Millennials can be pretty critical of older generations who seem stuck in their ways.

“They just don’t get it anymore… that’s not how the world works.”
“This isn’t the 1950’s anymore…”
“How can they still think that is going to work?”

These are all things I’ve heard Millennial co-workers say about our superiors.

While Millennials often bash older generations for being stuck in their ways, we might not be that different.

4 Damaging Mentalities Millennials Must Break

Here are four of the most common damaging mentalities I notice among Millennials and am working to break in myself:

1. I’m too busy.

If you’re like me “busy” is your typical response to the question, “How are things?”

As Millennials, we’re invested in a lot of activities. Work (or school), family life, time with friends, extracurricular activities all require significant investment if we want to see any results. However, we must remember that busyness is relative.

If you’re truly busy making important things happen that is one thing. However, I know “busy” Millennials who work 20 hours a week and play 30 hours of video games. If you feel a little guilty after reading this one, you might not be as busy as you think you are. You also might need to start saying “no” to time-consuming activities that aren’t helping you succeed at the things that do matter.

2. I’ve always done it this way.

Even though I’ve been working for less than a decade, I can often find myself repeating the same activity or relying too much on past experiences. Doing the same thing over and over again isn’t a bad strategy — except our world is changing faster than ever.

We must continually challenge ourselves to learn new ways to fulfill the roles we’ve been given. Just because we’ve always done something a certain way doesn’t mean that it is right. If we want to grow, we need to stop believing that the way we’ve always done something is the best way.

3. “They” don’t get it… so I can’t learn anything from them.

Many Millennials might write off older people who seem stuck in their ways, thinking we can’t learn anything from them. Not true. How often do we find ourselves disassociating with a person because of a specific religious or political belief? Or because they seem “stuck” in a traditional way of thinking? Shying away from people who are different only kills our potential to gain influence and grow.

4. I can do it on my own.

Most Millennials I know want to prove they can accomplish great things on their own. (I’m sure this mindset isn’t solely a Millennial thing.) However, whenever we use this as an excuse to avoid building relationships with people who might be able to help, we sabotage ourselves. We must remember that there’s no such thing as a self-made person.

If we want to succeed, we must identify the mentalities that are preventing us from growing, challenging ourselves, and finding new ways to impact the world.

I’d love to know: What are some damaging mentalities you’ve found yourself slipping into?