Gen Y’s Inspire Reinvention

I recently spoke for a student leadership conference in Nanaimo BC- a tough audience! All Gen Y’s, all focused on their future, getting ahead and making a difference. This is a demographic that has the excitement for the future that we all start out with but for many Gen X and Zoomers we got lost and got stuck in an identity and then had to find our way out of what we thought we wanted.

What is inspiring about Gen Y’s is that they refuse to be boxed into a specific identity AND they see reinvention as their divine right. This is why they do not or cannot give a commitment to an employer of 3 years or longer. Gen Y’s have been raised to go for what they want and to find work they love. Conversely Zoomers and Gen X were raised to find work that pays the bills and if you don’t love it- well just stick with it!

Gen Y would rather put a hot poker in their eye than to do something that they dislike or do not love. A cynical Zoomer will say that this is lack of work ethic or that it’s called work for a reason but an open minded Zoomer would see it as a refreshing way to look at work.

Can you imagine a planet where everyone of every generation loved what they did?

Can you see the expanded creativity and innovation that would happen?

I know it sounds idealistic but I tend to believe that Gen Y’s are leading a movement forward for all of us to find work we love. Imagine a workplace where everyone actually wants to be there and because everyone is doing work aligned with their strengths there is higher engagement, happiness and overall profitability.

Gen Y’s are causing all of us to rethink work, to reinvent our identities and to re-look at why we work, what we want from our work and how we can connect doing what we love with creating the lifestyle that fulfills us the most.

The opportunity for all of us is to embrace the possibility of actually enjoying our work (I am blessed because I took big risks over 15 years ago to do what I love) when we do what we love we are willing to work hard- the two go hand in hand. It’s because we are working towards something that fulfills us and has a bigger purpose.

Take a look at the Gen Y’s in your life and at your work- see them as messengers of inspiration and seek to love what you do or reinvent to find work you love.