Our generation is different than those that came before us in terms of our perception of the path to a life worth living. We crave an element of success that cannot be reached through the conventional methods of occupational advancement and personal development.
Before it was all about graduating from college, getting a job, buying a house, getting married, having kids, and then retiring from the same company after 40 years. Success was saving enough money for our retirement. Sorry, but Generation Y wants no part of that boring life. We march to a different beat and we are a lot more ambitious about what this world can offer us than the traditional path to security.
We’re looking to follow our passion, control our time, and do work we love doing because of the feeling it gives us to know we are having an impact on the world around us.
Here are 20 things that demonstrate success for the fireball of ambition that is Generation Y.
1. Having Freedom
The ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want may be more valuable to us than any amount of money. When we were younger we all hated being controlled by our parents or older peers. Thus we have all always wanted to have control over our experiences and opportunities for success. We want to call the shots and not be a slave to the clock.
We don’t suffer through five days of work to enjoy two days off on the weekend. Every day feels like a Friday and we look forward to Mondays.
2. Living and working where we want
Generation Y hates the idea of being stuck in a cubicle, slaving away for a company we couldn’t care less about. We want to live in whatever city we want, working at any given point of the day we want to. The internet is universal and all forms of necessary communication are capable through the use of a computer, so there is no reason why we can’t get our work done on the beaches of Barbados.
3. Passive income
You are a successful person when you close your eyes at night and lay to sleep and there is still money currently adding up. Whether you’re sleeping, working or playing, the money is still coming in no matter what. We’ve built our business to generate income every day without us even having to touch it.
We don’t trade our time for money. It takes hard work to get to that point, but we’ve built our income systems to do that just as well.
4. Living your passion
We want to do what we love to do and find a way to make money from it. The last thing we want to do is be living someone else’s dream and helping them accomplish what they are passionate about. We love what we’re doing. We wake up every day excited to know that we get to work on something we love.
We’ve been able to find that sweet spot where we love what we’re doing, provide value to others, and get paid for it. It doesn’t feel like work because we’re having so much fun.
5. Travel and Travel
What member of Generation Y doesn’t love to travel? We currently live in a time where we can get anywhere we want in the world in a day’s time.
We don’t want to wait till we’re over 65 to start traveling. We want to travel while we’re still young and vibrant. We can decide where we want to go and when. No need to wait for a vacation or ask for permission. We want the ability to walk into a airport and pick a destination at ease.
6. Being the boss
We all have seen the advantages of having an alpha personality and one day we all want to be the boss. We like calling the shots and because we are the rebel generation, we despise being told what to do. We report only to ourselves. We control our own destiny.
7. Leaving a legacy
We want to have our work to make an impact long after we are gone. Future generations will remember what we did to help make the world a better place. When our name is mentioned, they will remember greatness. And we want our story to always be retold by future generations who will take great interest in the changes we made to the society we lived in.
8. More time with your family
Being able to balance your work and your family is a huge sign of success. Many people with six figure salaries work so much they barely have time to spend with their family. Is that what we want? No. A more balanced lifestyle means we’re more successful. A happy family life is the key to a happy life.
10. Having great health
Without good health your money is worth nothing. You can’t be the richest guy in the cemetery and without your health you cannot enjoy your success and the fruits of your labor.
Being in good mental and physical health means our success is well rounded. You need to keep a healthy lifestyle not just for yourself but for the people who value your well-being as well.
11. Having exciting stories to tell
We understand the great importance of the memories we make and the times in which we understood the beauty of being alive. Success is about the adventure we take to get there and the experiences that we make from it.
We don’t want a life of regret, of memories we wish we had. A life with little or no regret is the epitome of success for many of us.
12. Financial Freedom
We don’t want to stress about money, debt or a mortgage. We just want to have enough of it that we can live comfortably and reward ourselves with the experiences we worked for.
13. Time with loved ones during holidays
When we’ve worked hard during the year, it’s nice to relax during the holidays with friends and family. We understand the joy of the simple things in life, and some of these are great food, great conversation, and great people to be around. It’s a time to be thankful and we have lots to be thankful for.
14. A great night of sleep
We all know that if you work too hard at some point or another you are going to crash. We enjoy a well deserved night sleep that gives us the rejuvenation we need to work even harder tomorrow. If we sleep great at night, it means we’re 100% ready for whatever the next day has in store for us.
15. Teaching and inspiring others
Once we’ve attained a certain level of success, teaching others of how we got there is rewarding as well. Our success is an inspiration to them. When others want to learn from us, it means they value our knowledge and experience.
They listen to what we have to say. They buy any products we have to learn more. They pack conferences to hear us speak. Being admired like this is worth more money than the world could ever offer us.
16. Recognition
We crave attention at a revolutionary level, which is why we have been called the attention seeking generation. We put in hard work and we want to be recognized for it, just like Oscar winners feel rewarded for putting in so much passion into an award winning movie.
17. Retiring early
No one wants to work until their 65 years old. The way we see success is by retiring early and just enjoying the later years at a leisurely pace. Maybe we’re ready to focus on other passions. Maybe we want to do more traveling. If we’ve worked hard and are smart enough to allow ourselves to retire early, go for it.
18. Control our own time
Time is valuable. We can always make more money, but we can’t make more than 24 hours in a day.
We are the owners of our schedule. It’s our choice and we love having that power to control our time.
19. Great Friends
Studies show that people with a group of close friends and a close community have less stress, accomplish more, and are healthier and happier overall.
We have great friends who get what we’re doing and our lifestyle. Not everyone will understand us and that’s normal. We find those who do. We want to enjoy those memorable moments with our friends and continue to laugh about them, even in our old age.
20. Giving back
Once we’ve attained financial success, we want give back to those in need. We’re a group of people that wants to give back to those that have inspired us to have such a significant impact on the world we live in. It is important to give back to the people that have shaped our unique perception and optimistic ideals.
Bonus: Private planes, mansions, and your own island
This is what we typically think of being successful. If we’re doing something we’re passionate about and we touch millions of people in the process, the rewards will be greater than we could have ever predicted.
We don’t just strive for money. What we wish for is a balance that lets us take advantage of every joy to be had in this world. We don’t want to be too much of anything, we just want to experience all the benefits of being the best version of ourselves, being successful in every way imaginable.
Preston Waters | Elite.
