7 Social Expectations You Must Constantly Fight

Today, millennials face many social expectations that cause most of our stress and anxiety.

These expectations are passed down from older generations through family and peers, who always did things “how they were supposed to.”

As a millennial, you must know these expectations to break free of their shackles and live on your terms.

Here are 7 social expectations you must constantly fight:

1. You Need to Go Toward Security

I always hear people say, “but the job has good benefits,” which concerns me.

It is not that I have a problem with benefits.

I have a problem with people choosing benefits over personal growth and happiness.

• You don’t think you get paid enough
• You feel you get disrespected
• You get no recognition
• You are not growing

But you have to stay because the job has significant benefits… What???

These days, all you have to do to make someone settle into the same old pattern is throw some benefits their way, and they will feel trapped for life.

Security or stability teaches you to play it safe.

You try nothing new or never explore your real potential.

You just want something steady that pays decent or has some benefits.

A job that allows you to pay all your bills to go on a few dates, and life is good, right?

Train yourself early to run from this as fast as you can.

Go for the opportunities that present you with the most amount of growth.

If you continue to grow, the money will come if you’re patient.  

2. You’re Too Young/Old for a Family

I got married when I was 24, and my wife was 22.

Many people immediately told me I was too young to get married.

They could not believe I was doing this so young and blah blah blah.

Now, I have no problem with waiting until you are older to get married and have kids, all of that jazz.

But people will always tell you that you are wrong.

If you wait until you are 30, everyone will harass you and keep asking when you’ll get married.

Social expectations shouldn’t put pressure on you.

Live life on your terms.

When you are ready to do it, go after it.

Being single means you can think of yourself and do what you want when you want.

It has many advantages for going after goals.

But having a family can provide a lot of motivation because you have a family depending on you to be a star.

3. You Need to Buy a Home

I think this one irks me because it is old-fashioned.

The reason I am not a fan of buying homes has nothing to do with finances at all.

I understand that buying a home makes more sense than renting financially.

My issue with purchasing a home is that homeowners settle for less because they feel stuck.

It is like when people buy a home and say, “I am ready to settle down.”

They just give up on growing.

I have only rented since moving out of my parents’ home, which has kept me agile.

I can go anywhere.

People with homes sound like someone chained them to their property when they talk about new opportunities.

I am not saying don’t buy a home.

What I am saying is to think about it.

It is not 1995, and the times are different.

4. You Need to Get Ready for Retirement 

You don’t need to prepare for retirement.

What you need to prepare for is finding work that does not make you want to retire.

Retirement made so much sense when you worked a dull factory job.

Day in and out, you do the same thing: to provide for your family.

When you are done, you get paid, and at age 65, you can finally live life.

People I have met who do what they love never talk about retirement.

They have enough money to retire at any point, but why would they?

They love what they do and are still growing because of it.

Don’t squeeze yourself into having to get that 401k.

Don’t go for what makes you feel safe and secure at the cost of finding what you love.

That just makes little sense!

Find what you like so that building your 401K will be fun and easy.

5. You Need to Work More/Less

You got an excellent job you love, and work your tail off for it.

People will be all over your ass telling you not to work so much.

People want to make your life look like their life.

If they decide to watch three hours of TV per night, they want to know why you won’t do the same.

Mind you, I have no problem if someone wants to watch TV.

Just don’t expect me to join you.

You need to work as much as you need to work.

If you work too hard and burn out, you will learn and improve.

Control your life and protect your dream from everyone.

You have a vision that was made just for you!

When I started building FIXT, I knew it would take work.

At first, there would be little results to show for it.

To some, this is a sign that something great is on the way; while others will focus on the lack of results and tell you to quit.

Focus on what you need to do—not on social expectations.

6. You Need What Your Parents Have

Our parents raised us.

So naturally, we feel we need the things they have because of social expectations, and they want us to have better.

Here is the problem: your parents did not always have what they have now.

I bet the story would differ if you talked to them about times when you were a baby.

They struggled, and because of that fight, they are strong!

Now, they are great parents.

So they see you struggle and want to come in and save the day.

Don’t let them! Struggle; you will be OK in the end.

Make your own way and remind them of when they were younger and what they went through.

They will understand.

7. You Need to Go to School

Do you think you need to go to school?

You go to school for a purpose.

The goal has transformed into who can go to school for the longest.

The smart ones realize that the aim should be to go to school for the least amount of time that is needed.

Why would you want to spend more money to go to school and go into debt when you are unsure of a payoff coming?

Do the math.

Not everyone needs to go to college or get their Masters or Ph.D.

These are simply social expectations.

I often hear parents brag because their kid is still in school.

In my mind, that is not always brag-worthy.

Everything I have learned that has mattered has come from experiences, not school.

Going to school for business has done nothing to help me be a savvier businessman.

FIXT and the core knowledge to help athletic injuries has come from being an athlete myself, running a blog for athletes, creating a clothing line, running a custom-made tie company, and helping my wife, a massage therapist.

Are you ready to live life on your own terms?

It is YOUR life.

Take responsibility for it, and go do what you need to get what you want.

Will you make other people worried? Yes!

Does it matter?

Nope.

Not at all, because it is your life.

Let us know which societal expectations you want to let go of in the comment section.

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