When Millennials around the world were asked to consider what their lives might be like in the future, one theme that became clear is that they prize happiness over money. They want work that fulfills them personally, allows for flexibility, and gives them an opportunity to exercise different passions and skills. They see travel as a means to becoming well-rounded global citizens, and they’re excited to meet new people along the way. Their hopes for the future take into account the fact that a “job for life” is a thing of the past – but does that mean that they don’t aspire to stability?

Viacom International Media Networks recently conducted a study, “MTV Knowing Youth: 2020 Vision.” This report, which gives insight into who global Millennials are and how they envision the world in 2020, was based on an online survey of over 6,800 people ages 15 to 24 across 32 countries, as well as qualitative work in 17 markets.

Taken from that project, here are some insights on Millennials’ feelings about stability in their future lives:

Though many don’t have concrete plans, they do hope for stability. Fixed goals are somewhat rare because Millennials realize that their career trajectories will involve lots of twists and turns. But while their dreams include following multiple career paths, seeing the world, and connecting with many different people, they also look forward to achieving a secure way of life.

The elements of stability include a good education, a reliable income, marriage, and kids. While some of Millennials’ goals may seem unconventional, many of their aspirations are quite traditional. They want to be well-educated so they can land a good job. A stable income could relieve their worries about money. And the prospect of marrying and having families is appealing.

Their aspirations prove that they’re similar in nature, if not behavior, to other generations. Millennials believe that they’ll be happy if they are well-educated, find work they enjoy, and have happy families. Their approach to life may differ from generations past – but in the end, they want the same things.