Millennials take a trip back to the good ole’ days

Flashbacks to childhood weekends have begun. After much demand Nickelodeon came out this week with a rerun schedule (The 90's Are All That) of some of their best shows from the 90’s - All That, Clarrisa Explains it All, Doug and Keenan and Kel are on weeknights at midnight as of this past Tuesday. Are they directing this toward their current teen demographic? Nope! They are directing it straight to us, the Millennials that once upon a time thought that Pierre Escargot was really teaching us French in a bathtub while eating Chinese food.

Now that I am and old working girl, I of course don’t last past 11:00pm on weeknights, but I DVR’d the episodes and went back to watch All That last night. There is a certain nostalgia going back and watching the kids you idolized when you were just a kid. I remember having a huge crush on Josh Server and never really understanding what was so funny about Vital Information with Lori Beth Denberg.

I started comparing current TV shows that are now on Disney and Nickelodeon compared to what we watched back then. And I was almost sad to think that kids now won’t get to experience the creativity that came from our 90’s favorites. These new shows like iCarly, Zoe 101, SpongeBob Squarepants lack the creativity that we were able to ingest growing up. The teen queens now are short on the comedic spontaneity that was present on All That or The Amanda Show. Most of the shows that pre-teens and teens watch now are based in a high school with some kind of drama/romance and are no where near what high school actually turns out to be.

The shows back in the 90’s were created outside the typical high school drama box, we had Salute Your Shorts, Hey Dude, Are you Afraid of the Dark and Guts. Instead of sitting inside hoping to bee the next Selena Gomez, we really wanted to practice going through obstacles so that we could prove how easy it was to put together that damn monkey on Legends of the Hidden Temple.

I, like many other millennials, started today with a smile, just remembering how funny these simple, low budget shows were back in the 90’s and how exciting it was to come home from school and turn on Nickelodeon. Now, if only they would start reruns from TGIF (Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clueless), that would definitely call of a 90’s party.

Running program the US should embrace

I had a DUH! moment when I read the Runner’s world post to their twitter this morning. A new program in London, Home Run London, encourages people that work in the city to run home. Through this program up to 50 can meet at a station then run up to 5 miles home with a group. The coolest part of this? There are cyclist that carry your bags home or to your next destination for you.

As the US is quickly becoming the most overweight nation, this is something our cities should have. In Raleigh we don’t have a subway/train system, but I think it could work in all different types of communities not just cities. In London they are doing it based on tube stations (so you start at one station and end at another), so I’m not sure how it would work if you drive to work, but that’s something to ponder…..

There are plenty of running groups available throughout local areas but usually you go home get ready then head back out. This concept in London doesn’t give you the time to talk yourself out of your nightly run; it’s your way home. This also has a lead runner that will pace the group and work with you to grow your distance. They are starting this as a build up to the summer Olympics. There is some kind of fee associated with it but I imagine it would be less than a gym membership.

Maybe we will start to see it around the US soon? Personally, this idea ranks up there with the scooter designated drivers :-)

Photo credit: http://www.homerunlondon.com/index.php/routes

This Millennial is becoming a triathlete

Typically I spend my time on this blog talking about work and overcoming the challenges Millennials face in the workplace. But I have constantly said you have to find something outside of work to be passionate about whether it is a hobby or a charity you work with, it can give you that passion that may be lacking in your current workplace position.

It is safe to say that Triathlons have taken over my life outside of work. After watching my dad compete in the Louisville Ironman in September of 2010, the inspiration stuck with me but I wasn’t sure that was something I could get into a be successful in. Then my boyfriend joined the ranks of being a Triathlete, competing in Olympic and Half-Ironman distances. Now, I have always exercised and/or run but there was something about these races that inspired me to go further.

Last year I started doing running races, I did a 5k, 8k and 10k in 2010. I started 2011 with a 10k in April then I did the Race for the Cure 5k in June (which if you are looking for inspiration look no further than this race….it’s amazing!). Then between my dad and my boyfriend I was starting to get the Triathlon bug, so this summer I started training for a Sprint Distance triathlon in August. Even though it is a short distance (350 yard swim, 12-mile bike, 5k run) it has taken more dedication to train for than I have ever put forth in regards to athleticism (and I am just about 4 weeks from the competition). I was on the swim team in high school so the swim portion feels like second nature to me, but the biggest challenge I am overcoming is that I have not been on a bike since the middle school days of riding to the pool. And then there is finding a bike that is actually comfortable to ride (the answer is none).

