GenPink

• ate something you cooked yourself
• bought something you’ve been wanting for a while
• called someone just to say hi
• discovered something new about yourself
• entertained people in your home
• felt what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes
• gave back
• heard a child laugh
• indulged
• just listened to the sounds of silence
• kissed ’til your lips hurt
• loved someone so much it hurt
• mentored someone
• noticed beauty in the moment
• opened happy snail mail
• put your butt on the line for something important
• questioned the norm
• read a magazine cover to cover
• sang a song at the top of your lungs
• thanked someone
• unintentionally inspired someone
• volunteered for a cause that matters to you
• wrote your name in wet cement
• xamined the bigger picture
• yearned for things to be different
• zealously finished something you started

I learned a new word today: demi-task

Jody Gilbert at TechRepublic asks, "Do you listen 100 percent of the time or are you usually mentally engaged in several things at once?".

In her article 10 great ideas from five great bosses Jody states:

Top dogs know that nobody can multitask effectively over the long haul. They’ve figured out how to focus with laser-like precision. And their team members come to know that their boss is really hot and can’t be bluffed. This makes the team better at being clear and precise in their communications to you, and it saves both time and energy for everyone.

I know I am guilty of multi-tasking on many occasions. What works for me is to set time limits – for one hour I will work on this project, without checking emails, and without stopping until the hour is up. Generally what happens for me is, 15 minutes into working on something I remember I was supposed to email someone back or ask someone else about a different project. I use the beginning and the end of the day to think about and handle all of those little reminders. For a great read on the side-effects of multitasking I recommend New York Times article, Slow Down, Brave Multitasker, and Don’t Read This in Traffic. Time magazine also published an article in 2006 (ages ago according to internet time) stating that we are The Multitasking Generation.

Are you a demi-tasker? or a multi-tasker? Do you think multitasking is a generational trait?

Update: This post is also featured on Brazen Careerist, there are some great contributions in the comments.

One of the things that I love about writing, and reading other people’s writing, is that sometimes all that it takes is one sentence or even one word to hit a spark right to the heart – as if this writer was reading your mind. That happened to me tonight …

It’s a Tuesday evening, I had plans after work (but I kind of got blown off by a really hot guy), I ended up at home on the couch – just me and my trusted feedly (blogs). I have this folder of fellow brazen bloggers in my reader, a folder filled with special people (very few make the cut). Ironically this is my favorite group of blogs to catch up on, but some how it’s also the group I get behind on most quickly.

This occurs for two reasons -
1) if I only have a few minutes to sit down and read, I usually pick something that won’t require much time (ie swiss miss).
2) the people who "make" this folder are quite brilliant (if I do say so myself) and they tend to write long/thought provoking posts.

I digress … so I was reading Taking a Year To Be by the brilliant, and lovely, Holly Hoffman when one particular sentence jumped out at me.

Who am I if not a ladder-climbing employee, a twenty-something entrepreneur, a moonlighting freelancer, The Person in Town Who Knows About That, a woman on the make?

I had the pleasure of staying in a hotel room and spending 5 days at SXSW (*tear) with miss Holly. During our random conversations and discussions about the panels I discovered that Holly and I have a thing or two, or five, in common. So, it shouldn’t surprise me that in this very post Holly was transcribing the thoughts that have been rolling around in my brain for the past few months.

Who am I if not …

• a gen y blogger
• that graphic design girl
• that girl who spoke at that conference
• that girl who twitters at 3 am
• that girl who wears pink
• that who used to date that guy
• that girl who loves to sing
• that girl who designed that one website

I’ve recently (June 1) started a new job and I’ve been wanting to write about the fact that having a whole new job title has sent me into a bit of an identity crisis. But, I didn’t know where to start or even have the words, but now I do "who am I if not …" my job title.

Many people experience their twenties of a time of discovering and recreating just exactly who they are – for some people it’s fun and for others it’s scary. I choose to be excited by the fact that I can change the answer to the question "who am I" ever 5 minutes if I want.

