The Millennial Mind
Success Secrets for Unlocking Your Full Potential
Daniel M. Francis
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Copyright Daniel Francis, 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.
Published April 15th 2020
ISBN: B084M6S5BT
DISCLAIMER
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Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.
Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Editing: Todd Hunter, Avenue Literary Services LLC
Author photo courtesy of Josh Rudder, Tova Group
Author clothing courtesy of Daww Creations
Author styling courtesy of Keisha Rodriguez, Fashion Mode TT
Illustrations courtesy of Desfia Phillips, Uzuri Imperi
Table of Contents
Introduction
I felt compelled to write this book because, as a Millennial, I struggled for a long time when I entered adulthood. I felt as though I was blindsided by all the new responsibilities that were suddenly thrown on my lap. I had a hard time managing these new responsibilities especially when my school career had so much built-in structure. The lessons I learned in school did not carry over well into the real world and all of a sudden each day felt like a sink or swim type of situation. What was even more eye-opening was the multitude of people around my age suffering in similar ways. We all had specific challenges that we kept to ourselves as we pushed forward in life because what else do you do?
As you read this book you will be guided through the different challenges that Millennials face. While these challenges are specific to Millennials, they can also be experienced by any person at any stage of life. This means that anyone, no matter the generation, may experience, to varying degrees, some of the challenges expressed in the following chapters. From living as a Millennial and facilitating sessions with hundreds of millennials over the years, I have observed particular trends in our thinking and noted the challenges faced by them. We Millennials think that the challenges we face are specific to us but often they are common across generations. Through relatable stories, I will go into detail about the challenges Millennials face and how we can overcome them without losing too much hair.
It was through finding my purpose and passion for helping people become the best version of themselves did I come into contact with all these people and their challenges. Interestingly enough, though the challenges were specific, many of the themes surrounding the challenges were commonplace and had solutions. However, these solutions were not being put into practice by most Millennials that I encountered and therefore they struggled. I wrote this book to shed light on our problems. Why these problems may be occurring and how you can overcome them. I want to ease the struggle of as many Millennials as I can and I believe that through this book I will achieve this goal. It is necessary to distinguish between different types of Millennials before we start as we fall into different categories.
Who Are Millennials?
According to Google, a Millennial is a person born between 1981-1996. In 2020, when this book was written, a Millennial would be somewhere between 24-39 years of age. We make up a large portion of the working population from entry-level up to managerial positions. With such a range in age, it is safe to say that all Millennials were not created equally. A Millennial born in 1996, it stands to reason, would have been born into a more technologically advanced period than a Millennial born in 1981. Depending on where the Millennial falls within this range, the degree of obstacles they face may vary.
Millennial Stages
Early
Early Millennials were born between 1993-1996. As of writing this book, they are between the ages of 24-27 years old. They are at the early stage of being a Millennial, hence the label. They are more technologically inclined as they were born closer to the technological boom. They exist in an environment rife with instant gratification. Not only that, they have only just entered the world of adulting so most of them have responsibilities but not too great to create crippling anxiety unless its because of student debt, which is an ever-present cruel reality for many. As they are now taking their first step through the door of adulting, they are still in the shock and awe phase completely struck by the difference between their expectations and reality. They are now at the beginning of adjusting their scope to that of which is projected as realistic.
Middle
The Middle Millennials were born between 1988-1992. They are between the ages of 28-32 years old. The Millennials born within this age bracket have experienced both sides of the fence. They remember the development of the technological age but still experienced a time before that. I am within this age group and although, for instance, Wi-Fi became more widespread as I grew older, I still had to deal with the now-archaic networking system that was dial-up. For those who don't know what I am talking about, there was a time when you would have to connect the phone line to your computer to connect to the Internet. Yes, I know, crazy right? There was a loud and aggravating connection noise and if someone called your home line, you would not only be disconnected but you'd hear the conversation through the computer. Some of the Millennials in the middle stage must be going through a full-body cringe remembering this right about now. Also, we were born on the cusp of that "hard work era" where we would have absorbed some of that mentality of "work hard to get what you want" from our parents or those around us as it was a prevalent mindset in those times and far predating that time.
Late
The Late Millennials were born between 1981-1987. They are between the ages of 33-39. They are the closest to the Baby Boomer generation and came of age with the belief that hard work pays off. They also would be understandably less technologically inclined as they are further away from the technology boom. This, of course, does not account for everyone but is a generalization just like the others. They are now at a stage in their lives where they are looking for stability. Stability can equate to being married with kids, owning a home, a steady job, general financial security, or some combination of these factors.
Adulting
Adulting is a term that will be used heavily throughout this book. Do a quick Google search and you will see on www.dictionary.com that it is defined as a form of slang that translates to "an informal term to describe behavior that is seen as responsible and grown-up. This behavior often involves meeting the mundane demands of independent and professional living, such as paying bills and running errands."
For me, adulting puts a little crack into my spirit because it marks the end of an era of carefree living. It shows the clear distinction between childhood and adulthood: responsibility. However, this is a reality we cannot escape. We enter into the world of adulting and we Millennials tend to be ill-prepared and a little confused. What is the right course of action? What should I be spending most of my time doing? Can I curse my boss, storm out, and never look back? That last one I am sure has crossed everyone's mind at some point. Mastery of adulting, funny enough, begins with the mastery of self. We cannot master ourselves without first understanding who we are and what the hell we want. If we don't decide on these crucial things, we end up in what is known as the default future. A space of "comfort." This comfort is not a good thing. It's that state where you are going with the flow. Whatever is whatever and anything is anything.