Why Am I An Optimistic Millennial? Gen Z Taught Me These Three Important Lessons

I'm not going to lie—I grew up in a pretty different world compared to Gen Z. Maybe not dramatically different, but different enough to warrant a discussion of the differences I've seen compared to my Gen Z colleagues.

I graduated from high school at 19, finished college at 28, and started my freelance journey a week before I turned 31. Heck, so many of my goals have expired, yet I'm still pursuing them.

I guess you can say I'm a late bloomer.

As a result, my age was always to the right of the standard bell curve.  As I climbed up the ranks in age, different chapters of my life constantly reset the age of my friends around 21-22.

At every reset, the years my friends were born pushed from the early 90s to the late 90s, passing the threshold from Millennial to Gen Z. Even as the age held constant, something different about their mindsets piqued my curiosity.

Somehow, as I grew older, the average 20-something became more optimistic.  It made me question – what makes newer generations more optimistic?  Was it the anime they watched?  The people who mentored them? Early exposure to social media?

This is where I reflected and inquired further.  To discuss our differences effectively, it's best to categorize them into two distinct categories: physical and mental.

Physical Differences

As Millennials, we did not have smartphones.  I graduated from high school in the spring before Steve Jobs revealed the groundbreaking iPhone.  Most of our computers were deskbound, and good laptops were luxuries.

Growing up in the 90s, our entertainment was split evenly between indoors and outdoors.

When it came to outdoor activities, strolls in the woods, playing hide-and-seek in the neighborhood, and meeting at parks were not uncommon. Kids would meet outside to hang out, play games, and have fun. Sometimes, it would involve sports; other times, pogs, Pokémon cards, or other hot trends would capture our attention.

Then there were indoor activities. Television, gaming systems, and physical games were all part of the mix.

A major difference between Millennials and Gen-Z concerning television was access. In the 90s, we didn't have on-demand programming, so we would show up whenever our favorite cartoon was scheduled to air. Those of us tech-savvy enough would record it on a VHS tape.

With games, we had to buy cartridges and CDs that were loaded to play them, and new features were not available unless you purchased a new version or expansion of a game. The best gaming companies were slow to develop but always put out mind-blowing entertainment.

On computers, having a spellchecker was a luxury. Yahoo! and HotBot were the search engines before Google became prominent. Our social networks included Classmates, MySpace, and Xanga. We couldn't chat with people unless they were online (but we could send emails). It was nearly unheard of to have typing speeds of 80 wpm.

For my millennial friends, I apologize for the amount of nostalgia that might’ve been.

Mental Differences

While the physical differences influenced our upbringing, they fall short of explaining many things. Millennials and Gen Z had access to good technology, education, and social circles.

So what's the fundamental difference?  Mindset.

Despite being close together in age, Millennials and Gen Z have staggeringly different viewpoints on the world.

Please note that these mindsets reflected my perceptions of both generations in their early 20s.

Millennials: This Is The Way It Is | Gen Z: We Can Change This

During our school years, Millennials were curious students who wanted to find ways to change the world. Our cartoons inspired us to find ways to change things in the face of adversity.

However, adults' influence on us was very strong. We grew up in a world where punishments were very effective, and our ability to speak out became less and less as we approached our teenage and young adult years.

Gen Z, on the other hand, has found different ways to collaborate with the older generations. Instead of harboring an us vs. them mentality, they have found ways to implement changes slowly and surely through cooperation.

They weren't babied, though. Gen Z experienced multiple financial crises and lived in the post-9/11 era.

Instead, Gen Z chose to cooperate rather than fight. From there, they are changing things from the inside out.

Millennials: Put In More Effort | Gen Z: Find Ways To Leverage

Work harder. Do more chores. Outwork the competition.

These are mantras that were shoved down our throats as Millennials. Slowly and surely, we believed that the only path to getting what we wanted was increasing the volume of our output. There is some truth to doing more, but how much more?

My generation became the first to discover the tipping point between work and reward. There isn't an infinite ladder that rewards more work indefinitely.

Otherwise, everybody with a college degree and company front-line workers would be debt-free with millions of dollars at their disposal. Maybe life isn't all about working hard, after all.

Gen Z watched and learned from our mistakes as the curious individuals they are. Instead of working harder, they found better ways to work through leverage, weighted risks, and more.

Millennials: It Must Be Perfect | Gen Z: Make It Better

As Millennials, we were pushed toward perfection. We were always told to be in awe of perfection—perfect football plays, perfect trumpet playing, perfect test scores, etc.

Any flaws were amplified and put on blast for everyone to hear. It was not unheard of to have teachers who would spotlight a student's mistake to embarrass them.

Gen Z took a more empathic approach to their shortcomings. Instead of being scolded for every little flaw, they were taught to acknowledge them and aim to do better next time. Life happens, after all.

Instead of pursuing an arbitrary goal of perfection, Gen Z worked to improve things little by little, whether it was their skills, mindset, friend circles, or other important aspects of their lives.

Millennials: Stay In Your Lane | Gen Z: Branch Out & Question

As a Millennial, I remember how difficult it was to branch out and expand my horizons. Whenever I wanted to take a risk, people quickly reminded me to stay in my lane. It was common to discourage people from pursuing multiple passions–simply because we didn't have access to opportunities back then.

