I’m sick and tired of reading the same old reports on the millennial generation.
“Millennials are entitled. They’re too sensitive. They’re… [insert stereotype here]”
I’m done being labeled by other generations.
Millennials are workaholics who need to have a work-life balance driven by purpose. We care less about how much money we make and care more about what we end up making.
The millennials I know are care givers. They’re becoming leaders in a world where they need to take care of their parents because they have been unable to save enough for retirement.
We haven’t become the Ben Franklin generation. We’ve become early entrants into a new frontier; we’re moving into unchartered space filled with new technology & ever changing media.
It is about time everyone catches up.
The old world is a consumer matrix designed by people who’ve gone through the most fundamental shift society has ever experienced. Individuals working together became large conglomerates working for a few elite shareholders.
Following World War II, people went to work for the ever growing large corporations. The thought of personal finance was replaced with a focus on loyalty to the corporation.
Put your head down, work hard, and you’ll retire with a pension.
Caring about or planning our own financial lives became less meaningful. We suffered multiple generations where the knowledge of previous generations did not need to be passed down.
We could trust someone else for our future financial needs.
Forming wise financial habits is our generation’s opportunity to leave a positive legacy. Yet, older generations teach us money is something we should NOT discuss!
Makes my blood boil.
We lost sight of who we were. Despite this being a new frontier, it is only “new” for us. This world of uncertainty and chaos would be nothing new to our ancestors. This phase we are currently shifting away from ― a stable 40-year-career ending with a pension ― is one tiny chapter in our history.
Corporations have learned they don’t need to reward loyalty and they don’t need to handle our personal finances.
And so, the biggest opportunity of our time, is to re-learn what prior generations knew.
It wasn’t long ago when people used to build their own businesses. Not because they were driven by a sense to be self-employed, but because it was necessary not only survive, but to thrive.
Every day patrons used to know about personal finance because everyone had to be entrepreneurial. They could not rely on corporations to make decisions for them. There were no large government safety nets.
I’m inspired by the tradesman and craftsman found amongst the founding fathers of America. They were driven by a sense of purpose; material wealth took a backseat to Manifest Destiny.
The torch has been past to our generation and we now are shaping the personal finance discussion.
Money talk is becoming less taboo as transparency triumph over secrecy.
This generation is emboldened by the face of challenges. We’re filled with problem solvers who want to find the effective solution, without fear that it isn’t the most efficient. Our footprint matters to us and our legacy is shaped from day one.
With all this said, I’m beyond optimistic for what we will achieve. This will no doubt become the wealthiest generation, as we stand on the shoulders of generations before us.
Progress is a right of passage in our world; everything around us is changing constantly. If we hope the world stays the same then we’ll be left behind.
Our natural ability to adapt is part of the reason so many have been lulled into and ultimately burned by the economic machine in recent decades. BUT, we’ve recognized the patterns and now our ability to adapt is what will accelerate our level of progress.
We’re not afraid to do what is hard. We’re not anxious to seek out great achievements. We have the knowledge of every civilization at our fingertips.
Now, let us begin!
-Matt
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