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What Everyone Can Learn From Millennials

April 23, 2018 By Stephanie Leave a Comment

23 Apr

I think that millennials have gotten a bad rap. When you look at the breakdown of when the generation starts I fall within the range. But honestly, it’s so close that you could probably age me out of the group as well. Anyway, you hear so many negative things about millennials. We see things constantly about how lazy they are or how they don’t know how to do anything for themselves and they aren’t hard workers. There is this stigma that millennials have no motivation to accomplish anything. But, that’s not true. In fact, I believe it’s the exact opposite.

The more I start to think about what millennials are accomplishing the more amazed I am by the group as a whole. Yes, you have some millennials that seem to have no motivation to accomplish anything, but I think that has a lot to do with the changes in the parenting styles that happened. And, there are some of those people in every generation. Here are some things I think everyone can learn from millennials.

Find your passion

For years people have focused on getting a good job with benefits. That is what we were told to do. For example, when I was getting ready to graduate from high school I was interested in journalism. The school counselor and some teachers discouraged that idea because the internet was growing and journalism would no longer be needed.

Are you laughing? This idea was put into my head that I might as well not pursue writing as a career because the internet was going to do away with that. Well, fast-forward 16 years (can’t believe it’s been that long!) and my career is writing online. As we know now the internet actually opened up the need for more writers instead of doing away with writing careers. Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing at this point if I had followed my passion from school instead of the advice of others.

Millennials don’t just want a job. They want to pour their time and energy into doing something that they love. Some employers see this as a bad thing, but I think it’s AMAZING! Imagine what kind of incredible things we are going to see happen because there is a generation of people that want to challenge the way of thinking that came before them. They don’t want to settle for just a job. They want to do something where they have a purpose and can make a difference. Why is that a bad thing?

Stuff doesn’t matter

I have done some content writing for the real estate market and it was BIG news that millennials were not buying houses. In fact, this year is the first year that the majority of buyers are expected to be from that generation. People viewed that as millennials not being motivated enough to purchase a home, but when you dig into the research that’s not the case.

It’s not because they are lazy. There are actually several reasons that buying a house didn’t happen as fast for this generation:

  • They watched their parents struggle through the housing crisis. That wasn’t exactly a motivating situation to see and then want to run out and buy a house.
  • They have more student loans than ever meaning they are having a harder time saving for a down payment or wanting to obtain a mortgage.
  • They just don’t care as much about “keeping up with the Joneses”

The last point is what I want to discuss. Millennials would rather have experiences than things. There are countless stories online about millennials that want to travel the world. And, they can because they are doing freelance work or harnessing the power of the internet to make money online. They don’t care to own tons of possessions because they are too busy out living life.

You need to enjoy your 9-5

We all need to make money right? At least enough to survive on. There are entirely too many people that are living for the weekend and dreading Sunday night. Millennials aren’t having it. They don’t want to be stuck at a job they hate to make money and live for the weekend. Instead, they are finding jobs (or creating jobs) that they love.

They are finding ways to use their passion to make money. They are forcing a change to the job market. Instead of 401Ks and benefit packages being the things that they seek when looking for a job they want the freedom to create their own schedule. They want to be able to work from home. They want leaders that allow them to own their position instead of bosses that micromanage. And, because they are doing this they are building lives that they enjoy.

Think for yourself

When I started my first real full-time job after high school I can remember during training asking my supervisor “why?”. I didn’t want to just know how to do something, I wanted to know why we did it the way we did. She didn’t have an answer because no one had ever explained it to her either. So, I just accepted that as it was and went on.

Millennials aren’t having any of that. They are challenging the way things used to be. They are thinking for themselves and they aren’t afraid to point out when something doesn’t make sense or there is a better way to do it. Change is not a bad thing or a scary thing to them. They embrace it.

It’s time we all start being a little more like millennials. We need to embrace change, because it’s going to happen anyway. We need to start thinking for ourselves and discovering why we do the things we do and what should be changed. And, we need to find things to do that we love. Instead of constantly making fun of millennials we need to see what they are doing right and learn from it.

Filed Under: Business

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Stuck in Your Rut - Stephanie


Have you ever thought about how a click of a camer
Have you ever thought about how a click of a camera button has the ability to capture a moment in time? Pretty amazing!

We always make a point to take pictures of the big moments or the things we do when we travel, like our day trip to Nashville yesterday.

But there are so many day-to-day moments that make my heart happy too, like seeing my daughters cooking dinner (which they choose to do a lot - blessed mom right here!) or when my husband is helping the girls build garden planters for our veggies. I need to make an effort to take pictures of these moments more so I can be reminded of these simple joys. The days seem long but the years are going fast!

