For generations, men have worked to embrace boys and mentor them so that they could grow to become great men in the future. With western society now seemingly devoted to challenging the status quo, sadly the role not just of fathers - but of male leaders, in general, has been eroded. As a result, millennial boys didn't get the mentorship that would normally have come from other men through men's clubs, fraternities, guilds, and apprenticeships. As a result, masculinity has become fragmented and confusing. This has left many millennials males in a position where they are expected to know everything ... yet all they have been taught is how flawed their gender is. As an older man, here are some pieces of advice for millennial men to help them grow stronger and embrace masculinity so that they can share the legacy with their sons.
There are so many people who don't have their life together in the way that they thought that would. In fact, if they think about what their parents were doing at the same age, the contrast in lives and circumstances can be completely opposite. But if you don’t start to take control of your life, then life will pass you by. Before you know it, it could be ten years down the line and you’re still living at home with parents working in the same job that was only ever meant to be temporary.
With that in mind, what are some of the things that you can be doing now, to make sure that you take better control of your life? Planning, setting goals, and making changes now, are the things that are going to help you to get to where you want to be. Here is a list of things that you can be doing now that will make a difference.
Understand That You Don't Know Everything
There are a lot of things that you might think you know. You don't. We didn't know either when we were your age but we looked to older and wiser men around us for answers. That doesn't mean that we took everything that was told to us as the Gospel truth. However, many of us discovered too late that we should have paid more attention when we had a chance. Simply put, youth is about learning lessons and you simply don't have the experience yet to know everything.
Plan An Ideal Future
So many of us can walk through life in a way that is completely reactive. We live day to day and just do things according to what is going on at the time. If you want to make a change and to be able to succeed in life, then one of the first things to do is to be honest with yourself about what you do actually want. Think about it and then write it down. Committing something to paper, even if it is only to yourself, helps you to make plans and to decide what you are going to work towards. You are probably someone who underestimates what you will be able to achieve in two, five, or ten year's time, so aim high and get planning.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
It is important to do things in your life that are out of your comfort zone. Living each day in your comfort zone can be nice, but no change is really going to happen when you are comfortable and content with where you are. It isn’t like you are going to be faced with a black bear on a daily basis or have to go bungee jumping. But there are things, even small things, that you can do to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It could be a task that you have been putting off or taking the leap to try something new or ask someone out. Real change comes when you’re prepared to change and do things that you might not normally do.
Be More Financially Savvy
If you want to plan for the future, then you need to make sure that you are being financially prepared for the future. You won’t be able to have the kind of retirement that you want, or even be able to think about things like burial plans for you when the time comes, if you’re not financially prepared. The key is to eliminate any debts that you have, as well as spending less than you earn. If you can save the rest, then that is great. But if you can invest the rest, and do so wisely, then you could really help yourself to prepare financially for the future.
Be Curious And Challenge Preconceptions
One of the things that stops people from being able to follow their passions and stops them from making their life the one that they want, is because they are lacking in passion. What you are passionate about could be quite hard to pin down, and it could be something that changes over time. So a good idea is to make sure that you are always curious about things. If someone mentions something to you and you’re not sure what they mean, look it up. Do the research and learn. This could be through blogs, books, podcasts, and other sources. You could even take courses in particular subjects if they really interest you!
When you are curious about the world, then it helps you to make changes and could lead to something that fascinates you and excites you. From hobbies to business ideas, being curious can spark a lot of good things.
Learn How To Listen
No matter what kind of relationships you have, whether they are romantic ones or professional ones, listening is a really key skill. You can make or break relationships based on listening, and it is something that you really do have to work on if you’re not great at it right now. Learn to listen better by having a more open posture with the people around you. Hold eye contact with people and ask them questions to help clarify your understanding, to check that you heard it the right way. Show you understand and it will let people know that they have been heard.
Teach Yourself To Cook
If you want to do something now that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life, then you should teach yourself how to cook. Being able to cook well from scratch is something that your friends and family are going to love, and you will be able to benefit from as well. You save money when you know how to cook and you will be much healthier than people who choose takeout and ready prepared meals over cooking. Cooking can also be a big stress reliever, as there is a lot of joy that can come from cooking a meal. You can be better connected with the food you prepare too, helping you to be much more mindful when you eat.
Start a Journal
Have you ever thought about how your brain is a working factory and not just a warehouse full of information to retain? When you have thoughts and ideas it can be such a benefit to you if you are able to get it all written down on paper. Starting a journal will mean that you can write down particular things, such as thoughts and feelings on the day. You could also start something like a gratitude journal which can be helpful to look back on when you’re having rough days. Even if you don’t write in it daily, having some thoughts on things can be such a benefit and mean that they are no longer stored up in your mind.
Look After Your Health
Learning to cook is a simple thing that you can do to look after your health. However, there are a number of things that you should start to do now, to make sure that your health is in top condition. It will help throughout your life if you are as healthy as possible. Kick the bad habits like smoking and binge drinking. Exercise as often as you can and lead an active lifestyle. Learning to deal with stress is another aspect of being healthy, so it is definitely something to consider to help the rest of your life. Eat well and move, and you will be on the way to a much healthier and happier mind and body.
What your life will be like in ten or twenty years from now is something that will be influenced by the choices that you make and the actions that you take right now. When you look for positive habits, it will help to get you some positive results. Decide what course you want to be on, make a plan, and then you can set sail for the future life that you want to have and that you deserve.
