know." Nobody cares. What people care about is the
final product, the end result. People care that you did what you said you were
going to do. People care that you didn't run and hide when things got tough.
People care when you put your pants on and you get done what needs to get
done.
People care when you do more than is expected
of you, and don't ask for a pat on the back in return. Nobody cares--so do it
for yourself.
2. Time Is Money
I know we all heard this phrase growing up,
but it takes context to understand it.
Every time you make a choice, you are
spending time (money). Success, then, has less to do with talent and more to do
with financial discipline--finances here referring to your time.
Lazy people say yes. They let life carry them
like a ship lost at sea from one activity to the next. The key is to be
the surfer, to ride the waves, to carve them, to use them to your advantage
instead of letting them decide your course.
If you want to create things of value, if you
want to accomplish your dreams, if you want to go where you truly want to go,
then you have to ride the waves on your own terms. You have to say no to
things. You have to learn to be disciplined with your time so that you can
invest it properly.
Otherwise, everyone else will invest your
time for you.
3. You Have to Network
The people you know are sometimes more
important than what you know. After all, you could be the most brilliant
designer or writer or project manager, but if nobody knows
it then you're out of luck.
The reason your network is so important is
because it is an easy way to increase your value. The more people you know, the
more opportunities you will have at your fingertips. Networking is one of those
easy ways to engineer serendipity.
You never know whom you might meet.
4. Doing Something Is Better Than Doing
Nothing
The easiest (and most deadly) trap to fall
into is the belief that you can't take that first step until you know exactly
where you're headed.
People spend so much time brainstorming or
thinking about all the possible outcomes before they take a single step. And
then when they finally do take that first step, they realize all that
theorizing was for nothing--and yet they repeat the entire cycle, wondering
where to move next.
How on earth are you going to steer a
stationary ship?
It is so much better to do something than to
do nothing. Get the ball rolling. Start flowing. Steer as you go instead of
trying to plot your course from land. The journey never goes as planned anyway,
so just get on with it.
5. Hard Work Is Hard Work
We live in an age where it is very easy to
recreate feelings of productivity and accomplishment without actually being
productive or accomplishing anything at all. We check off our to-do lists. We
receive "Completed" notifications. We can easily be made to feel like
we are doing a lot, which leads us down a road of distraction instead of
decision. We avoid the hard stuff because it involves prolonged
process--and we would much prefer instant gratification.
If you look at the things that actually move
the needle, the work that actually gets you from where you are to where you
want to go, it can rarely be summarized in a checkmark or a "Done"
notification. Instead, it involves rigorous analysis, tough thinking, and
usually prolonged peace and quiet (a rarity in today's world). You have to
actually think through the problem to find the answer.
If the majority of your time is spent doing
tasks on your to-do list, I would question whether the work you are doing is
hard work or busy work.
6. Invest, Don't Spend
I mean this both realistically and
metaphorically. Don't get caught up in settling for
smaller, short-term rewards when you can invest in larger, more fulfilling
opportunities.
Realistically, I mean don't spend money you
don't have, or try to live a life you can't afford. Metaphorically, I mean
continue investing in your skills instead of spending your time celebrating
your small accomplishments.
I am a firm believer that the people who are
extremely successful in their 30s and 40s are ones that delayed gratification
in their 20s. They invested in themselves and their skills. Conversely, where
people tend to cap out is they celebrate prematurely. They bask in
successes seemingly large in the short term but small in the long term.
That is not to say you shouldn't be happy
about what you accomplish or achieve along the way. Just don't get too
attached. There is more to be done.
7. You Have Time
And finally, the biggest lesson I have
learned thus far: You have time.
You have time to figure it out. You have time
to get it right. You have time to change, time to grow, time to create and
become the version of yourself you are aiming to become. I know it doesn't feel
like you have time, but you have time. You do. Trust in that, and enjoy the
process more than imagining that overwhelming feeling of "I've
finally made it." There is no end of the road, no pot of gold at the end
of the tunnel. The joy comes from doing the thing in the first place, walking
your path, and staying true to where it is you want to go.
Work hard, stay focused, but take a deep
breath and realize you don't have to have all the answers right now. You are
learning--and that's the point.
BY NICOLAS
COLE
http://www.inc.com/nicolas-cole/7-difficult-things-millennials-have-to-learn-the-hard-way.html?cid=em01020week15a
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