In their words, five more of the life goals Millennials have, they say their parents didn’t…
Yesterday, we shared some of what we learned when we asked 1000 Millennials and teens to answer the question, “What goals do you have for yourself that your parents did not have?” We learned they feel college and higher education separates them from Boomers, their idea of career and relationship success has shifted, travel is a #LifeGoal, and many Millennial females are aiming to put career ahead of family—if they have a family at all. But they didn’t stop there.
Part II of their honest responses includes sentiments that capture both Millennials’ current state of mind, their thoughts on their parents’ choices, their generational values, their fears, and of course their hopes. Here are five more goals Millennials say they have, and believe that Boomers didn’t.
6. WAITING GAME
There are many factors behind Millennials’ delaying major life milestones, but outside of financial difficulties and risk averse natures, there is another force at play: choice. Both younger and older Millennial respondents told us they were making a conscious choice to wait on major things their parents did at younger ages. Economics played into some of their feelings, but some hoped to wait to enjoy life first, and not rush life:
7. THE PROGRESSIVE SIDE
From their support of gay rights to there “who cares” attitude about marijuana legalization, this is a generation that has been known to have comparatively progressive views, which we saw reflected in their life goal responses. Issues of race and racism were raised, as were gay and transgender rights. In fact, several respondents mentioned their goals of transitioning, with one 30-year-old telling us their goals were, “Transitioning into a male, being involved in animal/wildlife research, and paying off my student loans.” Here are some more of their goals that land on the progressive side:
8. FITSPO
While Millennials’ health-obsessions are well-documented, it was interesting to see how many respondents talked about health and fitness as a part of their long-term life goals, and compared their long-term health to their parents. Overall, they saw fitness as a way to enjoy life for a longer amount of time, with one 32-year-old male saying, “I want to stay healthy even when I’m a senior like when I’m in my 60’s or 70’s so that I can live a happy retirement life.” Of course, the goal of staying fit is easier to stick to when young, but it says something that many include fitness in their top life goals:
9. BEING THE DIFFERENCE
We heard yesterday that many of their career goals skew more towards fulfillment than financial dominance, but of course making a difference was another theme that emerged. One 25-year-old male told us, “I also have goals to attempt to make the world a better place through my occupation.” Though this might seem like an idealistic young dreamer phase, Millennials of all ages old us that making a difference in the world and their communities was a life goal:
10. DEBT-FREE’S THE WAY TO BE
Did you think that we were going to talk about Millennials’ futures without debt coming up? So many have watched their parents, and/or older brothers and sisters struggle with debt and financial issues. They want to get and stay debt-free:
