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The Secret Value of Staying at Your Job
What Longevity Can Teach You About Living Well
According to the data, if you’re between the ages of 25 to 34, it’s likely that you’ve been working at your current job for less than 3 years.
Off the bat, you might think that has something to do with the unprecedented times we’re still coming through. The “Great Resignation” was a real thing and we all likely knew someone or someones who switched companies or even industries during the tumultuous wave of the past 30 months.
But surprisingly, this average of being somewhere for less than 3 years has been around since early 2020, and even before that as well.
It’s not a new thing for young people to change jobs and move from opportunity to opportunity. Life happens and you spend a lot of your twenties and early thirties growing up and reaching new personal and professional milestones.
You might get married. Have a kid. Move back home or move to a new, bigger city. You might discover a new passion or find out more clearly what you don’t like.
With and in all this, your job may fluctuate based on what is the best fit for that particular season. Transitioning and shifting jobs isn’t a bad thing. But there are some lessons in life that you really can only learn by staying in one place for a while.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that while the average work tenure for 25–34-year-olds is under 3 years, the average tenure for people 55–64 is 9.8 years. As we grow up, we build deeper roots and we begin to stay.
But what if you were able to do that sooner? What lessons on longevity might you be able to learn by staying at your job?
As of this writing, my wife and I have both only worked for 1 company throughout the duration of our twenties. I’ve been with my company for 8.5 years. She’s been with hers for 7.5 years.
We’ve stayed, and in doing so, we’ve learned some things that have helped us understand how longevity can show us how to live a more fulfilled and joyful life.
