A Timely Narrative on Millennial Culture

Jun 07, 2020 Book Review…, News

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Book: The Millennial Mind – The Success Secrets for Unlocking our Full Potential
Author: Daniel Francis
Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD

In ‘The Millennial Mind,’ Daniel Francis examines the psychology of millennials in a fast-paced world driven by a technology-based zeitgeist and offers a template for optimizing their limitless potential. He uses anecdotes and empirical studies to make his case, and in the process, ably lends to a widely discussed but poorly researched subject.
Francis paints a familiar picture of his peers, dividing them into three groups: early (b. 1993-1996), middle (b. 1988-1992) and, late (b. 1981-1987). Of the last group, he notes, “They are the closest to the Baby Boomer generation and came of age with the belief that hard work pays off. They also would be understandably less technologically inclined as they are further away from the technology boom.”
That millennials, for the most part. are pained as restive, indolent, and entitled, Francis acknowledges. They are said to be unable to negotiate stressful situations and surmount the travails of life.
Of the “The biggest Millennial Catch,” Francis states, “What’s even more confusing is the fact that the generation that raised us sometimes scorn us as lazy, impatient, privileged, and lacking direction. Are they not the ones that raised us? We are the product of their upbringing.”
Clearly, Francis suggests that millennials have fallen victim to the Kleinian idealisation of the ‘good mother/object,’ or care givers, that unwittingly shelter their children from the natural stressors, in this case, economic and personal challenges. Served a weak hand, millennials are unable to conjure the will to flourish. “We Millennials grew up not knowing the sacrifice that our parents underwent and believed that our dreams were easily attained,” Francis pens. “We were coddled, supported, and protected to an almost unreasonable level… The adults in our lives believed that they were doing us a favour by protecting us from the harsh reality of not being good enough. As a result, it created a generation of people who feel entitled to accolades even when they did the bare minimum.”
He elaborates, “We graduate from schools, begin looking for jobs, and suddenly we are stumped at how difficult it is. We say to ourselves, “I have the credentials and I deserve to make X amount of money.” Yet, it is more challenging than we expect. Where is our participation medal? Where is our reward? We lash out perplexed by this situation.”
Unquestionably, millennials comprise a pivotal demographic that just cannot be slighted, argues Francis. “We make up a large portion of the working population from entry-level up to managerial positions,” but, “we enter into the world of adulting and we Millennials tend to be ill-prepared and a little confused. What is the right course of action? What should I be spending most of my time doing? Can I curse my boss, storm out, and never look back?”
Francis invokes the Athenian principle: ‘Man Know Thyself Mastery,’ as he beckons peers to be purposeful as they face the responsibilities of the workplace. The journey, he notes, “begins with the mastery of self.” He explains, “We cannot master ourselves without first understanding who we are and what the hell we want. If we don’t decide on these crucial things, we end up in what is known as the default future. A space of “comfort.” This comfort is not a good thing…Feeling slighted by an invisible force, we blame the government, the economy, or even the ridiculous companies that want us to have experience…”
Francis presents guidelines and practical exercises that could well offset the psychological deficits besetting millennials, and presents a push-pull model as the starting point of his roadmap to personal and professional success.
“While a push factor is a reaction to a situation, a pull factor is a proactive approach to achieving something that you want,” he explains. “To start creating pull factors you need to decide, first of all, what is it that you want. What is the specific outcome or tangible thing that you want to attain? What is your goal? What is your idea of success? Be specific. Once you have outlined that, you need to decide on a plan to achieve it. Ambiguity is the killer of dreams.”
Francis views inscribing one’s goals as a preliminary step in meeting goals. It allows for step-by-step evaluation and measurability. He cites the work of Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California, who “discovered that “you
are 42% more likely to achieve the goal if you write it down and look at that goal every day.”
Francis attributes improper planning to impatience, an objectionable quality endemic to the millennial mindset
“There is merit in incorporating patience into your repertoire,” he advises. “It is a realization that we must come to. Unfortunately, most of us Millennials don’t come to this realization until it’s too late. The mentality of shortcuts, for instance, the get rich quick approach… If you have no aspirations to the length of time it will take you to achieve the success you want, you would be less likely to quit along the way.”
Francis warns against the temporality of material pursuits. “That which makes you truly happy will not be an object…Of authentic living, he writes, “[t]rue happiness comes from the satisfaction that you are living your purpose because within purpose comes fulfilment. Your purpose is tied with what you are most passionate about so you must figure out what that is first.”
He cautions millennials against projecting their inadequacies and mistakes on others.
“Blame tag is not an entirely Millennial-specific issue,” he writes. “Anyone can succumb to passing blame. We don’t want to accept that we messed up. We try to wiggle our way out of being accountable for our actions…[I]t has detrimental effects on us as it mixes with our other negative character flaws such as impatience and entitlement.”
He follows that inexperience is a very millennial problem. Obdurate and myopic, millennials prove incapable of identifying self-destructive behaviours. “We have all been there in some way having to deal with our stubbornness mixed with accepting the path in front of us without question. We get glimpses of something being off but we tell ourselves that we have spent too much time and effort on this particular path to stray now. We perceive the trepidation as fear and continue moving forward. Ignoring the red flags.”
And for every problem Francis identifies, he offers practical, easy-to-follow solutions.
Francis’ measured approach to life belies his age. His is a cogent statement on youth, eldership and the importance of inter-generational dialogue. In an era of dynamic change, ‘The Mind of the Millennial’ is an important read.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.com
The Millennial Mindset by Daniel Francis
Copyright © Daniel Francis, 2020

Published April 15th, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-578-67403-2
Available at Amazon
Ratings: Recommended

 

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