A Return to a Simpler Life
The return to a simpler life began a while ago. As we all know by now, Covid accelerated everything.
What is a simpler life? That is all up for interpretation, but from what we hear is getting off the fast track of working like a dog seems to be resonating with many under between 20-35. They want to control their lives and know that someone cares about them and their work. It is a sign of massive structural change as the next generation wants to live differently. The beautiful thing is, they can.
Many of these people grew up with hovering parents who told them how fantastic they were. Then they got to college and out in the workforce and thought, this is it? They now don’t have to go to an office, so they can pursue a passion from chocolate making to pillow making. Building a business to pay the rent isn’t easy, but it is on their terms. They can also live far from urban areas building new urban outposts that have connected communities. People say hello every morning and are curious to hear how they are doing.
Years ago, I wrote about the return of Main Street. The cobbler, the tailor, the baker, the butcher, the jeweler, and all the retail components that a community relies on. Nobody wants to be burnt out anymore. There is enough anxiety of everyday life coming from politics and the massive angry divide in our country.
If you can work for yourself and afford to have a roof over your head, well, that appears to be just what a simpler life is starting to look like. The new mantra is to follow your passions, follow your heart, and get out of the rat race. This won’t be good for corporate America. Still, the reality is corporate America killed itself with its layers of politics, lousy culture, and not seeing the writing on the wall. The people are taking control of their lives, and they want a different life than the ones their parents had.
And straight from Morning Brew: “Great Resignation.” Pity HR departments. As employees reconsidered their relationship with work—and what they demanded of employers—a record 4.4 million people (or 3% of the workforce) quit their jobs in September alone. And many more could be updating their LinkedIn profiles next year, too: A recent survey showed that more than 40% of professionals are considering leaving their jobs in the first half of 2022.
Take note. Things are just starting to shake up.