Finally, a generation has rolled up its sleeves against norms and Millennials redefining mid-life on their own terms, challenging norms that once defined this stage.

Witnessing celebrities like Anne Hathaway hit 40 is making waves, but she's not alone - many millennials are redefining what it means to be in their 40s, 50s and beyond.

As millennials, are now reaching midlife age, no one seems to be looking or “acting” their age anymore.

For this generation, born between 1981 and 1996, the phrase “age is just a number” isn’t a form of self-soothing. It might actually be true.

For other generations, turning 40 often served as a trope for midlife crises or “life ends here” jabs in movies and TV. 

Miranda Hobbes bemoaned 43 as her “scary age” in Sex and the City (Carrie Bradshaw’s—for the record—was 45). In This Is 40, Gen Xers Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are at a standstill in their lives and marriage.

But now, as millennials reach the milestone, they’re proving that this generation might actually be the first to push beyond aging stereotypes.

Is 40 the new 30?

A professor of psychology at San Diego University and an author of a book, Generation Me explains the idea, saying, “There really is some truth to the idea that 40 is the new 30.”

It’s a reality that for many millennials, 40 doesn’t feel like the midpoint of our life.

Jean Twenge, known for her research on generational differences, points out that, Millennials tend to be much less settled than previous generations, at least by traditional standards.

Once, 40 was the age when your career was established, you’d been married for a long time, and your kids might be going to college.

The numbers don’t lie

According to Census data, in 1960, American women’s median age at first marriage was around 20; today it’s 28. In 2023, a Pew report found that a record number of 40-year-olds—25 percent—had never been married.

Census data also shows that the number of women between 30 and 44 who have never had children is at a record high.

Millennials: Raised on ‘Hope’

Some of us may have lived through more “unprecedented times” than we would choose to, but we were also a generation raised on hope - we lived through Y2K and were thought of as a beacon of light for the new millennium.

Twenge also points to the difference, she says, “as teens and as young adults, millennials were more optimistic and had higher expectations than previous generations at the same age.”

Is turning 40 a mid-life crisis?

An interesting study released by the sidehustles, shows the younger generations chasing freedom, purpose, and income on their own terms, and they don’t regret it. Some of the key takeaways might surprise you if you’re not a millennial or Gen Z!

Key takeaways:

79% of employed Americans are interested in leaving their traditional jobs to start their own business, including 1 in 8 who plan to make the leap within the next 12 months.

Over half of workers (53%) said influencers are more inspiring than company leadership, with Gen Z agreeing the most (58%).

1 in 4 Gen Z employees say stronger mentorship or career development would make them reconsider quitting, which is the highest of any generation.

In 2025, in the age of AI, turning 40 is no more a mid-life crisis, rather it’s a time for reinvention. It’s time to rethink cultural norms. 

Undoubtedly, millennials were among the first one to put themselves out there on the internet, and now, as they enter 40s, they’re still exploring who they are!

Related: Millennials most obsessed with 'appearing rich' compared to other generations