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it can often feel like an anti-climax, and many men tend to lose their intense drive, passion and competitiveness. They are likely to reduce work effort and display less enthusiasm for their job. They might go through the motions and put in the time necessary, but often fail to be fully committed. Although this stage might be comfortable for the experienced and successful person, it is often full of fear and does nothing to help younger colleagues.

With ongoing self-assessment in the late twenties or early thirties, at mid-life and now at retirement, there will be a final re-evaluation coming at the point of a spouse's death or just before one's own death. Early evaluation looks forward to the future. Mid-life evaluation concentrates on the present while the reflective years are used to examine the individual's full span of life with the hope of feeling good and at peace with his/her achievements.

Satisfied people at this staging post have a lot to offer the younger age groups because they have a time focus that sees all of life. They're well beyond the competitive emphasis of the young adult, or the angst of the mid-life person, and their accumulated life experience enables them to look at life issues with an understanding of their complexity which is denied to the other stages. Having abandoned their chase for the top, this is also a time of forgiveness and letting go; of preparing to move on with life on one's own terms, which boosts self-value even more.

Learn more about this author, Elaine Sihera.
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