Gen Z grew up with an ocean of information and opportunity at their fingertips. Because they could learn anything they wanted to, this generation was able to reinvent themselves multiple times, and none of them are 30 years old yet!

Millennials: Be An Individual | Gen Z: Be Collaborative

The cartoons we watched growing up had a common theme: there was one hero, and everybody else was there as a witness to support them. Because of this, everybody aspired to be the hero so they wouldn't be sidelined.

Therefore, Millennials always worked on themselves and tended to flex a lot on others. It was common to challenge each other, where the winner would take home gold and the loser would eat dirt. It wasn't commonplace to view losing as a learning experience back then.

Gen Z grew up loving teamwork. They are more likely to collaborate on projects because they realize that the sum is greater than the parts.

That's not to say they don't work on themselves. They don't value individuality at the level the average Millennial does.

Millennials: Be Career Oriented | Gen Z: Be Your Own Boss

Oh yes. Millennials definitely drank the Kool-Aid.

We were told to do well in school, get into a good college, take out student loans, get a good job, and pay them back. We've done just about all that... except for paying them back.

Gen Z questioned these norms and sought alternatives to the traditional college path, including starting their own businesses, becoming influencers, starting YouTube and Twitch channels, and taking other innovative paths to have control over their destinies.

As much as it perplexed earlier generations and caused them to laugh at Gen Z, their bets have paid off.

Millennials: Know Your Stuff | Gen Z: Be Resourceful

Millennials grew up in the dawn of the internet. Even though we had access to information like never before, it wasn't collected in the way it is today: search engine optimization, large language machine learning, and other sophisticated ways of categorizing information.

We had to search for information and collect it. There was always somebody who knew a lot about [X], and if you wanted to know about [X], you talked to Sam, Danielle, or some other self-made expert. They knew their stuff.

Gen Z grew up with nearly infinite learning opportunities at their fingertips. Thanks to their resourcefulness, they didn't have to memorize as much as their Millennial counterparts.

My Three Insights

Despite the differences highlighted in our generations above, I believe Millennials and Gen Z are closer than others. In some sense, Gen Z represents what Millennials would have been if technology had developed 10 years faster.

As someone who did not follow the traditional path that most of my Millennial counterparts did, I found myself with members of Gen Z more often than Millennials in college and beyond.

After college, most people I met at meet-ups were also part of Gen Z. Through countless interactions, Gen Z's optimism, collaborative approaches, and resourcefulness rubbed off on me.

Here are three insights that have made me a more optimistic Millennial.

The World Gets Better When We Let Go Of Bad Traditions

The millennials were the first to question tradition. They started going against things handed down over generations, often calling themselves the terminators of such traditions.

Since we have access to the internet, we can see more of the world and how people interact with one another. We are no longer confined to the geographical area where we were raised. Now, we have access to perspectives worldwide through different social media platforms and forums.

However, Gen Z had access to all this from the start. As a result, they could program themselves earlier in life to let go of traditions and find ways to create their own happiness and success.

Most Deadlines Are Utter Bullshit

Gen Z represents one of the first generations that does not hold themselves to bullshit deadlines.

I'm not talking about deadlines on corporate projects or school assignments.  I'm speaking primarily about the deadlines we impose on ourselves to achieve our goals.

Many traditional goalposts have been moved down, including when to marry, start a career, and go to college, as well as other established traditions in the 21st century. They're even having children much later than any other generation before them.

What was expected in our 20s is now happening in our 30s. What's expected in our 30s is now happening in our 40s. The cycle continues onward from there.

I didn't get to do many things in my 20s, and I now realize it's okay. I have time in my 30s to do so, and I look forward to continuing to do so once I reach my 40s.

Nothing Needs To Stay The Same, And That's Okay

Have you ever gone to family gatherings where everybody reminisces about good old times? Indeed, there will always be memories that we hold and cherish dearly, but the way we cherish these memories is different today than 30 or 40 years ago.

Gen Z has relentlessly embraced newness, something no other generation has done. They appreciate their past experiences but tend to move on much faster than other generations.

They're always on the move for something new, such as new experiences, friendships, romances, and more. Gen Z's ability to let go of the old makes room for the new.

I used to be someone who would hold on to traditions and old memories. Now, I have joined my Gen-Z colleagues in appreciating my past, but I look forward to creating a better future for myself and others.

Now My Eyes Are On Generation Alpha

Gen Z has taught me many valuable life lessons. In fact, I would say I've learned from every generation and hope to incorporate their best qualities into my daily lifestyle.

It just happens that the most valuable lessons were handed to me by those younger than me. It might seem backward, but if we learn from our younger counterparts, we can inject new energy into the wisdom we hold from our experiences and collaborate to improve the world.

Now, there's a new generation on the rise: Gen Alpha. I have the privilege of working with this generation as a freelance instructor and watching them bring new waves of optimism into the world. However, time will reveal how they develop and impact the world.

I hope that as the baton continues to be passed from one generation to another, they continue bringing much-needed changes to the world we need.