Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Very Different Ideas Of What Counts As Success By Age 35
insta_photos | Shutterstock A lot of people assume they’ll be successful by the time they’re in their 30s. Life is a bit more complicated than that, but it’s still an interesting way to compare different age groups’ goals.
Older generations think that success has a lot to do with someone’s work ethic. But since the economy has changed so much, younger ones don’t agree. This has left everyone hoping to achieve something different by age 35.
Success by 35 has shifted from financial status to well-being across generations.
Boomers and Gen X had pretty traditional ideas of success and wanted to hit certain milestones by the time they turned 35. Since it’s harder for millennials and Gen Z to attain those things, they’re more interested in building a fulfilling life.
Boomers expected to reach a lot of milestones by the time they turned 35.
Being successful by age 35 wasn’t just a personal goal for boomers. It was really a societal expectation they had to live up to. They’re the generation who had the strictest definition of success, and they put a lot of pressure on themselves to reach it.
BassittART from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Boomers’ idea of success early in their adult lives centered on achieving stability by hitting traditional milestones. Most of the members of this generation were married by the time they turned 35, and many had already had children.
They worked hard, not just so they could provide for their families, but also so they could get established in impressive careers. Then they used their prosperity to buy homes when they were still young. For boomers, success looked a lot like having it all together.
Gen X’s top priority for success at age 35 was being totally self-sufficient.
Achieving success was much harder for Gen X. Many of them turned 35 around the time that the Great Recession hit. They were the generation that lost the most in the housing market, which threw them off track for many of their goals.
nortonrsx from Getty Images Pro via Canva
Still, Gen X has always been resilient, and it’s a trait that’s served them well. Their latchkey childhoods forced them to become independent very young. That sense of self-reliance became their key to thriving careers that provided financial security.
After spending so much time taking care of themselves, Gen X would have considered depending on family for help a sign of failure. By age 35, they wanted to be able to provide for themselves and solve their own problems. Whether they had a family or owned a home was a matter of personal preference.
Millennials think they’ll be successful if they have a combination of security and happiness.
Life is vastly different for millennials than it was for older generations, so they’ve had to rethink what it means to be successful by 35. Many of them are around that age right now, but they had a rough start to their adult lives because of the Great Recession.
RossHelen from Getty Images Pro via Canva
It’s been harder for them to achieve financial independence and become homeowners. They’re also waiting to get married and start a family, but that might just not be what they’re interested in at this time in their lives.
Millennials aren’t chasing the traditional milestones that other generations believe are the secret to success. Instead, they want to be able to pay off their debt to feel more comfortable financially. They also care about life experiences like traveling. Protecting their well-being is just as big a marker of success to them as anything tangible.
Gen Z believes they’ll find success in a balance that supports their financial goals and well-being.
The oldest members of Gen Z still have a few more years before they turn 35, so they’re still figuring out what success looks like to them at that age. They’ve had a rocky start like millennials, so they’re looking beyond things like homeownership to find fulfillment.
Matthias Cooper from Pexels via Canva
Gen Z is working hard to develop new skills that will help them advance in their careers. But unlike some other generations, they don’t want to climb the ladder at the expense of their well-being. Having flexible jobs that fit into their lives instead of making their lives fit around their work is also a priority for them.
What might be most interesting about Gen Z’s goals is that they want to do work that gives them the chance to help other people. That seems to speak to the way they see their mental health as a key part of their success. Purposeful work will boost their mental health, so they’re on the right track.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
