What Does “Success” Look Like for Millennials Today?
It’s time we redefine our big life goals
How many of you are in therapy?
I can’t see you, but I’m assuming quite a few of you put your hands up. I see my therapist (Dr. C, we love her) twice a week and it’s been a game-changer. Lately, we’ve been working on embracing anger. It’s a feeling that I really struggle to acknowledge and express. So much so that any time I do express anger Dr. C smiles and throws her hands in the air celebrating the occasion.
The first time I got notably angry in a session was when I told Dr. C that I’d been priced out of owning a home in our metropolitan city. I told her that I did everything “right:” I got good grades, went to college, majored in a field that was logical (instead of creative writing, which is what I wanted,) and got a 9–5. From childhood, I’d been told that if I did all of those things, I could have a life like my boomer parents: A nice house, a few kids, vacations to theme parks, and two nice cars in the driveway—one for my wife and one for me.
If you’re a fellow millennial, you probably know that this isn’t how things actually played out. I work hard and I make “good” but here in my California city, rent is 123% higher than the national average. (Before you jump in my comments telling me to move: Don’t. My…