What is something you see in day-to-day life that brings you joy?

How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Y
How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with several different women. I'm getting ready to write website profiles for them and wanted to learn more about them.

I noticed something that got me thinking during one of the calls. 

I asked the question "Who do you enjoy working with?"

The woman gave me a long list of the people she didn't feel qualified to help. She shared her heart for people but would then explain the areas she felt she was lacking. 

I'm sure she didn't realize she was doing this. I know I struggle with doing the same thing. It's so easy to spot in other people what we miss in ourselves. 

So, how do you think and talk about yourself? Do you focus on where you are lacking and where you don't feel "good enough" or qualified? Or, do you acknowledge your skills and strengths? 

We all have areas we can grow and improve but we are unproductive when those are the main areas we focus on.

#focusonyourstrengths #thoughtlife #positivethinking #buildconfidence


I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicat
I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicated by @andiandrew this morning and came across the saying "healed people heal people." It really struck me.

I've heard many times the old saying "hurting people hurt people" but this simple switch made it so different. 

It made me really reflect on my actions, words, and behaviors to see if I was helping or hurting others. It made me think about what areas of my life I needed to walk in healing so I could help bring others along.

I also love the way this shifted from the negative to the positive. "Hurting people hurt people" can be used as an excuse if you've experienced pain in your life. "Healed people heal people" is so much more of a calling to rise up out of painful situations to make a positive difference. It gives your hurtful experiences and pain a new purpose. 

Just something to think about.

#encouragement #movepastyourpast #womensupportingwomen

Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick wit
Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick with me here.  
 
On Thursday, I took my kids to the zoo for a few hours. We've had an exhausting couple of weeks. Things haven't gone as planned. Work has been hectic and I've been working long hours. We're in the middle of trying to make some big life decisions again (which seems to be the constant state of life).  
 
Can you relate?  
 
The zoo is one of our happy places, so we picked the warmest day of the week and took some time off to get outside and enjoy ourselves.  
 
Some of my favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the meerkats. 
 
If you ever watch a gang of meerkats, you'll probably notice that there is almost always one meerkat that is standing up checking the skies and looking around while the others are off doing their thing. Why? 
 
That meerkat is watching for danger. They are checking the skies and surrounding areas for predators. They remain alert in order to allow the others to find food and do what they need to do. 
 
On this trip, I could relate to that poor little meerkat standing up, not enjoying herself in order to try to protect her family—not realizing they are safe from predators. As a wife and mom, I think that instinct comes pretty naturally to us women. I've been so caught up lately in trying to figure out how to balance what the different members of my family need that it's been harder to enjoy the good things in each day.  
 
But I'm not a meerkat. There really aren't predators circling around me, trying to get my family. Yes, there are dangers in this world, but when that's all I focus on, that's all I see. I miss all of the good things that are taking place and the positive moments I could be enjoying. 
 
So, if you can relate to that little meerkat too, here's your reminder to take a break. Be present in the moment.

There are hard parenting days - which we've had qu
There are hard parenting days - which we've had quite a bit of lately - and then there are the days when your kid surprises you with a homemade card. 

The world is full of scary, hard things right now and it's easy when you focus on those things to forget all the good that is right around you.

Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things
Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things that are within our control.

You can't control what others do to you... but you can control what you choose to do after that. If you're holding onto unforgiveness towards someone, it's going to seep into all areas of your life.

Being easily offended and staying offended and angry gives things outside of your control power over you, your day, and your attitude.

If you're tired of not making progress in life and often feel angry, I encourage you to look inward. Sometimes I'm caught off guard by the things I thought I had dealt with and moved on from that I didn't.

#movingforward #dontbeeasilyoffended #inspiration #armorofgodstudy

There are few things I find as beautiful in nature
There are few things I find as beautiful in nature as a tree with fall colors on a bright sunny day. ❤️🍁

#fallcolors🍁🍂 #louisvillezoo

It can be so hard to ask for things that we want.
It can be so hard to ask for things that we want. The fear of the "what ifs" always want to get in the way. But what if we change our thoughts and expect the best instead of assuming the worst?

My dad has been an incredible example of just asking. He doesn't overthink asking questions to people and because of it, he learns all kinds of cool things. He doesn't worry about if the person says "no" or responds negatively. He doesn't let fear stop him. 

Over the years, my husband and I have learned to ask for things we want. We asked for work from a church without knowing if they would be interested. We asked to barter handyman services and home repair in exchange for lower rent. 