As I start to tackle the last few weeks of my training, I was wondering how I could incorporate some training lessons into my work life and then I found this article, What Millennials can learn from Ironman Triathletes. Author Lauren Moye had the following lessons to share:
Lesson 1: Sometimes you have to swim over people to get ahead.
We have to find a way to separate ourselves from the herd without getting kicked too much in the process.
Lession 2: Transitions are important; Balance is key.
Balancing the speed with which you would like to move on or up, with efficiency to know it is the right move for you.
Lesson 3: The right support system is critical.
I blogged about this right after my dad did the Ironman, inner strength is only supplemented by outside support.
Lesson 4: Believe in a dream that no one else sees but you.
Most peoples have hobbies that others would deem crazy, but as long as you don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal (the finish line), who cares what the critics think?

As my training distances get longer this week, I’m sure there will be more training/millennial epiphanies to come!

Photo credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZIr1mWCqrCLO2elzHkek9UvhBVDj4euadFHk9BvI_eEBHG9SWxPIorbI33nzRdZUPtGNLEFO18qq7cDuWwsPJAIv6VGYSHy48yNub-47-WMc69bOW8s97AFneCUeuPxVzHnHkTBocZGs/s240/finish+line.jpg

What Gen-Y Sometimes Forgets at Work

We finally land a job. It might not be our dream job but it is a job and it has benefits with a steady paycheck. So now what? As Millennials it is often said we come into a company expecting to be a VP tomorrow. We are typically the youngest in a company full of established baby boomers, it’s easy to either try to make a million changes or some just sit down in a cubicle and go with the flow, work hard and hope management is going to notice. If the latter is your method, you may be sitting pretty in that same position for a very long time.

It’s a common belief that your work will speak for itself and yes, it will if it is above and beyond the call of duty. But many Millennials are not put into an action situation like that. So what do you do to stand out above the rest of the entry level employees around you? You speak up, ask questions, and work hard.

Whether you are seeking more recognition, more responsibility or more compensation, you have to ask. Why on earth would a manager just offer these up to you? If you take the time to make the request for more responsibility in your role, it shows initiative, and with initiative comes recognition and eventually compensation. To get started, set up a one-on-one meeting with your manager and discuss what you have been working on, then go into why you feel you could handle more tasks and how you would go about keeping it all organized and efficient.

This one little meeting may help you start the journey to finding your place in a larger company. Millennials have the stereotype of bouncing around from job to job trying to find the “coolest” company they can. But there is something to be said to finding a position and being successful in it for a few years before you head out to find your dream job.

Millennials need fun, flexibility at work? HUH?

I was starting to think that the Millennial generation was losing momentum in the work force, the reports of people 16-26 having an unemployment rate of 13% is pretty scary. But leave it to CNN to bring us back into the spotlight with their series this week “CNN is taking a closer look at people between age 18 and 30 or the Millennial generation -- who they are, how they work and what they want from life.”

The headline is “Millennials need fun, flexibility at work,” well doesn’t everyone want fun and flexibility at work? DUH! My interest was sparked, not necessarily just because I’m a Millennial but because I wanted to hear about this illusive workplace environment that supposedly exist.

This article showcases a Millennial that is working at Texas-based company, HotSchedules. It is safe to say that this company is not anywhere near reality. The Millennial being interviewed decided he wanted to travel and take a year off of work they gave it to him…. I’m sorry WHAT?! Their company has massage chairs and a game room, okay awesome, but what kind of work expectations do these employees have? Do they have numbers to meet? Required hours they need to put in? That was something CNN did not share.

I truly believe anyone, at any age would be more willing to come to work if that is what they got to walk into everyday, with little required expectations. But the truth is times are tough, expectations are high and many of us are working for less pay than we should be, in cubicles that are a little tight and hoping that the next raise will be more than 2% or for some just a raise at all.

A Gen-Y consultant gave this quote, "The reality is, we've had parents who have told us how great we are since we were kids, you know. We listen to Baby Einstein to get smarter. We go to school and suffer from grade inflation, and if we didn't get an A, we went and negotiated. We've built up our self-esteem, and the result is, we can't deal with adversity.” I really can’t even dignify this with a comment other than what school did this kid go to?! Yes, I have high self-esteem but I worked my butt off in school to achieve it. Sidenote: I personally never watched or understood the Baby Einstein craze (it’s really trippy), but I did watch 90210 a little too early in life probably.

The one part of this article I completely agree with is, "We want to make a difference from day one, which is totally huge. We show up, and that's why we think we should be vice president.” Someday we will make a difference at work. Until then, like I’ve said before, find a way to make a difference OUTSIDE of work. I've been helping out with a Labrador rescue (Save a Lab NC), I can feel accomplished knowing I have a job and I am making a difference in some way.

And, if you read the end of the article... no I don't just blog or do my job so i can post to Facebook!