Pressure to succeed

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Unlike previous generations who expected to invest years in their careers before reaching their professional and financial goals, Millennials feel pressured to “make it” before the age of 30.  According to a U.S. study, 67 percent of Millennials feel “extreme” pressure to succeed, compared to 40 percent of Gen-Xers and 23 percent of Boomers. This has resulted in a new phenomenon: the quarter-life crisis. More and more Millennials in their mid-20 and early 30s are feeling lost, confused, and unsatisfied with their lives.

Raised to succeed

Millennials and their younger Gen Z counterparts have been raised to succeed. Parents, teachers and coaches told them anything was possible and went to great lengths to nurture their talents and self-esteem. But as they entered the workforce, a suddenly precarious job market meant many had difficulty even getting their foot on the first rung of the corporate ladder, and their expectations of immediate success faded. This left many Millennials feeling confused and lost – and under even more pressure to succeed.

The role of social media

Millennials not only feel pressure to succeed from their families, teachers and coaches—they feel it all around them thanks to mobile technology and social media.

While social media has tremendous benefits, it also allows people to idealize their lives by only posting and tweeting what they want people to see such as great jobs, exotic holidays, and seemingly perfect marriages and children. Social media can make people feel like they’re not doing as well as their contemporaries and places more pressure on them to succeed.

While it may not be possible to fully escape the sometimes unrealistic expectations our families and culture places on us all, we can find ways to deal with the often intense pressure to succeed.

Coping with pressure

Here are some ways to help deal with the pressure to succeed. 

• Strive for excellence not perfection. Perfectionism involves setting impossibly high standards and viewing minor setbacks or failures as unacceptable.
• Focus on what success means to you. Society tells us that success is about money, prestige and possessions, but do you want from life? Are loving relationships and supportive friends important? Making a difference in the community?Having children? You may already be living a successful life.
• Set SMART goals. Make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. For more information on setting SMART goals, contact us.

Finally, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, reach out for help. Contact us for information, resources and support on a wide variety of work and life issues, including financial planning, stress management, career development and personal relationships.