We've asked for some weird things that don't seem like they should have worked out, but they did. And we would have never had those opportunities if we hadn't been willing to ask for them.

Are there questions you've been avoiding asking out of fear?

This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change bec
This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change because it's uncomfortable and painful. But so many times the life we want is on the other side.

#motivation #thursdaythoughts #growthmindset #growingpains #pushpastthehardthings


What if you don't wait to get started until everyt
What if you don't wait to get started until everything is perfect? What would that look like? 
 
I'm giving you a sneak peek into what my incredible workspace looks like today 😜 
 
Today I have a few calls so I'm working with my messy bed as my desk so I can have a quiet space. Sometimes I work from my kitchen counter. My family of 5 lives in a small rental house right now. I don't have any space for an office, but I'm running a growing business by working like this. 
 
If I had waited to get started until I "knew everything" or had the perfect setup, I would have wasted the last 5 years. If I had waited until I "knew just a little more" or felt a "little more ready", I still wouldn't be doing anything. Even after 5 years, I still have LOTS to learn but I'm so much further along because I took the step of getting started.
 
It sucks to hear, but you have to get started before you're "ready". That's just the way it works. Don't let your circumstances get in your way. And - this might sound tough but - stop making excuses. Look for a way to make it work as best you can right now. 
 
 
 
#getstarted #femaleentrepreneur #makeitwork #midweekmotivation #takeachance #mompreneur #homeschoolingentrepreneur #overcomefear #buildyourconfidence

This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 ye
This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 years ago, I had such little confidence. I let fear control so much of what I did.

I was working to grow my freelance business and almost skipped an opportunity to take on work because the potential client wanted to schedule a phone call instead of just working through emails and messages. I broke out in hives just having to talk on the phone.

I couldn't handle ordering a pizza because I was too nervous about not knowing what to say. I overthought everything.

Fear controlled what I did and didn't do. It caused me to struggle in my thoughts and postponed my ability to go after the things I really wanted to accomplish.

Learning to overcome my fears took a lot of time. But slowly, I started to make progress. They were little changes at a time. I didn't even notice the growth as it happened. 

But then one day, that same client pointed out to me how much more confidence I had. And then another client mentioned how much I had grown in my confidence and ability to share my thoughts and opinions.

It ended up impacting every area of my life. 

But don't get me wrong, some days are still a struggle. Sometimes I still get hives when I have to talk on the phone or do a zoom call with someone I don't know, but not every time.

If you struggle with fear and confidence, know that you can improve and grow in this area. It doesn't have to be how you remain for the rest of your life. And so much of what you want is on the other side of pushing past that fear.

#overcomefear #buildconfidence #personalgrowth #growthmindset #motivationalquotes

Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you
Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you're on vacation? This picture is from over the summer when we did a mini vacation. It's easy when you get out of the routines of everyday life to start to think outside of the box and see new opportunities. 
 
But then we get back home. Clients need my attention. The house needs to be cleaned and dinner needs to be cooked. The kids have activities. And before I know it, I've fallen right back into going through the motions instead of really living each day. 
 
Here's your reminder for the day. I know it's Monday and it's easy to drag through the day. But choose to get outside of your comfort zone. Choose to look at things in a new way. Choose to start building the life you want to live, even if it's one tiny decision at a time. 
 
#mondaymotivation

Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going
Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going to. Choose courage and push past it and just watch as your confidence starts to build.

This is a constant area of struggle for me. I've a
This is a constant area of struggle for me. I've always struggled with being an "all or nothing" kind of person. I'll go all-in on getting my life in order to work on all the areas at once. I overwhelm myself with too much and before I know it, all the wonderful things I decided to do fall by the wayside. Anyone else?

My eyes were opened to this when I was working with a coach, Suzy Wraines, last year. Since then, I've been a lot better at picking one thing to work on and focusing on it until it became part of my routine. Then I add in a little more. 

Am I always awesome at it? Nope. But I've made a lot more progress in my personal life and business by focusing on one thing at a time. 

What's the one thing you can start to focus on today? And what can you let go of for a time while you focus on something else? 

#itsnotallornothing #onethingatatime #youcandoit #motivationforwomen

Sometimes I fall into the trap of waiting for fear
Sometimes I fall into the trap of waiting for fear to go away before I do the things I want to do but am scared to. But it never happens.

Every time I do something big and exciting, or take a step in obedience, there is fear. And it doesn't go away, you just have to learn to push through. Sometimes it means taking a small step and sometimes it means taking a big step. But either way, it REQUIRES taking a step. 

What is fear stopping you from taking action on? 

