However,
Millennials, at least in their early 20s, are not thinking that way. We live in a copycat, instant gratification
culture, inspired by social media, that encourages everyone to “Carpe Diem” in
whatever way they want. Unfortunately,
there are only 168 hours in a week so it is virtually impossible to do
everything. Everything in
moderation, right, except when we are driven by instant gratification.
Think about it. Your young years are the best years to see the world, so why waste your time with something like buying a house? Your young years are the best time to make new and lasting relationships. You make memories with friends. Friends make you happy. It all seems so simple.
As I
mentioned in the first essay in this series, I was raised in a household that
emphasized planning for the future. One
of the first things I did after I started working after college was to open a
403(b) account and a ROTH IRA. 403(b) is
the teacher’s equivalent of a 401(k) and is operationally the same. The reason for starting early was
simple. You are young, you can afford
the risk, and at the time I was living at home so did not have as many expenses
then. If you start early that allows you
more time to build it and build it up some more. The market generally trends upward, so if you
consistently contribute to your retirement account from the day you start
working, you will be set by the time you hit 65.
“But 65 is so far
away!”
Yes, my
child, yes it is. However, there was a
time when 21 seemed so far away, right? If
you don’t look now, it will jump up and bite you (another cliché). Now, the average retirement age in the USA
is only 61. That’s good, right? Well, look a little closer at the data. The average retirement age is on the rise,
and the second poll question, which asks people at what age they EXPECT to
retire has trended upward significantly over the last 20 years toward ages
HIGHER than 65. That would make sense if
people are not saving for retirement now.
If you are not saving for retirement, then how could you expect to
retire at all let alone before 65?
That just is not the mindset nowadays of the Millennial crowd. At this current pace, it is not that far of a stretch to conclude that Millennials may NEVER be able to retire. Although that depends on what your definition of “retirement” actually is.
If you love
what you do, you will never work a day in your life (cliché #5?). We have all heard that one a time or
two. Millennials want to do what makes
them happy. If they find that happy, and
they also happen to draw a paycheck for it, what incentive would anybody have
to retire? As long as they are
able-bodied, can perform whatever the work requires, and in their opinion what
they do is not really “work,” there is absolutely no reason to retire. Young people nowadays have all kinds of
aspirations. However,
their overall opinion of business is extremely poor. Thanks in large part to social media (WE ARE
THE 99%!), and the way business (especially big business) is portrayed in it,
Millennials are typically eschewing traditional business models for their
careers. Instead, they want to make a
difference. They want whatever work they
do to be meaningful. Unfortunately, as
we have discussed here (Essay 2), jobs like that are hard to find. As a result, they have to settle for jobs
coming out of college that they did not strongly want, do not pay as much as
they would have wanted, and combine that with the interconnected
instant-gratifying culture, nobody really is thinking about retirement.
They just
need to pay the bills.
Now am I
sitting here, writing this, and attempting to convince everyone to forget about
what makes them happy and just focus on a future that for most of us is not
within sight? Absolutely not! If we live to at least our 70s and we cannot
start enjoying life until our 60s, what kind of a life is that? Regardless of religious affiliation, I think
it is philosophically safe to say that everyone is put on this planet for a
purpose, and if we spend all of our waking hours slaving away at some desk job
without trying to figure out what that purpose is, nobody would ever find any
meaning in life. I know I chose my
career path because the alternative for me (at least majoring in chemistry in
college) was to be a lab grunt for at least a few years, and I found that to be
less than appealing, and I still do.
Being a science teacher, I have my own lab and I can basically use it as
I please. I find that much more
rewarding as a career, but it does not begin and end with career. As I said previously, I would love to do some
more traveling, both in and out of the country, as I am sure everyone reading this
would agree they would too. However, the
most important thing, at least in my humble opinion, is balance.
Ah yes,
that is the great scientific term: balance. Do a quick word association (love that as a
teaching tactic). When you hear the term
balance, what pops in your head right away?
For me, usually it is some kind of measuring device. For a lawyer, it might be the scales of
justice in front of the Supreme Court.
For an athlete, it could be just staying on two feet. Balance means something specifically
different for everyone, but it is something that everyone ought to have in common.
For Millenials, 88%
want “work-life integration,” as opposed to
“work-life balance.” As mentioned
several times before, they want their work to mean something. I think this is a great way to understand how
Millennials view balance. The problem
comes when older generations (Baby Boomers and Gen X), who mostly are in the
positions of hiring them, view their own balance as something different. This conflict is yet another reason why Millennials
can have a difficult time finding work after college.
Everyone
needs balance in their life, from Baby Boomers (most of whom are getting ready
to retire), to Gen X, to the Millennials.
What that means for everyone is different, but finding that balance
enables everyone to seize the day as they see fit. Can I even begin to tell you what will find
balance in your life? Heck no, but it is
there for everyone.
Now imagine
yourself at the ripe old age of 70 (but by today’s standards, is 70 really even
that old?). You just hit retirement,
congratulations! You have 3 grown kids,
7 or 8 grandkids with another one on the way, a house on the beach in Florida…protected
from hurricanes of course…and you can look back on your life and say to
yourself, “Not only did I make a difference in the world, but look at what I
have right here.”
Balance,
isn’t that worth living for?
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