I was reading a blog post (A New Generation Gap) in which Mike Neiss, a baby boomer, discusses his perspective of how the boomer generation "failed to build a solid foundation for those who will follow us. We have made a mess. We are not the victims of changing economic conditions, we created them." He goes on to say "the next generation may be the first in a long time (ever?) that are not better off than their parents. I think we baby boomers own that."

This is an interesting concept and question. Are we, the children of the boomers, worse off than our parents? Is Gen Y going to be remembered as the first generation that had it harder than our parents did?

I think NOT! In fact I think quite the opposite. I think we are at an advantage:

• We want it all and we are willing to do whatever it takes, including not sleep. When we are passionate about something we are full steam ahead and that’s really the only attitude that’s going to work right now. In your twenties you can get away with not sleeping.
• We aren’t worried. Nisha Chittal sums it up greatly, those that have been successful "are the ones who stopped worrying about that which they can’t change, and started taking action to change what they do have control over."
• We are willing to make the most out of a less-than-ideal situation, take ownership of our role in our company and excel just for the sake of learning. Since we haven’t experienced 20 years of life being a different way we just make the most of what we have.
• This is the perfect opportunity and time for innovation and new thinkers. The way I see it, whether our current economic state is all on the boomers or not, something hasn’t been working. And when something isn’t working, really the only option is to change it. Who better to make these changes and redirections than a fresh set of eyes.
• We are at a time in our careers that we are hitting the ground running and we are eager to take on the world. My mom said to me the other day "I really don’t have the motivation to set the world on fire anymore I did that in my 20s".
• Our world is smaller. Because of our experience with technology and growing up on the web our view of this big vast world isn’t as overwhelming. I can just as easily contact an developer in Australia as I can my dad 20 miles away. In a matter of moments I can take an opinion poll on most any topic and provide instant feedback to anyone who wants to know. I personally have used this connectivity several times to create direction on a project and build relationships that turn into business.
• What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. I think if there is ever going to be a hard time in a career cycle I’d rather it be at the beginning – it creates tenacity and resilience. I see jumping into the deep-end of the pool and trying to figure out how to handle it, as a challenge and much less stressful than spending 30 years in the shallow end and then being shoved to the deep-end.
• We are being taught valuable lessons about money and overcoming circumstance at a much younger age. I know for me, because of the current uncertainty, I’m very conscious of where and what I spend my money on. I read books like I Will Teach You To Be Rich instead of romance novels and celebrity gossip magazines. I’d rather drink my $1 lattes from Big Lots and donate what I would have spent at Starbucks to a much bigger cause.
• We use every opportunity to learn. What I think is great about Gen Y is that we can use any situation as a chance to learn and grow. Ryan Paugh wrote a post about how the bar scene teaches us to do social media the right way. While others may be using the bar as an escape from the stress of work Ryan, like many Gen Yers, is a creative thinker and is always on the lookout for an opportunity to make his business better.
• We are willing to help each other out. I am blessed to have an awesome network of like minded people always willing to help each other out. I think Gen Y never outgrew the sandbox mentality. I find myself sending my friends links that would help them in their business or search for a job and they do the same in return. We send referrals back and forth and whatever else we can think of to make a difference in each other’s lives.

An additional piece that found interesting in Neiss’ post is his ending thought "I believe that our parents unwittingly made us soft. We had our needs and wants indulged by parents driven to make sure we had more than they had had as children. We can’t leave a great legacy without honest-to-goodness hard work." I find it ironic how similar this sounds to what is being said about Gen Y and not being willing to put in the work.

Call my an optimist or call me a naive but those are my two cents and for now that’s the attitude I’m stickin’ with. I’m proud to stand in excitement for what’s next instead of fear of the future!

Twenty something blogger, Sarah (aka Sarahbration) sparked quite a conversation on 20sb (20something bloggers network) all surrounding one word … feminist. The original question was quite simple and to the point:

International Women’s Day got me thinking about feminism and how few people in our generation seem to identify themselves as feminists. I’m curious to hear what other 20-somethings think.

Three days later and 9 pages of debating back and forth I’m left with some interesting insight and answers to questions that I’d never even thought about.