#overcomefear #doingbigthings #youcandoit #onestepatatime

Every good experience and time of growth in my lif
Every good experience and time of growth in my life has come by forcing myself to face fear. It doesn't feel good in the moment. In fact, it feels really horrible sometimes. But if we let our feelings control our decisions, we'll never reach the true potential that we have. And we'll always be left wondering "What if I had...". 

#faceyourfears #inspirationalquote  #christianwomen #getreadytogrow

Easier said than done. The more I talk with women,
Easier said than done. The more I talk with women, the more I hear the stories of hidden dreams and ideas that are not being worked on. There are all this hidden potential within these women and they long to go after that thing that they really want to do, but they don't. They let the fear, the doubt, the feeling "not good enough" get in the way and hold them back.

Why not pursue the thing you want to do? Why not you? Why should it always be someone else that's going after what you want to do. Why can't today be the day that you decide to take that first step forward? 

You can do it. 

#motivationforwomen #inspirationalquote

When I was growing up there were these books that
When I was growing up there were these books that I loved—Choose Your Own Adventure. The book would start telling a story where you were the main character. Throughout the book, you would be faced with decisions on what the character was going to do. 

You would turn to a certain page number based on your decision and then continue reading. It was like you were making the story happen as it went, even though the author actually had it all pre-mapped out for you.

I believe that's how life is supposed to be. It's an adventure with many winding paths and choices along the way. If you're bored with your life, if you feel that there is more that you're capable of than what you're doing, if you feel you settled somewhere along the way—you're not truly living that adventure. 

I share more about this on the blog today, but here's a story for you to write....

"One day I read a blog post and it really got me thinking. There was an idea that has always nagged at me. An idea that I should do this certain thing. Try this certain thing. A feeling within me that there was more to life than just going through the motions. I wanted to believe that it was possible for things to be different but I had a choice to make. "

• Keep life the same as always - (Continue doing what you've always done)
• Head out on an adventure - (Take that one small step today that's going to get you started.) 

Now you've got to ask yourself: What page are you going to turn to?

I'm a huge sucker for the sky. I love beautiful su
I'm a huge sucker for the sky. I love beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I love big white puffy clouds. I love the stars that pop out one by one at night and then just fill the entire dark canvas. 
 
I think it's that it reminds me of how small I am and how big God is. It's SO, SO easy for me to get caught up in the busyness or troubles of my daily life. I've been realizing more and more lately how much I focus on myself without really realizing it. And when I remember to shift my perspective back on God, it really opens my eyes up to all that is happening that is bigger than me and bigger than what's going on around me. 
 
The events of the past year have been a rollercoaster. And I listen to some of the people in my life who are so consumed by it all. The politics. The virus. The division. Sometimes I want to get all caught up in it too. 
 
But lately, my focus has shifted. God is so much bigger than the events of our day, our year, our lifetime. History has been filled with so many traumatic events. And unfortunately, we know the future will be as well. But as a Christian, I know that this is not what it's all about. There is something greater yet to come. And no matter how bad things get, God still wins in the end. 
 
I'm not sure how people get through difficult times if they don't know Jesus. I've seen the difference in my life from when I make God my focus vs focusing on the issues around me. The difference is astounding. 
 
If you're struggling today with all that's happening around you, or has in the past, I encourage you to shift your eyes toward Jesus. Look up at the heavens and know there is a God so much bigger than all of your challenges that loves you regardless of anything that you've done for Him. 
 
#godisgood #anxietyrelief #findingjoy #findingpeace #floridasunset

This past week I got back to having a morning rout
This past week I got back to having a morning routine. I woke up at 5:30 each day and I restructured how I spent the first 90 minutes of my day. 
 
I got into reading the Bible and praying. I exercised and drank water, and spent 30 minutes on doing something for my blog. 
 
It has been amazing. 
 
The stories of the Bible have come alive as I read them. I've felt better knowing I'm taking the step  to get in better shape. And I've wanted to spend time on my blog for so long but haven't made the time. 
 
My business as a content writer for mental health professionals, helping professionals and coaches has been slammed lately. It's a great blessing but it also makes time management crucial. 
 
To be honest, I've been burnt out and overwhelmed. My goal for this year was to focus on being intentional but I was failing at doing it. The changes I made this week are helping me get back to where I need to be. 
 
Self-care is so important. I write about it all the time for my clients. But here's the thing - it only helps if you do it. Knowing something and doing something are two different things. 
 
What are you doing for self-care right now? 
 
#selfcare #femaleentrepreneur #christianwomen #morningroutine #burnout #overwhelmed #intentionalliving


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