Does Generation Y Dream Too Big?

So I was talking to one of my friends the other day about what he was going to do after he graduates from college. He’s a Business Economics major, and is specifically interested in international business. We talked about a wide range of opportunities that he could get in to – from going to graduate school to doing consulting to volunteering and a wide range of jobs in between. To each idea he responded, “Yeah, that could be cool, but I want to do something exciting”. Which I would then respond, “Well, what’s exciting to you?” Then he would say, “I’m not sure, I just want to do something influential”. When I would then make a sarcastic comment and say, “O, ok, that narrows down the options”. Essentially, the conversation got us nowhere except probably making him more confused about his future options than he was before we talked. And I realized that this isn’t just an issue with my friend, I think it’s a Generation Y issue.

            Here’s what I see as the problem: How many times have we heard of twenty-something year olds starting businesses and making millions of dollars? Mark Zuckerberg, Kevin Rose, and a ton of other ones (top 50 entrepreneurs under 30) just to name a few. All of these stories, combined with the plethora of available opportunities, have gotten into the heads of Generation Y. It has made us think that the sky’s the limit, anything is possible, and anything less than that is just mediocre. We want to change the world. We want to be revolutionary, not ordinary. Now that’s all good and well, but no one is going to change the world in a day. In fact, unless you get lucky, you’ll have to work for years to make an impact. But Generation Y has a tough time with patience. We’ve grown up in a world where things are instant, and we don’t like waiting around for things to happen. We look to the sky but don’t realize that you can’t reach the sky without taking the first step. That’s why, at least in my opinion, it’s become custom now for people to change jobs every 2-3 years, if not less than that. People want greatness, and if they don’t get it, they become disheartened and disappointed.

Now I’m not saying don’t have dreams, but I am saying that you have to be realistic about your opportunities. Let’s face it, not all of us are going to change the world and not all of us are going to be revolutionary. As much as our moms have told us that we’re amazing and that we’re number 1, most likely we’re not. Now I’m not saying don’t have dreams and hopes, but I am saying that you have to take the first step.

So what’s the first step? First and foremost, figure out what you want. “Change the world” is not an answer. Either is “Let’s just see what happens”. How are you going to change the world? Figure out what career you want and what’s the best way to get in to that career path. Once you get their, work hard, but be patient. Don’t half-ass your job, because no one that has ever achieved greatness was lazy. But don’t expect to become CEO in a day either. If you take it step by step, while still having your eye towards to future, you will still be able to achieve greatness. But overlooking that first step could be detrimental for your career and for your ego. 

The thing is, we as a generation have the opportunities and the potential to truly change the world, but saying it and talking about it won’t make it happen. We need to take action and strive to achieve those dreams, otherwise we will always look for and think of something better, but it will never come.