Sarah sets the tone with her initial blog post stating she is definitely a feminist "I’m not sure when I became aware of the f word, but it must have been fairly early on, because for as long as I can remember, I took for granted that the majority of people would say they were feminists. I mean, come on, who doesn’t believe women and men should be given equal rights and respect?".

The discussion begins with L.L saying she can’t call herself a feminist because it’s an ugly (hijacked) word. "I’m all about equality, for everyone. All colours, all sexes, all religions. However – to me, feminism has gone from calling for equality for women, to wanting women to be viewed as superior. I don’t feel that is right."

So essentially this raises the question what does feminist mean? How can you call yourself something if we can’t come to terms with what the word even means. Here’s a few of the distinctions offered by the 20sb community:

• I think feminism just means that women want the right to be any kind of woman that they want to be… Which I’m 100% on board with. – Muppet
• I think feminism is a hoax. "Lipstick" feminism, above all, is a contradiction in terms. I think men and women are created equal, but I usually disagree with most feminists on all of their politics. So many feminists want reparations for gender roles, they decide to make themselves into victims. Today’s feminists AREN’T fighting for my right to vote or… much else that really applies to me. THOSE first wave feminists didn’t just complain, they did way more than that. THIS wave of feminists is more of the sex and the city set – we have a right to be sexy, but we still talk about needing a man even though we think we’re independent.- Kat
• I’m a feminist. If I choose to wear lipstick it doesn’t make me not a feminist. If I wear my hair in french braids, or wear diamond earrings, or get a tattoo of a slice of pizza on my forearm, or wear a leather jacket, I’m still a feminist. Feminism is about choice… so anybody who wants to wear lipstick can, in my opinion. – Lisa
• Yes. I am a feminist. I don’t hate men, I love my boyfriend, I love when he takes me on dates, and I want to get married and have children some day. I shave my armpits and legs and all that good stuff. But…when I go to work, I want the guy working along side of me with the exact same level of education and experience to make the same amount of money as I do and I want to be respected in public and the work place. Feminist has become such a dirty word, it’s all about equality! – Bethany
• Some women of color choose not to associate themselves as a feminist but instead choose the term "womanist". They feel feminism doesn’t speak to them or include them in the movement. As a women of color, I consider myself a feminist because I believe in equal rights. I’m sorry, but the basic definition of feminism, as Lisa has pointed out, is about equality and I believe WOC "womanists" are feminists too. – floreta
• I think the joy of feminism is giving women, of all races, creeds and backgrounds, the chance to have the same opportunities and consideration given to them that men have. Feminism is about giving women the power to determine what they want to do, and supporting them in those decisions. – Elle Belle

Lisa, changed the direction of the discussion, through a metaphor about Christianity saying that even though there are people giving Christianity a bad name people are still standing by that term and the term feminist should be no different.

I read all 9 pages in one sitting and the discussion spun off in many interesting directions including: fathers rights in family court, maternity leave, the value of jobs historically held by women, gender discrepancy in the military, and decreasing BMIs of playmates. In the end, whenever I’m reading or listening to anything, I’m always looking for my take-a-way. I often ask my friends, at the end of movies, church and even conversations "what’s your biggest take away?". I would say that in the whole discussion mine are:

• "… feminism in no way means that we should shy away from or scoff at the value of traditional women’s roles. It simply means we don’t have to and aren’t expected to adhere to them if we don’t want to just like men shouldn’t have to follow the guidelines of traditional men’s roles." – Sarah
• And this statement which can apply to many areas of life "when you’re not extreme – PEOPLE LISTEN TO YOU. They don’t write you off automatically. We’re definitely getting things done when we argue vocally with reason, passion, and grace. No screaming here. Usually. " – Ashley Marie

So my next question is … "so what? now what?" – maybe it’s the marketer in me but I’m looking for a call-to-action in all of this. I’m curious with all of the passion, research and energy that I saw displayed in this discussion what actual steps (if any) can/should/would someone take because of the information that has been so gracefully hashed out in the past few days via an informal forum. If before the election someone had asked “do you call yourself a Republican?” and a nine page discussion broke out at the end I would feel compelled to go vote – that’s my very clear action.