Maybe it was recently celebrating another year around the sun that reinforced in my mind how quickly time flies. Maybe it was Valentine’s Day and all the chatter of love that made me think that we really need to show ourselves some love by taking care of ourselves!
At the start of every new year, I plot out all of the things that I want to accomplish in both my personal and business lives. Then, I break this down into monthly tasks. At the start of each month, I review what I did get done the previous month and chart weekly and daily goals. This really helps me ensure that things don’t fall through the cracks (like filing an HST return or forgetting an important birthday). But I also tend to chastise myself when I carry tasks over from one day to the next and possibly all the way into another week.
Not long ago I read a wonderful quote: “When we crave simplicity, we are not after an easier life. We are after life.” Perhaps that’s why a new trend seems to be emerging among those who belong to the Millennial generation. It’s a trend of skipping past the mid-life crisis and moving directly from young adulthood into what are euphemistically called “granny hobbies”. This may include knitting, baking bread (and remembering to feed your sourdough starter), gardening, keeping chickens, spinning, woodworking – with an emphasis less on rising in the business ranks and more on a personal life that brings you joy and inner peace. And – since Millennials now surpass Baby Boomers as the largest living adult generation, this trend will certainly impact our society!
Not long ago I read a wonderful quote: “When we crave simplicity, we are not after an easier life. We are after life.” Perhaps that’s why a new trend seems to be emerging among those who belong to the Millennial generation. It’s a trend of skipping past the mid-life crisis and moving directly from young adulthood into what are euphemistically called “granny hobbies”. This may include knitting, baking bread (and remembering to feed your sourdough starter), gardening, keeping chickens, spinning, woodworking – with an emphasis less on rising in the business ranks and more on a personal life that brings you joy and inner peace. And – since Millennials now surpass Baby Boomers as the largest living adult generation, this trend will certainly impact our society!
What is prompting this trend? The Baby Boom generation was raised by parents who had survived The Great Depression and World War II. They were taught to work hard and to be thankful that there was work to be had. The Baby Boom generation, however, was not content with societal norms. They launched the fights for women’s rights, gay rights, civil rights and social equality. Because Baby Boomers were such a large generation, there was a great deal of competitiveness which fueled the habits of working longer and harder to achieve their dreams.
Most Millennials are the children of Baby Boomers. They grew up in a world of rapidly expanding technological advances. On the whole, they enjoyed a reasonably affluent lifestyle but also experienced having parents whose work habits created a great deal of stress and burnout – and this simply was not talked about. Millennials are wanting to achieve a greater balance between their work lives and their personal lives.
I am a part of the “Jones” generation – the latter half of the Baby Boomers. As the “Jones” generation entered the workforce, we were faced with mass unemployment and high mortgage rates (picture me thinking that my 19.5% mortgage rate was a deal!). Women faced a great deal of sexual harassment while trying to move up the corporate ladder when positions were filled by a large number of earlier-born Baby Boomers. My generation certainly did not experience the abundance that the older Boomers did. I must admit that the wisdom of the Millennial “granny hobby” trend is one that is appealing! I left the corporate world 20 years ago and opened up Knit Pickers PEI. And yes – I knit, garden, bake bread, and enjoy my summertime chickens – Gracie and Lilly. Have I achieved that work/life balance yet? Not really. But every day, I am striving to be kinder, more loving and more forgiving to myself.
Most Millennials are the children of Baby Boomers. They grew up in a world of rapidly expanding technological advances. On the whole, they enjoyed a reasonably affluent lifestyle but also experienced having parents whose work habits created a great deal of stress and burnout – and this simply was not talked about. Millennials are wanting to achieve a greater balance between their work lives and their personal lives.
I am a part of the “Jones” generation – the latter half of the Baby Boomers. As the “Jones” generation entered the workforce, we were faced with mass unemployment and high mortgage rates (picture me thinking that my 19.5% mortgage rate was a deal!). Women faced a great deal of sexual harassment while trying to move up the corporate ladder when positions were filled by a large number of earlier-born Baby Boomers. My generation certainly did not experience the abundance that the older Boomers did. I must admit that the wisdom of the Millennial “granny hobby” trend is one that is appealing! I left the corporate world 20 years ago and opened up Knit Pickers PEI. And yes – I knit, garden, bake bread, and enjoy my summertime chickens – Gracie and Lilly. Have I achieved that work/life balance yet? Not really. But every day, I am striving to be kinder, more loving and more forgiving to myself.
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