Navigating life as a Millennial

I remember coming across the term of being a “millennial” for the first time when talks were about how the world would end in the millenium, counting down to the Y2k. While this new “brand” that I’ve experienced since the past 20+ years have faded, and the emphasis now on what we call Gen-Z, the challenges surrounding me and my friends are very real and very relatable to the Gen-Zs. The world we live in, is a vulnerable, uncertain, complex at times and ambiguous, also known as a VUCA world.

While me and my friends now battle with what we call mid-life crisis, I’m seeing more younger adults, who mature much earlier, facing the same cross-roads even earlier. While the internet is fueled with many affluent, extroverted influencers who painted a picture of rosy bed and unlimited spending power on luxuries, there are also many who have posted their learnings, their struggles and their plea to help others.

I particularly enjoy the sharings by Simon Sinek‘s motion to “help people wake up every day inspired to go to work and return home every night fulfilled by their work” , Ali Abdaal‘s entrepreneurial and light-hearted way of sharing to help people generate side incomes, and Ryan Holiday‘s deep learning and sharing of stoicism.

Now back to mid-life crisis…

I remember having a conversation with a close friend, who identifies more as a Gen-X, told me that it is inevitable that one reaches the mid of life and suddenly, like a universe calling or cosmic energy, you start wondering what’s life, what am I doing and how am I living… And it could be a downward spiral if the past was good, we yearn for the adventurous and interesting past; Or if it wasn’t as good and without progress, what have we been doing to better ourselves. Most of the time, people are in the latter, because we are neither here nor there.

At this point in life, for a career prospect, many of my friends who have had a good run at the corporate ladder, ended up doing business of their own or ventured into being property agents. In family and relationships, tend to only focus on providing and spending time with their families. With friends who I know are singles or married without kids, they are more interested in building up their wealth, travels and the finer things in life.

So I’m curious – If you’re a millennial or Gen-X, what are you most concerned about at this stage? And why?