Most Millennials, also known as Generation Y, ranging from 16 to 34 years of age, were basically born with a smart phone in their hand. They are the most tech-savvy generation yet, with virtually all the planet’s information at their fingertips. This extreme exposure to and familiarity with digital technology has certainly opened many doors. Unfortunately, it has also produced an unique set of challenges for this generation.
Generation X, Baby Boomers and generations before them, socialized with friends at school and within the local community. With Generation Y, socialization has expanded to include relationships from all walks of life and from all around the globe. As a result, Millennials have more people to compare themselves to, be it consciously or subconsciously. This means that Generation Y is very likely comparing themselves not to the smartest, coolest and most unique people in their neighbourhoods, but with individuals living far away, whom they have never met.
Sure, social comparisons can be a healthy exercise when it comes to role modelling, for example, but it also comes with an overlooked risk of loss of connection to self and reality. Comparing yourself to people you barely know and who post the most positive aspects of their journey on social media can be a recipe for disappointment at the very least. The best comparison you can make to appreciate how far you’ve come, developed and to assess your personal progress, is comparing you to you.
Another challenge Millennials face is distraction and lack of focus – greater than anything we have seen in the past. Hours upon hours of surfing the web and hanging out on social media often eats away at time that could be better spent taking important steps forward in the direction of goals and actual, tangible accomplishments.
If you are a Millennial, consider spending more time figuring out what you would love to do with your days. Whether you are in your final years of high school, an entrepreneur or an executive in a multinational organization, avoid comparing what you love to do with what others love to do. The coolest thing in the world to do with your life is to live out what fulfils you and not what looks good online. Unless you love something, you will not have the energy, focus or the desire to reach and sustain it.
Also consider this. P.B. in sports stands for Personal Best. Compare your progress against milestones you surpassed previously. Decide what you want to do with your talents, focus, sharpen your skills, wake up every day and take baby steps in the direction of your goals and greatest aspirations, not someone else’s. Every 30 days, or whenever you feel lost, fight the urge to compare yourself to strangers. Instead, look back and celebrate your evolution. Live your life and when others don’t approve just trust that they will eventually get over it. What if they don’t? Well, that is their problem, not yours.