Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

It really doesn`t matter what gets you motivated. Could be a glance in the mirror, a visit with the doctor, or a Tony Robbins tape, what matters is what gets and keeps you activated.

A friend of mine is starting up a blog/forum/website called IMACTIVATED.COM, (the site is not up yet) mainly for baby boomers and others in that relative state of mind and body, to relate their stories, business and personal, and to seek out one another’s help and guidance. Yes, it’s a generational thing. Anyone of that generation knows how difficult it can be realizing there’s far more behind than ahead. It can be depressing and debilitating. Hopefully, the site might be motivation to get going or keep going both physically and mentally. To become “activated”.

He`s working on the site now, and I`d love to give him your suggestions for articles, guests, blogs, forums and such.

Thanks

I believe the key problem for Boomers is their having grown up under a nearly total framework of instant gratification. The key historical modifier has been the lack of any real pain or loss. Viet Nam wasn`t at all like World War II.

The net result is a generation of idealists, short on pragmatism, follow-through, and reality.

Taken at the most general level, Baby Boomers see a problem and want it fixed immediately. They don`t take the time to consider the underlying realties, and view things globally on an abstract level. When they encounter reality, problems of daily implementation and so on, they rant about how unfair everything is, and quit.

The ideal of a business versus the reality of a business are often very different. So for many Boomers, the concept of starting a business is one thing. But when it doesn`t immediately and instantly blossom into a mult-million-dollar enterprise, they explain the problem as a failure in the surrounding world and walk away.

It`s as if the mantra of the generation, again, generally speaking, is, "When the going get tough, quit."

Profound as always Craig.  But I don`t think he`ll be able to use that. :)

I agree with Craig about the "instant gratification" need that my generation (baby boomers) seem to have.  After all, I do think that we gave the world AMEX, VISA, etc.  But I also think that we are the "tween" generation.  By that I mean that when our parents were working they generally worked for the same company for many years, hit retirement and enjoyed their "twilight years".  Of course, I know that doesn`t mean everyone, but most of the people in the generation before ours.  They don`t understand why the Boomer generation has had a hard time holding jobs.  The concept of employee loyalty extended both ways to them.  The company had loyalty to it employees - in bad times and in good.  Now payroll is the first thing to be trimmed and it is a lucky person that retires with the same company he started with 30 years ago.  And I am talking lucky as in not being downsized; not upward mobility change.  Our generation has had to deal with the changing of concepts.  Stockholders in companies once took the vast majority of risks.  That is why it was called "speculating in the market".  If the economy took a down turn, the stockholders took the hit and waited for it to rise again.  Now it seems as if the company`s sole concern is to protect its stockholders - at any cost - whether it is laying off indiscriminately or sometimes even to the extent of fraud (Enron, WorldCom).  Don`t get me wrong, I know that a company can`t survive without delivering for it stockholders.  But there has to be some sort of balance.  After all isn`t that what capitalism is about - the opportunity to take risks to make money?  I thought that was the stockholder`s creed.  There has been a tremendous loss of faith in the system as far as a lot of Boomers are concerned - myself included.  That lack of security, the loss of retirement funds, and the general economic situation make it mandatory for many of us to start our own businesses.  At least our fates are somewhat our own.  And the excuse that we didn`t plan for our future just isn`t always valid.  For example, I was sold a policy by State Farm when I was 19 - whole life.  The agent guaranteed that by age 65, I would have $80,000 for retirement. He even hand wrote and signed it on the policy.  Well about 8 years ago, St. Farm sends out a notice stating that my retirement had been slightly overstated.  After a few dozen phone calls, I found out that my $80,000 was really going to be about $11,000.  WorldCom took most of my other retirement and the drop in G.E. accounted for my husband`s.  We planned for retirement, like all of our middle to upper-middle class friends.  And just like them we now find ourselves unable to retire - so we take a breath and take our first steps towards independence - business ownership, or at least once again for me, first time for him.  Our children know the score, or at least they should be taught.  They know that to rely 100% on one company is foolish.  I think the younger generations are more "saavy" than we were.  Maybe we retained a little of the "Leave it to Beaver" mentality when the business world went the other way.  And we found out too late.  Our think our followers already know what we were taught (but obviously didn`t learn) in marketing class - "Employee loyality is what the employee thinks the company does for him".  Ever found a loyal employee who thought he was being treated badly?  Sorry to be so long winded, but it is a pet peeve of mine.  Good luck to your friend - Shelia

You say your friend is putting up a site to motivate Boomers. I`m saying that instant gratification is the key reason most Boomers don`t have the life they wished they had. Ergo, a site about how to overcome a lifetime of instant gratification for the purpose of developing long-term satisfaction would make sense. Right? :-)