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Are you a Millennial or Gen Z? Are you frustrated or feeling stuck? Have you ever considered that investing in yourself could change your life?
Modern society encourages you to adopt the victim mindset. Taking responsibility for yourself is how to trade the victim mindset for the growth mindset.
I was born in 1991. I am considered a younger Millennial. I experienced many negative feelings: unhappiness, feeling left behind, and wanting to give up. Fortunately, you can overcome all that. Instead, you can become a victor by practicing self-responsibility and investing in yourself.
The Surprising Key to Happiness for Millennials and Gen Z: Self-Responsibility
The Changing World
The 21st century is very different from the 20Th century. Yet, many young people are told that the same rules apply today. Three significant changes happened between these two centuries: loss of trust in institutions, the Internet, and the rise of the solopreneur. The consequence of all those things is that to get ahead, you must accept responsibility for your life.
Self-Responsibility In The Internet Age
Self-responsibility has always been the foundation for success.
The traditional education system prepared you to become a good employee. The Industrial Age required many workers to obediently work eight-hour days doing manual labor in a factory. In return, they promised “security” and a pension. Today, pensions are history and you are often just a text away from dismissal. People have lost confidence in industry and society’s institutions, from the higher education system to mainstream media to big corporations. This is a direct result of the immense opportunities provided by the Internet. Success today means taking responsibility for yourself and using the power of the Internet.
The Internet has made information accessible beyond the control of traditional institutions. The Internet has made it much easier to learn new skills and discover your interests. You can now completely master a new skill by reading how-to articles and videos online or purchasing a digital course.
You are no longer stuck pursuing a college degree, along with six figures of debt. You no longer have to just hope that you enjoy working in the field for which you studied. The Internet has revolutionized education, in many cases, at least for the open-minded.
All of these options will cost far less than a college degree. The Internet and social media have given birth to the solopreneur. Today, you no longer need to work for a big company. You can now build an audience online. You could do this on your website, a YouTube Channel, TikTok, or another social media platform.
I got involved in the solopreneur space, unintentionally, by starting my website, Secure Single, in December 2015. It began as a hobby since, at first, I thought the traditional path was still the best. However, solopreneurship has become my primary focus.
I began to study how to make money online. I worked to build my email list. I learned how to self-publish my first book. I figured out how to start my own YouTube Channel. All these things I did on my own. I accepted self-responsibility for working to grow them.
Today, I am what is called a micro-influencer. The social media accounts combined for Secure Single have nearly 10,000 followers. My website has been my main focus since I have total control over it.
I am only telling you this because I unintentionally found what my strengths were. My primary strengths include writing, search engine optimization (SEO), keyword research, and digital marketing. I took the responsibility to learn how to do these things independently.
I would be unhappy working a traditional job for many reasons. As a contrarian, I have never understood why employers value soft skills over hard skills. You have the same opportunity to work towards leaving your job or starting the journey of solopreneurship while still in school.
You accomplish the same thing when you accept self-responsibility. Leave behind the employee model for the business model. Become a solopreneur.
Shiny Object Syndrome
You want to avoid shiny object syndrome. Shiny object syndrome means that you care more about the number of likes and followers you have than increasing your net worth.
Yes, you need to have an audience, but once it becomes your primary concern, you are distracted by numbers that change daily and rely on the almighty algorithm.
If you are beginning as a solopreneur, it is best to focus on only two or three main social media platforms for growth. Later, you can hire a social media manager or a virtual assistant.
Avoid Toxic People
Avoid spending time with toxic people. Toxic people prevent you from reaching your goals. If you choose the solopreneur route, value your time and where you focus your attention.
Toxic people take away your time and dilute your focus. They are just not worth your time.
Find Like-Minded People
Do the work to surround yourself with like-minded people. Expand your current social circle and network with people in online groups.
Virtual Mentors
Discover your virtual mentors. These are knowledgeable people you can find online who are already successful at things you want to accomplish. You can find these people by joining their email lists or subscribing to their YouTube channel.
Think Long-Term
Think long-term. We are all taught to think short-term. For example, we may be primarily concerned about things we want to buy. Long-term thinking is one of the keys to success. Rather than thinking about days, weeks, or months, think about years and decades.
Victim Mindset Versus Growth Mindset
The victim mindset blames people. A victim mentality believes that life is against them. A victim does not focus on self-development. A person with a victim mentality does not accept self-responsibility.
The growth mindset focuses on self-development. A person with a growth mindset embraces challenges and will find a solution. A growth mindset acknowledges that skills can be developed. A person with a growth mindset learns from failure and never gives up.
Invest In Yourself
The best investment is in yourself. Self-education plays a critical role in success. Self-study is a common habit of self-made millionaires. Find ways to increase your skill set. Discover ways to increase your income. Always find new ways to level up your skills, solve a problem in your niche, and make money.
Conclusion
You can choose the 20th-century route for success, which is slowly ending. Or, you can accept self-responsibility and embrace the tools of the 21st century by becoming a solopreneur. Learn to use the Internet and social media to build your digital empire. Through self-responsibility and investing in yourself, you can find happiness, develop self-confidence, and live a prosperous life.
James Bollen is the founder and president of Secure Single. He is an entrepreneur, committed contrarian, Internet marketer, content creator, and author. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback on Amazon.
